On 3 November 2021 (10:00 - 12:00 GMT/11:00 - 13:00 CET), during a webinar by KTN and ESA, you will have the chance to learn about how satellite communication and space assets are providing value to address digital and green objectives.

The Space & Geospatial Virtual Pavilion for COP26 aims to showcase how the use of space data and location intelligence can help us to unlock significant opportunities for businesses and governments to work collaboratively in achieving carbon emission targets and to build solutions across sectors and societal challenges.

Connectivity, Space and Digital Technologies for Green Value

In recent years, there has been a significant drive towards tackling climate and environmental challenges through sustainable development. This push has been underlined by various green initiatives, including the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Green Deal put forward by the European Commission. 

With an estimated potential to cut global emissions by 15% by 2030, connectivity and digital technologies play a key role in enabling  structural transformation of key vertical markets to more responsible and socially inclusive business models, able to deliver positive net socio-economic impact to the society.

Satellite communications and space assets are underpinning such digital and green revolution supporting the achievement of the Green Deal objectives, with fast-track opportunities already identified in key domains such as energy, manufacturing, agriculture and land use, buildings, services, transportation and traffic management.

The presentation will provide insights on:

• ESA TIA actions to support industry in ESA Member states develop innovative products and services leveraging satellite communications and space technology to contribute sustainable mobility and green value
• ESA role in catalysing  the roll-out of green services through cross-sectoral cooperation with champion customers, users and early adopters.
• The opportunities for the upstream /downstream and New Space actors

Please see here for more information and registration. 

Agenda

• Space-based Solutions to support decarbonization - Rita Rinaldo, ESA

Sustainable Mobility

• MUSE: Integrated Sensor Platform for Autonomous Driving - Patrick Henkel, ANavS
• CoDrive: a solution for Connected Atonomous Vehicles - Xiaolin Meng, Ubipos
• Tandem: transport sharing service for towns and Small Cities - Tatseng Chiam, Tandem
• Human Switch: embedding electric vehicles into our transport service - Felix Mackenzie, Kearney
• Astrocast SatIoT services supporting sustainable mobility - Fabien Jordan, Astrocast

Sustainable cities

• Digitising Water, Sanitation & Hygiene for Green Cities - Cheryl Hicks, Pacific Institute
• Using Satellites to Green Our Cities -  Imeshi Weerasinghe, Weo Water
• HydroNET: supporting urban water management and improving flood resilience -  Maurits Voogt, Hydrologic
• Mining the air - pollen and air quality - Marianne Amble, Airmine
• The future of spatial and regenerative finance - Ian Choo, Ekofolio

About KTN

KTN creates the diverse connections that enable positive change. Their knowledge and expertise enable innovators to transform bright ideas into real-world solutions. Their powerful industry and academic connections can guide entrepreneurs, start-ups and companies through the complex challenges of bringing new products, processes and services to market. Find out more at ktn-uk.org

This story is part of our new Story Series: Meet ESA Space Solutions Network. In this new series, we’re going to introduce you to the great teams across our Network that are using space to develop business applied in daily life. Curious about their highlights and advice? Read on.

Who is ESA BIC Lazio?  

ESA BIC Lazio was founded in 2006 in the framework of Regione Lazio’s policy to foster technology transfer and innovation. BIC Lazio (today Lazio Innova) then launched a new incubator for high-tech start-ups in Rome and thanks to the relationship established with ESA's ESRIN facility, young researchers were encouraged to create the first ESA BIC Lazio start-up. Over time, more than 40 business projects based on the use of space technologies have been supported.

Tell us about the people in your team and what strength/added value do you bring through.

Luigi Campitelli is the Innovation Hubs Director in Lazio Innova. No one in the company has such in-depth knowledge about the ESA BIC instrument as a tool for economic development and how the ESA BICs and start-ups can be the real protagonists in open innovation processes.

Roberto Giuliani is the Incubator Manager, with a background in economics and business management. He represents the historical memory and the man who firmly holds the reins of the ESA BIC Lazio ecosystem, made up of start-ups, SMEs, industrial players, universities and research centres.

Andrea Cosentino is ESA BIC Lazio’s tutor, with a background in finance. He is the friend of start-ups and is always ready to give them good advice. Andrea has been working in ESA BIC Lazio since the beginning and his empathy has made him one of the best-known colleagues among the oldest ESA BICs in the Network.

Valentina Diana is a Project Manager at ESA BIC Lazio with a background in political science and a long experience in technology transfer. She is keen on applications of space technologies to solve world problems. She is a very active supporter of space start-ups in Europe.

What about our values? To support the same vision and direction, to be passionate and to have fun in our jobs, don't let things happen but make them happen.

What has inspired you to work in the space industry? 

The Lazio region has the entire value chain present, from upstream to downstream. This made it possible for us to find very fertile ground to sprout, enlarging the ESA BIC Lazio ecosystem more and more to several stakeholders, from policy makers to universities and research centres, from large industrial players to innovative start-ups and teams able to find their “space” to launch innovative businesses.

Do you look for/have start-ups working to solve big world problems? 

At ESA BIC Lazio we know that space technologies enable us to solve big world problems. Through this awareness we have firstly inspired and then supported the great ideas of our start-ups, such as those facing the problem of water leaks in aqueducts using satellite images or monitoring the safety and the health of workers in remote areas through integrated GNSS and satcom solutions.

Please present examples of startups incubated by ESA BIC Lazio and what are they doing. 

Earth Observation:

Nhazca (alumnus) - is a service company within the framework of the analysis, management and/or mitigation of geological risks, monitoring deformation by terrestrial SAR interferometry.

Technology transfer:

Airgloss Prosense (alumnus) - detects a wide range of airborne contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and autonomously controls heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and air purification systems.  Airgloss MultiSensing Technology was initially developed for the safety of astronauts on the International Space Station.

GNSS:

SpaceExe (alumnus) - is a space technology company passionate about the design and development of Internet of Things solutions (IoT) based on GNSS and telecommunication devices. They offer simple cost-effective solutions to complex problems.

Upstream:

Arca Dynamics (incubatee) - is a new space company based in Rome providing space traffic management and Earth observation services using proprietary nanosatellites (cubesats).

Would you like to share an interesting/inspiring story from one of your alumni?  

Indeed, we would like to share the stories of many of our alumni and it would seem disrespectful talking about one in particular. We can start with Terradue, our first incubatee and the story of two Portuguese researchers, who came to Italy in 2005 to work in ESRIN for the development of grid processing on-demand (G-POD), realising a set of products for earth observation applications. Today they manage a successful business in Earth science services, tailored for data-intensive applications and lead an international team.

What is your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? 

Space represents a key sector for the recovery of the post-COVID-19 world economy. The space industries have always produced technologies and applications that are very important for our common life. Today, a new business launched in the space economy does not only represent an opportunity to create value due to the important effects also in the non-space sectors, but it represents an opportunity to attract more private capitals in a sector no longer funded mainly by public and government investments. 

Using one word, how would you describe the ESA Space Solutions community?  

One word? Martian! (MAsterful, Robust, TIreless, ANimated)

How would you solve problems if you were from Mars? 

If we were on Mars, we would have already solved the problem of finding another planet where humanity could live!

What is your website link where the readers can find more about you? 

The European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre in Lazio (Italy) - ESA BIC Lazio is funded by local Government of Regione Lazio and by Italian Space Agency (ASI) and it is managed by Lazio Innova SpA.

Check out www.lazioinnova.it 

ABOUT ESA SPACE SOLUTIONS

ESA Space Solutions is the go-to place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life. ESA Space Solutions is designed to provide multiple entry points such as ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Broker Network, ESA Business Applications Ambassadors and ESA Business Applications programme. Funding typically ranges from €50k to €2M and supports everything from technology transfer, business incubation, Feasibility Studies to large-scale Demonstration Projects.

On 7 October 2021 (15:00 - 16:30 CEST), during a webinar by Eureka and ESA, you will have the chance to learn about ESA's opportunities for start-ups and SMEs, supporting them scaling-up and commercialising.

The purpose of this first online session on 7 October will be presenting some of ESA's programmes and opportunities relevant to start-ups and SMEs, that aim at removing entry barriers to the marketplace, supporting companies towards scaling-up and commercialisation. Companies will also hear about current market trends in some domain areas such as 5G connectivity as well as Earth Observation integrated with Artificial Intelligence. You can sign up until 2 days before the webinar takes place.

Some of the activities and initiatives that will be presented during this session are as follows:  

• The ESA Business Incubation Centres, offering funding, business and technical support to help start-ups and SMEs to develop businesses using space technology and data.  
• ESA Business Applications, that supports the development of sustainable services utilising space assets by providing zero-equity funding, access to technical and commercial guidance, as well as access to our network of partners.  
• InCubed, a Public Private Partnership co-funding programme run by ESA, phi-labs that focuses on developing innovative and commercially viable products and services that exploit the value of Earth observation imagery and datasets. 
• The 5G/6G Hub – based at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) at Harwell in the UK – is a place for collaboration, where start-ups, SMEs and Industry can develop products and services using state-of-the-art 5G integrated terrestrial-satellite equipment.

Please see here for more information and registration. 

Agenda

15:00 Introduction, Davide Delaiti, Eureka Association

15:05 Welcome Speech, Portuguese Presidency of Eureka

15:10 How to build Successful Partnerships with ESA

Frank M. Salzgeber, Head of Innovation and Ventures Office

• The role of Space in Innovation. Entry point at ESA 

Niels Eldering, Head of the ESA Space Solutions Section

• ESA Business Incubation Centers, Technology Brokers and Business Applications Ambassadors 

Jens Kauffmann/Sandra Vogt, SME Office

• How to do business with ESA 

Michele Castorina, Phi-Lab Invest Office

• EO and AI Market trends. In-cubed Programme 

Antonio Franchi/Maria Guta, Space for 5G/6G Strategic Programme

• Space for 5G and 6G 

16:00 Aymeric Jouon – CEO and Founder at I Clean My Sea

• Company journey at ESA BIC Sud France 

16:05 Next Steps, Emma Fau, External advisor at Eureka   

16:10  Q/A session  

16:25 End of session 

About Eureka

Eureka is an international network established in 1985 as an agreement between 18 countries to foster European competitiveness and integration and to encourage R&D cooperation. Since then, we have expanded to include over 45 countries in Europe and beyond who share the same goals and have national funding available to organisations who apply through our programmes.

About ESA Space Solutions

ESA Space Solutions is the go to place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life. ESA Space Solutions is designed to provide multiple entry points such as ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Broker Network, ESA Business Applications Ambassadors and ESA Business Applications programme. Funding typically ranges from €50k to €2M and supports everything from technology transfer, business incubation, Feasibility Studies to large-scale Demonstration Projects.

Start-up Atlas Aero will reveal a full-scale prototype of Origin, a hybrid-electric personal aircraft with vertical take-off and landing functionality, at IAA Mobility in Munich, Germany, on 7 September 2021. The ESA BIC Bavaria alumnus aims to have a commercial version of Origin ready by 2026.

In development since 2015, Atlas Aero’s Origin has been designed to combine the best features of aeroplanes and helicopters, along with efficient flight, net-zero emissions and space-efficient parking. The two-seater craft is capable of vertical take-off and landing and features folding wings that enable it to convert into a road vehicle.

The origin of Origin

Origin is the brainchild of Maximilian Salbaum, who founded Atlas Aero with his brother, Tobias Salbaum, in 2019 after developing and optimising Origin for 4 years. The company was incubated at ESA BIC Bavaria from 2019 to 2021. The incubation programme enabled Atlas Aero to finance its prototypes and provided coaching and networking opportunities.

“Technological advances during the last two decades are finally enabling a paradigm shift in aviation and Origin is a perfect example of what is now possible,” says Maximilian. 

“Furthermore, mass production will result in the cost of simple aircraft like ours falling to around the same price as middle-to-high range electric cars. Our solution will offer far more functionality and travel flexibility for its users.”

New technologies for cost efficiency 

Origin is a two-seater (side-by-side) aircraft that the Atlas Aero team say will consume less than 5 litres of fuel per 100 km while travelling at 300 km/h and have a range of up to 1500 km. It will achieve net-zero emissions by using e-Fuels – synthetic fuels produced using renewable energy sources as an alternative to traditional or bio fuels. 

Among Atlas Aero’s developments for Origin are new electromechanical actuator (EMA) technology and low-cost, sustainable composite manufacturing, both of which have applications in the space sector. 

Similarly, the company is developing a low-cost alternative composite manufacturing process – known as light resin transfer moulding (light-RTM) – for small quantities of single parts, aiming to produce full-scale fans for its prototype within the next few months. This new process could be used as a cost-efficient alternative to current scalable composite manufacturing, which requires a high upfront investment. EMAs can reduce complexity, maintenance and weight compared with hydraulic models. Atlas Aero is developing direct drive EMAs that also minimise single points of failure to make them more acceptable in critical applications, such as rocket nozzles, aerodynamic control fins, locking mechanisms and fuel valves. Its first linear actuator will be implemented in the full-scale prototype’s wing-flap system.

Upwards and onwards

Atlas Aero proved the hover flight concept with a one-seventh scale model during its time at ESA BIC Bavaria. The full-scale, remote-controlled prototype will be on display at the IAA Mobility show and is expected to demonstrate forward flying and the transition phase between hover and forward flight in the first half of 2022. 

The intellectual property of Atlas Aero’s concept has been cited multiple times by companies including Porsche, General Electric and Safran. 

Initial plans target the market for small helicopters and aeroplanes with the solution, which will offer enhanced mobility on the ground and space-efficient parking thanks to its foldable wings. Later the concept will be scaled up to produce a vehicle that can be used for ride sharing. Atlas also plans to produce a fully autonomous version designed for the mainstream market.

ABOUT ESA SPACE SOLUTIONS

ESA Space Solutions is the go to place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life. ESA Space Solutions is designed to provide multiple entry points such as ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Broker Network, ESA Business Applications Ambassadors and ESA Business Applications programme. Funding typically ranges from €50k to €2M and supports everything from technology transfer, business incubation, Feasibility Studies to large-scale Demonstration Projects.

This story is part of our new Story Series: Meet ESA Space Solutions Network. In this new series, we’re going to introduce you to the great teams across our Network that are using space to develop business applied in daily life. Curious about their highlights and advice? Read on.

Who is ESA BIC UK?  

The ESA BIC UK was established in 2010 as the fifth member of the ESA BIC network. Over its history, the ESA BIC UK has supported approximately 100 companies. Originally set up at Harwell Campus – known for its thriving space cluster, it has since expanded to the North West (Daresbury), Scotland (Edinburgh) and the East Midlands (Leicester), rocketing the space sector in the UK. 

Tell us about the people in your team and what strength/added value do you bring through.

Will Gault is the ESA BIC UK Manager. Will is there for the our businesses every step along the way, from initial enquiry through to post-graduation, ensuring that they take advantage of what is on offer to launch business ideas.

Helen Goody, Anne Green and Angela Mills keep everything in check, making sure nothing is missed, from applications to allocating funding. 

Delyth Edwards, Michaela Kiernan, Ruairidh Henderson and Paul Corazzo represent our different UK locations and know how to network. They make sure that businesses are aware of what the ESA BIC UK can do to support them, and connect incubatees with what they need during their journey. 

Zoe Hill, Sue Davies and Lottie Brown help to spread the word and boost the ESA BIC UK community through marketing and events; sharing stories, getting social and bringing their admirable organisation skills to networking events (and ensuring there’s plenty of cake!) 

What has inspired you to work in the space industry? 

What makes the team special is that we come from different career backgrounds yet have a passion for all things space. What’s most interesting to us is that the applications of space technology impact our everyday lives in ways that people wouldn’t necessarily realise. We enjoy finding new companies working in unique fields, and educating people on the impact of space. It’s exciting to see the UK space sector grow and grow, and the ESA BIC UK is a big part of it. 

Do you look for/have start-ups working to solve big world problems? 

Absolutely. Entocycle is a first-class example of how space technology can be applied to address one of the most important global challenges we currently face – how to feed the world without harming our planet. Black soldier flies are used to convert upcycled food waste from farms and factories into a sustainable, organic insect-based protein feed, as an alternative to soya, for farmed animals. Basically, the company is using food waste to create insect protein to feed the animals that we eat, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions and deforestation. Through the ESA BIC UK, Entocycle acquired the expertise to develop a network of cutting-edge sensors, originally designed for use in space, to monitor and optimise the black soldier fly lifecycle.

Please present examples of startups incubated by ESA BIC UK and what are they doing. 

Sustainability:  

Crover - has developed a unique robotic grain storage solution and provides a new way to automate monitoring activities

Smart Green Shipping - is facilitating the uptake of more sustainable wind ships to reduce emissions in the shipping industry.  

LENKÉ Space and Water Solutions - is using satellite and climate data to identify opportunities for better water management in areas where resources are scarce.

AutoNaut - is using unmanned surface vessels for improved zero carbon ocean monitoring to help combat the effects of global warming.

Safety:  

Lanterne - is responding to the challenges of COVID-19 by pivoting from safe routes for international workers to the Crowdless social distancing app – and has now pivoted again into micro mobility, enabling greener and safer transport.

Rezatec - is using satellite data and artificial intelligence (AI) to remotely monitor water insfrastructure, including dams, waste and clean water pipelines.

Ridersmate - is a dedicated GPS safety and tracking device for automated personal safety in marine and inland waterway environments.

Medical:

Adaptix - is developing portable 3D X-ray machines for earlier cancer detection, connected through the power of satellites.

Inspire general audience:

Flox - is using sensors and AI, plus robotics based on the ExoMars Rover. Farmers can monitor the health of their chickens without disturbing them. 

Would you like to share an interesting/inspiring story from one of your alumni?  

They are all wonderful and tracking them all is hugely rewarding. From an entrepreneurial perspective, it has been fantastic to watch Open Cosmos develop from a small team selling education products to an established space missions provider with more than 60 people which is now attracting its own cluster of new companies as partners and customers. Other ESA BIC UK companies have worked with Open Cosmos on space missions – the most recent being Lacuna Space.

What is your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? 

Here are three main tips that we share with entrepreneurs:

• make sure there is a real need for your innovation
• have the right team in place to take your idea to market 
• make a plan for sourcing funds 

And don’t let the diversity of space put you off. There’s so much potential and support out there if you find the right people to connect you, especially with the sector thriving like it is; in the UK and globally!

Using one word, how would you describe the ESA Space Solutions community?  

It’s tough to pick one – community is a nice way to explain it, but as the question includes that, let’s go for collaborative.

How would you solve problems if you were from Mars? 

Bring all the exciting Martian technology to deliver even more positve impact to everyday life on Earth.

What is your website link where the readers can find more about you? 

www.esa-bic.org.uk or follow us on social media: @ESABICUK and LinkedIn
#ESABICUK 

The European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre United Kingdom (ESA BIC UK) is managed and partly funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council in collaboration with ESA Space Solutions, the University of Leicester and the UK Space Agency. 

ABOUT ESA SPACE SOLUTIONS

ESA Space Solutions is the go to place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life. ESA Space Solutions is designed to provide multiple entry points such as ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Broker Network, ESA Business Applications Ambassadors and ESA Business Applications programme. Funding typically ranges from €50k to €2M and supports everything from technology transfer, business incubation, Feasibility Studies to large-scale Demonstration Projects.

UK drone specialist Skyports has successfully completed the second phase of a medical delivery project on the west coast of Scotland, funded through a joint ESA and UK Space Agency COVID-19-related initiative. With support from ESA Space Solutions, Skyport’s drone service slashed delivery times for COVID samples and medical supplies, significantly speeding up UK National Health Service (NHS) testing and response.

From February to the end of May 2021, Skyports’ unmanned drone fleet ferried coronavirus test kits and samples, medicines and equipment between three hospitals and a medical practice in the Argyll and Bute area of Scotland. Their aim was to test the feasibility of using the service to replace some road-based deliveries. Skyports uses a range of space services and data to plan and operate the drones.

The joint ESA and UK Space Agency funding call, ‘Space helping UK on COVID-19 and other pandemics’, was issued in April 2020, soon after the pandemic started. Skyports’ drone service was one of three projects chosen to tackle UK-specific challenges. 

Airborne systems avoid geographical challenges

The sparsely populated Argyle and Bute region of Scotland includes several islands and has thousands of kilometres of coastline. Its geography means that road-based medical delivery services take an average of 21 hours. During the trials, Skyports’ drones cut this to just 1 hour, enabling diagnoses to be provided far faster by a hospital on the mainland and speeding up delivery of urgent medical supplies.

The project was carried out with Argyle and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), which manages the area’s healthcare. NHS staff at the four trial sites requested pickups through an online system developed by project partner Deloitte. 

Drones flew on pre-programmed flight paths based on data from a global space-based navigation system, with Skyports’ operators on the ground monitoring progress and taking control, if required, using telecommunications satellites. Earth observation data contributed to drone mission planning.

Stephen Whiston, head of strategic planning, performance and technology at Argyle and Bute HSCP, said: “The trial has proven that although there are still some challenges to overcome, there are some significant benefits. These include reducing the burden on our staff and getting results quicker to aid in diagnostic and treatment decisions. Anything that can be done to enable us to treat patients locally, instead of discharging them to hospitals further away, or to improve treatment pathways is great. Other health boards in Scotland are very interested in what’s been achieved and what this technology can bring us.”

ESA Space Solutions has been supporting Skyports’ trials in a variety of ways. “As well as financial support, we have provided Skyports with a range of technical and business expertise, including how to structure and present their trial results,” explains Arnaud Runge, ESA medical engineer and technical officer for the Skyports project. “In addition, as a professional pilot, I could offer assistance with aspects relating to airspace management, which is important when sharing airspace with, for example, emergency response services.”

Further trials are planned with a view to providing a permanent service as early as 2022.

Alex Brown, head of operations at Skyports, said: “It was great to work with ESA Space Solutions on this project. It was very much a partnership-based relationship, working together flexibly through the various regulatory and technology challenges associated with a cutting-edge operation such as this. ESA's deep technical expertise and their relationships across government stakeholders were instrumental in getting the operation running for the NHS. We look forward to working with them again soon."

With the help of ESA Demonstration Project funding, Robotify developed an advanced in-browser physics engine. The Robotiphy Severus engine is pioneering the in-browser 3D simulation space and making education in coding and robotics more accessible.

In 2015, high school students Adam Dalton and Evan Darcy realised that programming wasn’t being taught in most schools and when it was, it was seen as being something difficult or daunting. They embarked on a mission to make coding and robotics affordable, accessible and fun.

They created Robotiphy , a virtual simulation software in which students have their own personal fleet of robots that they can access online anytime, from any device, anywhere in the world. Students learn how to programme their robot companions to complete missions in high-fidelity simulations of real-life environments.

The life-like in-browser simulations in Robotify are powered by software developed with an ESA Demonstration Project, which began in October 2020. The software pulls Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and Earth observation (EO) data straight into Robotify’s in-browser engine – Robotiphy Severus – and physics enable them.

“People don’t want to download clunky software packages on their devices with bad user experience. In order to make robotics and space technology accessible at scale it must be accessible across all devices. Our unique engine enables this innovation by uniquely providing fully native in-browser simulations with no downloads needed” said Adam Dalton, CEO of Robotify.

“Robotiphy Severus engine is an excellent example of how space assets integrated in a state-of-the-art platform can support educational applications in remote areas through digital twin technology”, commented Mina Syriou, ESA’s Project Manager.

Robotify was launched in 2016 and has so far been used in over 1000 schools with 100,000 users to date. Students using Robotiphy can put their coding skills to the test and compete against other students around the world in a virtual robotics competition called Roboduel.

The Ireland-based company has grown exponentially in the last year thanks to ESA’s support. It has more than doubled its staff count, and partnered with large, innovative corporations such as Steve Wozniack’s WozEd. Wozniack is set to head the speaker line-up at Robotify’s first virtual expo, on 26 September 2021.

Testing fidelity and simulating Mars

ESA funding is now enabling Robotify to test the fidelity of the simulations. Following a drone landscape survey of a test area, Robotify will pull the DEM and EO data from the same area and compare the results.

Robotify also plans to simulate an environment on Mars by pulling DEM data of the planet into Robotiphy Severus before adjusting for the planet’s gravity and physics. This will create an extraordinary extra-terrestrial environment for students using Robotiphy, as well as potentially being of use in space exploration. 

The European Space Agency and the World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) have signed a memorandum of intent (MoI) for advancing sustainable innovation for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry to promote its safe, secure, sustainable and seamless growth.

This cooperation supports the implementation of innovative space-based applications leveraging connectivity and digital transformation towards a stronger, more sustainable, and resilient tourism economy especially after the recent Covid-19 challenges. The goal is to accelerate good practices towards sustainable development that will help the tourism sector reach the Agenda 2030.

As a first step of this joint effort, ESA Space Solutions and WTFL are cooperating on an announcement of opportunity that  supports innovative tourism business projects harnessing space technologies to help the sector in its transition to the new normal through rapid digitalization and sustainable transformation.  

To ensure this initiative will deliver tangible impact, WTFL and ESA Space Solutions seek interested tourism businesses to be part of a user working group that will provide inputs on the most burning issues faced by the sector. The user working group will support ESA and WTFL by providing their views and customer requirements on the most pressing challenges for the tourism sector, identify commercial priorities and trends relevant to be addressed in the initiative, and will have the opportunity to provide recommendations and guidance to the applications that will be proposed*. 

“Leveraging downstream space technologies to drive sustainable development is going to determine the future of the tourism sector. Companies that tap in to the potential of space tech are becoming key players in the industry with a competitive advantage hard to copy”, says Martin Barth, President & CEO World Tourism Forum Lucerne.

“Space technologies, connectivity and digital transformation are key for the tourism sector to initiate a purposeful innovation journey towards a stronger and more sustainable tourism economy. The announcement of opportunity in cooperation with the World Tourism Forum Lucerne will help unleash this potential and fast-track business innovation towards a new dimension of sustainable tourism”, says Davide Coppola, Project Manager at ESA Space Solutions.

About WTFL:

The World Tourism Forum Lucerne is the leading interactive platform in the industry, where CEOs, Ministers, Academia, Finance, Start-Ups, Next Generation and Young Talents become a strong community addressing the future challenges of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry and shape a more sustainable future. The WTFL work is focused on four core pillars: Innovation, Sustainable Development, Talent and Diversity.

About ESA Space Solutions:

ESA Space Solutions is the go-to place for great business ideas involving space in all areas of society and economy. Its mission is to support entrepreneurs in Europe in the development of business using satellite applications and space technology to improve everyday life.

The programme is designed to provide multiple entry points such as ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs), ESA Technology Broker Network, ESA Business Application Ambassadors and the ESA Business Applications programme. We can also support your ideas of transferring space technology into non-space markets or vice versa.

ESA Business Applications is part of ESA Space Solutions that supports the development of sustainable services utilising space assets. It provides funding opportunities and expert support to entrepreneurs.

*If you want to join the working group that will be responsible for research and setting up the right direction of the project, please express your interest by contacting elena.cholakova@wtflucerne.org making sure you include your first/last name, company, position, email, LinkedIn profile and your motivation to join the WP.

German company dida is using images from ESA’s Sentinel satellites to find solutions for formalising artisanal and small-scale mining. The company received funding to develop the ASMSpotter software through ESA’s Kick-Start Activity. 

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) directly or indirectly provides a livelihood for an estimated 60–150 million people worldwide, and accounts for a significant portion of the global supply of raw materials. However, informal mining can have severe impacts on the local natural environment and population because of a lack of monitoring and effective control. This is where ASMSpotter comes in. 

ASMSpotter uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyse changes in satellite images for the identification of informal mining sites. Development of the prototype was funded by ESA Space Solutions’ Kick-Start Activity in a project which ran from August 2019 to April 2020. 

In 2021, Berlin-based dida – which specialise in developing applications using AI for automatic analysis of image files – shifted ASMSpotter to use only free-of-charge images from ESA’s Sentinel-2 satellites. This has brought down the cost of the technology for governments, NGOs and the mining industry in target countries such as Suriname, Guyana and Brazil. 

Award-winning project

In October 2020, ASMSpotter won the Microsoft AI for Earth prize within the first round of the Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge, run by Conservation X Labs. The AI for Earth programme awards grants to support projects that use AI to change the way people and organisations monitor, model, and manage Earth’s natural systems. The competition prize was US$100 000. 

At the time, Robert Heesen, Product Director at dida said: “We were honoured that our solution was recognised by such an outstanding jury and by Microsoft. With ASMSpotter, we want to show that AI can make a positive contribution to the big problems of mankind. ASMSpotter helps to minimise environmental destruction and improve the working conditions of the local population. 

“Until now, local authorities have lacked solutions for automatic, large-scale monitoring of mining activities. Governments using our solution can regulate the sector much better because they can detect changes and act more quickly.” 

Future developments

dida is collaborating with Levin Sources, a UK company specialised in ASM and responsible mineral supply chains. Together,they will help governments and private sector clients to support formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining and apply the ASMSpotter solution effectively, including safeguarding how it is used. 

dida plans to extend the solution to enable it to be used to monitor extraction of other raw materials, such as cobalt, or building materials like gravel. It also hopes to begin incorporating radar data from ESA’s Sentinel-1 satellites, to improve analysis when cloud cover limits the use of imagery.  

Moritz Besser, dida Project Lead, said:

“We are very glad to have received the initial funding for the development of ASMSpotter from ESA. The difficulties of finding a project partner in the tropical regions show that without help from ESA we could not have created the algorithm. In my opinion, ASMSpotter is also a good example of how cutting-edge technological innovations could help to solve global issues like poverty and environmental destruction, but to be developed they need to receive philanthropic capital as a start.”