Tuesday 30th October 2018 at UKSA, Swindon

An expanded network of five new Regional Ambassadors for ESA Business Applications is now established across the UK, in response to an increase in demand for ‘Ambassadorial’ support services.

Since the inception of ESA Business Applications ten years ago, the UK has maintained an “Ambassador Platform” to promote engagement by industry and research organisations.  This has proved so effective that the network is being expanded to include five Regional Ambassadors in the UK, with an overall coordinator based at ESA’s UK site in Harwell (ECSAT), supported by a dedicated Business Developer.

Applications that use space data and services are one of the most exciting areas of the space ecosystem. Many of the companies are Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that have seen the opportunities space data and services bring to enhance their products and deliver something that makes them stand out from the crowd.  The UK is the largest contributor to this element of ESA’s programme of Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES). The Ambassadors are working with companies and individuals to develop their business ideas using space data and services, and to support their initial application into the programme.

Increased demand for this support has prompted the decision to greatly expand the team. Five regional ambassadors, each with a geographical area of responsibility, will be coordinated by long-standing Ambassador Ian Downey, working in collaboration with a Business Developer who will provide support to companies developing their business case. This team of experts has considerable experience of working in the UK Space Sector and with different business sectors. As a result they are ideally positioned to support the creation of new space-powered business applications across the country.

The launch of the new-look UK Ambassador Network was announced at the UK Space Agency offices in Swindon on 30th October 2018, on the occasion of the inaugural meeting of the UKSA Satellite Applications Industry Advisory Group. 

To contact your UK Regional Ambassadors and see how you can benefit from the #ApplicationOfSpace click here.

On 16^th of October, ESA hosted a presentation & workshop session for the ten start-ups that are part of the Space Camp’s Second Accelerator programme. 

Backed by the world’s only SpaceTech Venture Fund, Seraphim Capital’s Space Camp programme is dedicated to the rapidly growing SpaceTech start-up sector. Following a first successful cohort, ten new start-ups were chosen for the nine-week intensive programme, to accelerate the commercial viability of their project and validate their technology readiness.

With a focus on preparing their final pitches, the companies spent last Tuesday visiting ESA and the Satellite Applications Catapult at Harwell Campus. The day was kicked off by Jason Maroothynaden, Business Broker at ESA, and was followed by talks from key speakers from ESA and UK Space Agency covering such topics as:   

• ESA’s role in bringing space technology down to Earth; the current state of the Space Industry; future trends in space; ESA’s programme of Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES); and
• How to collaborate with the UK Space Agency.

The day continued with 1:1 sessions where the start-ups got the chance to speak in-depth about how they might be able to work with, and be supported by, ESA and the UK Space Agency.

In the afternoon, the companies made their way across the campus to the Satellite Applications Catapult where they had the opportunity of seeing demonstrations of the kind of applications that the organisation supports, followed by further sessions delving into potential collaborations with the Catapult. 

What’s next? 

On 20^th of November 2018, the Space Camp start-ups have been invited to Inmarsat’s Headquarters in London for their Investor Day, to mark the end of the nine-week programme. The pitching sessions will be a great opportunity to connect with a wider network of investors and corporate partners including ESA, Dentons, Rolls-Royce, Cyient, Inmarsat, Airbus, SSTL, Telespazio, UK Space Agency, Capital Enterprise and the Satellite Applications Catapult. 

If you are a Space Camp Partner, a potential investor or a member of the press and would like to register for the event, click here. 

About Seraphim Capital

Seraphim Space is a £70m venture fund launched in 2016 focused on the fusion of terrestrial technology and space applications. It is backed by smart capital from leading space companies, with support from ESA and the UK Space Agency.

The fund invests in both downstream & upstream opportunities, along with technologies that rely on satellite data such as drones and the Internet of Things, or which have potential space applications such as artificial intelligence, robotics and nanomaterials. 

About ESA Business Applications

About ESA Business Applications

About the European Space Agency

About ELITE

Belgian company Avia-GIS NV, is about to scale up its commercial activities and introduce its award-winning VECMAP® pest control software to the European market.

The success of VECMAP®, developed with the support of ESA’s Business Applications programme, has now secured the company an ‘SME Instrument’ grant. The 1.6 million grant represents a real boost for the business, based near Antwerp, which looks set to become a global commercial market leader.

Vector-borne diseases account for more than 17 per cent of all diseases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The VECMAP® software suite, winner of three innovation awards, is radically changing the way in which this problem is tackled. Vectors are the factors that transmit the infectious disease from one organism to another. In humans typical vectors are mosquitoes or ticks; resulting in malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and even plague. 

Vector-borne plant and animal diseases can devastate agricultural productivity and compromise ecosystems globally. As a public health issue they cause more than one million deaths annually of which over 600,000 are due to malaria (WHO). 

What’s worse is that vector-borne diseases are on the increase, now appearing in countries which were previously unaffected. This trend is a result of globalisation, increased interconnectivity and growing transport networks – with pests travelling the world in containers and aeroplanes providing the perfect way of carrying pathogens from place to place. As the risks spread, so do the substantial economic, ecological and public health implications. 

Traditional methods to monitor/control are resource-intensive, often using harsh chemicals in  ‘carpet bombing’ scenarios.  In 2014, however, the EU stipulated that member states should use proactive prevention, applying Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles that combine a variety of methods to attack the entire lifecycle of the pests. 

State-of-the-art proactive prevention

VECMAP® software is a ‘one-stop-shop’ enabling state-of-the-art proactive prevention. Earth Observation imagery is combined through statistical models to provide vector disease risk maps and other value added services which help to identify the main habitat of the pests. GNSS enabled smartphones provide geo-localised data to the VECMAP system – which can be used to position traps and other IoT devices as required. ‘Smart’ data-driven control measures then dramatically reduce the use of insecticides. 

“ESA Business Applications offered us the unique opportunity necessary to reach our goal which is to develop and commercialise tools that bridge the gap between research and decision-making, ” says CEO of Avia-GIS, Guy Hendrickx.

The software is available for researchers and decision makers and the grant enables the development of a version for pest-control operators. It is aimed at 3,200 SME pest controllers in Europe, and will help them make the shift to IPM strategies.

Davide Coppola, European Space Agency says: “ESA Business Applications help stakeholders to address commercial and technical risks throughout the application development lifecycle. This  transforms promising concepts into applications that are ready to go to market. VECMAP® is an excellent example of how ESA can help businesses to develop innovative and profitable space-based services, that are ready for commercialisation at scale.”

About Avia-GIS

Avia-GIS was established in 2001 and as an SME (small or medium-sized enterprise) has grown 17 per cent per year, steadily  building public authority trust. Avia-GIS employs 13 highly-specialised staff and has an annual turnover of 2M€. 

Ascend XYZ completed AMMO Project in May 2017 as part of ESA Business Applications programme, since then Ascend XYZ has grown its customer base and revenue by 200%. Ascend XYZ provides innovative software solutions for airport safety management around the globe and it is powered by Space.

How can satellites be utilised to collect water depth data?

Who are TCarta?

To fully understand why we support TCarta and their vision, you need to know a little bit about who they are.

So, what do they do?

TCarta are a geographical information systems company, constantly working to improve geospatial data availability. They provide map data in places where it’s not currently available.

The company began with providing seafloor mapping data for marine applications. But, more recently, they offer onshore and offshore geospatial solutions. Therefore, it’s little wonder they’re a leading provider of Earth observation analysis services.

For TCarta, data is central to innovation.

The Measurement of Water Depth

While TCarta work in a number of different sectors, one of their key areas of focus is bathymetry.

Bathymetry is depth mapping of water, in oceans, seas or lakes. Unsurprisingly, this can be an extremely difficult task. However, it’s a necessary one.

How can collecting this data be made more efficient?

The Bathymetry Data Portal

The latest development and application of technology for TCarta is the creation of the Bathymetry Data Portal, which focuses on the coastal marine environment for the global market.

The portal collects all the bathymetry information in one place, allowing it to be easily obtained by those who need it.

Having all this information accessible in one portal is somewhat of a revolution, as it’s the first time this data has been available in this way.

This instant access is ground-breaking, and the data can be used across a wide spectrum of sectors:

• Energy and renewables
• Environment
• Engineering and construction
• Maritime
• Energy
• Government

These different sectors utilise this data in a number of ways. For example, tsunami modelling benefits from the more accurate and detailed data about shallow water areas.

How Does this Relate to Space?

So, what does any of this have to do with space?

You may assume collecting deep sea data requires a boat. However, satellite technology has made remote connection possible.

In terms of distance, you can’t get much further apart than the bottom of the sea floor and space. So, to some, it’s surprising that the data is derived this way.

But, distance isn’t a concern. Data is collected by taking a multispectral satellite image. This measures reflected energy within several specific sections of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Overcoming Challenges

Despite advancements in technology, global coverage remains a challenge.

However, TCarta have found a solution for this. Instead of trying to cover the globe, they only choose areas of highest value, which are suitable for producing this type of data.

How Have ESA-BA Helped?

The European Space Agency Business Applications have played a pivotal role in the creation of the Bathymetry Data Portal.

To create a sustainable business, you need support and funding. This is exactly what ESA-BA has provided, offering:

• Co-equity funding
• Technical and commercial guidance
• Network and partners
• Brand credibility

All of these factors combined have provided the necessary ingredients to make the Bathymetry Data Portal accessible to all.

How Can ESA-BA Help You?

We have worked with a number of innovative and ground-breaking businesses, and have many success stories as a result. TCarta is just one of these!

Our globally recognised innovation programme offers funding, support and credibility to your company.

This is available to any business which intends to use space to develop commercial services. From satellite navigation to space weather, we work with a broad spectrum of innovative ideas.

You can find out more about our funding opportunities here. Alternatively, subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with the latest technologies bringing us closer to the stars.

3INSAT, an ESA Business Applications funded project led by Ansaldo STS in Italy, recently helped to run the worlds first long-haul automated cargo train.

The fully-loaded autonomous train carried 28,000 tonnes of ore over 280 km between the Tom Price mine and the port of Cape Lambert in Western Australia, with Rio Tinto’s Operations Centre more than 1,500 km away in Perth mointoring the three locamotives used to drive the train, using satellite capabilities.

Each of the three locamotives was equipped with an onboard module relaying the trains position, speed and direction of travel back to the Rio Tinto Operations Centre via using satellite communication technology. Public areas and crossings were also fitted with cameras and monitors to allow continual monitoring of this historic journey.

Rio Tinto is using the 3INSAT inspired technology to automate much of the acitivty on the 1,700km jounrey between mines and ports in the Pilbara region. More than 200 locamotives use this route with an average journey of 800km taking 40hrs from loading to unloading.

This journey, as the world's first long-haul cargo train to be automated, signals the start of a new era of automated long-haul cargo train networks, which suit the remote areas of Western Australia.

3InSat innovations contributed to the rollout of the European’s first satellite applications on train control systems generating over 100 M€ revenues, raising some 20 M€ in R&D investments and to gave birth to ERSAT – a joint initiative between Ansaldo STS and RFI for adopting satellite applications on the local and regional lines. 

An unprecedented collaboration between industry, researchers and space agencies has generated new jobs and is at the core of a roadmap to exploit satellite applications on daily railway operations, improving the safety and the quality of the services for millions of passengers travelling on trains.

Sponsored by DigitalGlobe and the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Applications, the Earth Observation Challenge launched in April 2018, calling on developers, geoscientists, and innovative minds across Europe to submit tactical solutions using advanced geospatial technology for one of two challenges:

1. Identifying water bodies or water changes
2. Change characterization in urban areas

Participants received on demand access to the DigitalGlobe 18-year image library and ESA Sentinel-2 data via our cloud-based Geospatial Big Data platform (GBDX), which empowered them to develop and run algorithms at scale.

We are excited to announce our three winners:

Reservoir Monitor – Global, timely, and accurate monitoring of water resources is an essential component to improve management in water-scarce regions. Gennadii Donchyts, a data scientist, created a solution based on a fusion of medium and high-resolution, multi-temporal satellite imagery that estimates high-frequency surface water area changes in any reservoir on Earth. The use of a discriminative-generative method allows accurate detection of surface water extent even in satellite imagery.

Urban.Monitor – Rapid growth – without data, facts and efforts to ensure resilience – is exposing cities around the world to huge risks as a result of change that has not been prepared for.. We are committed to accurately mapping urban change using combined high and very-high satellite imagery. A team consisting of Konstantinos Karantzalos, Maria Papadomanolaki, and Maria Vakalopoulou created a deep learning framework that trains, predicts, and detects naturally occurring and man-made objects and their change to better understand the scale, pace and impact to the surrounding environment anywhere in the world.

Topolytics – Three people from Topolytics, a data and analytics business, are making industrial and commercial waste materials visible, verifiable, and valuable via two solutions: WasteMap is a geospatially-enabled big data platform for managing, visualizing and analyzing waste material flows, which leverages timely Earth observation (EO) data. WasteTrack combines live data from sensors and other sources to verify the movement of inbound and outbound waste and raw materials. Together, WasteMap and WasteTrack will enable stakeholders in the waste industry to better understand and optimize their processes and generate better commercial, environmental and investment decisions by maximizing the value and utility of secondary raw materials.

This challenge was designed to empower data scientists, businesses, academia and start-ups to build solutions and transform EO imagery into meaningful, geospatial context for business growth and global development purposes with GBDX Notebooks – and each submission delivered a brilliant idea. Congratulations to all the finalists, and thank you to all our participants for your incredible work!

The winners receive a cash prize, 90 days access to GBDX Notebooks, and access to ESA’s incubation network and business development resources.