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ESA to hold Space for Intermodal Transport Workshop in Dudley in March

Space for Intermodal Transport Workshop

This event is being held in partnership with BCIMO as part of the Clean Futures Catalyst which aims to support transport-related businesses through an extensive programme of free events.

Join us in Dudley, West Midlands, UK for this free in-person workshop.

In March 2025, the European Space Agency will launch an exciting funding opportunity called Space for Intermodal Transport. This initiative is designed to support studies and projects that harness satellite data to revolutionise intermodal transport.

Join us at this workshop to dive into the Space for Intermodal Transport opportunity. This event will bring together innovative solution developers and stakeholders who are eager to enhance their intermodal transport operations. It's a unique chance to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and drive the development of cutting-edge solutions that will shape the future of intermodal transport.

Agenda

What is Intermodal Transport?

Intermodal transport is an innovative approach to moving goods using multiple modes of transportation, such as trucks, trains, ships, and planes, without handling the goods during transfers. This method can not only enhance efficiency and flexibility but can also promote environmental sustainability. By seamlessly integrating various transportation modes, intermodal transport can reduce congestion, lower emissions, and optimise the overall supply chain, making it a smarter and greener choice compared to traditional methods.

What Ideas will we support?

We are looking for innovative ideas that leverage space data and advanced technologies to enhance intermodal transport. This includes solutions that address environmental sustainability, efficiency, flexibility, and safety. Examples of supported ideas include:

  • Environmental Sustainability: Reducing road congestion and optimising transport choices to minimise emissions. 
  • Efficiency and Flexibility: Implementing advanced tracking systems and demand-responsive transport models to create seamless and cost-effective operations. Using GNSS and IoT devices for real-time updates on the location of passengers and goods can propose alternative transport combinations.
  • Safety: Ensuring reliable communication in low-connectivity areas and minimising handling of goods to reduce risks of theft or damage. 

We seek business ideas that showcase market potential, viable service concepts, technical feasibility, and value from space data or technology.

Why are we holding this Workshop?

Intermodal Transport presents numerous challenges, including coordinating various modes of transportation, ensuring standardisation, managing tracking, and collaborating with stakeholders. This workshop aims to bring together diverse participants to explore how space data and advanced technologies such as automation, AI, cloud computing, and blockchain can be integrated to innovate business processes and create seamless intermodal transport systems. The goal is to brainstorm ways to improve overall supply chains in terms of flexibility, speed, and costs, while also contributing to the decarbonisation of freight transport. Additionally, the workshop aims to facilitate matchmaking between solution developers and stakeholders. 

 

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In March 2025, the European Space Agency will launch an exciting funding opportunity called Space for Intermodal Transport [link to https://business.esa.int/funding/call-for-proposals-non-competitive/spa…]. This initiative is designed to support studies and projects that harness satellite data to revolutionise intermodal transport.

Join us at this workshop to dive into the Space for Intermodal Transport opportunity. This event will bring together innovative solution developers and stakeholders who are eager to enhance their intermodal transport operations. It's a unique chance to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and drive the development of cutting-edge solutions that will shape the future of intermodal transport.
 

Head of ESA Space Solutions lays out vision for sustainable future on last day of conference

It’s not every day astronauts visit Belfast, but last week ESA astronaut reserve member John McFall joined thousands of delegates at the UK Space Conference, held for the first time in the city. An opportunity to showcase the role of the UK in the European space sector, representatives from ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) and Earth Observation (EOP) programmes were on hand at the ESA Connect Zone to demonstrate their work and discuss future opportunities with businesses and researchers. 

The Zone was highly popular with visitors who, using the Earth observation interactive table, discovered the impact of climate change around the world. This information was made possible by Earth observation satellites which provide extraordinary insights into our climate and environment with the data they produce used across multiple applications. Visitors also enjoyed meeting Europe's first 'Lamb-baaaassador' Shaun the Sheep, who returned from the Artemis I mission to the moon in December 2022, and John McFall who inspired young delegates with career and learning opportunities in the space industry.

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Shaun the Sheep with ESA astronaut reserve member John McFall



Speaking on the final day of the conference, Nick Appleyard, Head of Applications and Solutions at ESA, explained how space technology is already improving life on earth, helping protect critical infrastructure, aiding emergency responses to crises and playing a vital role in the global fight to combat climate change.

With space defined as part of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), developing resilient space technologies is key. “CNI relies on a wide range of resilient space technologies including position, navigation and timing (PNT) services and we are committed to making these services more resilient for both CNI users and our wider economy,” explained Nick. “Space capabilities are already central to many basic and safety-critical civil functions and this dependency on space will only increase.”

Looking at the role of satellite applications in the green transition, the figures speak for themselves. With more than 183M Euro invested in 300 green ESA BASS activities across a wide range of sectors since 2010, the work of BASS is impacting lives not only in Europe but around the world. The vast majority of the investment is in four key areas: sustainable transport, protecting ecosystems, sustainable agriculture and the green energy transition. ESA is working closely with key players in these areas. Tasks forces are already established in the automotive, energy and smart cities domains, with more planned. 

“The green transition now drives 48% of all new ESA Space Solutions and is expected to rise,” said Nick. “Researchers and innovators will use space in new and exciting ways, improving the way we live and work and the UK is poised to be in the vanguard of this next phase of space innovation.”

The UK is the largest contributor to the BASS programme, with 50million GBP available to UK companies proposing sustainable Space Solutions in the BASS programme in 2024-25. It is also home to ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT).

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Representatives from ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) and Earth Observation (EOP) programmes were on hand at the UK Space Conference to demonstrate their work and discuss future opportunities. 

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