Lios will now scale up manufacturing and run qualification testing for space flights.

Dublin start-up Lios is renewing its contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for a second time to deploy its sound technology for space travel. The co-funded contract is valued at nearly €2m.

Founded by Rhona Togher and Eimear O’Carroll, Lios is behind ‘SoundBounce’, an advanced acoustic material better at dampening sound than traditionally available materials.

The composite material is made up of an active fluid housed within a cellular structure, which reduces low-frequency noise – common with engines, vibrations and airflow – while being four-times thinner and 40pc lighter than traditional materials.

Noise and vibration interference cause major problems during the launch and separation stages of space flight, often damaging sensitive and expensive payloads such as satellites. Lios’s technology is deployed to protect the valuable components as they are transported, the company said.

Phase three of this contract focuses on scaling up manufacturing of the SoundBounce panels over a two-year period, Lios said. It will also run flight qualification testing for outer space environments.

Formerly known as Restored Hearing, the 2009-founded start-up has been working with the ESA as part of the Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) since 2021.

The FLPP supports European companies in developing technology needed for a modular, reusable and commercially viable space transportation ecosystem. Lios is collaborating with two of Europe’s leading space manufacturers in this project.

“SoundBounce offers a competitive edge that legacy materials cannot match,” said CEO Togher. “Through this new technology, we are able to solve complex noise issues for our customers in aerospace, construction, home appliances and beyond.

“[We] look forward to – one day – sending SoundBounce into space on a European launcher.”

Togher was honoured at the European Prize for Women Innovators awards in 2025, while SoundBounce was awarded the European Patent Office Invention of the Year in 2023. Last year, the company bagged a €2.5m accelerator grant from the European Innovation Council.

“This is a significant achievement for Lios and another positive development for Ireland’s growing presence in the European space sector,” said Barry Jennings, Enterprise Ireland’s national delegate to the ESA.

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