ASPIRE with ESA has revealed the latest five companies who will receive funding for new and innovative projects. All five are committed to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals framework, and all are supported by ESA’s Initial Support for Innovation, a new ESA contractual scheme providing funds for projects run independently by companies or institutes themselves in a much faster way than traditional procurement.

The third cohort of companies to receive backing from ASPIRE with ESA has been announced. Selected from a highly competitive shortlist of 11, all five – Geomatys, LiveGreen, Monava, AgreedEarth and CarbonFarm – will now receive funding through ESA’s Initial Support for Innovation (EISI).

EISI is described as a “more agile and responsive way for companies and institutes to access ESA programmes”. Effectively companies are awarded a grant allowing them the freedom to spend the funding as they see fit. Companies do not have to undergo a formal reporting process although an ESA official will loosely oversee the project as it develops. This autonomy allows for a greater degree of innovation.

One current requirement that ASPIRE with ESA stipulates, however, is that all projects comply with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Framework, an extensive list of objectives including sustainable cities and communities, reduced inequalities, climate action, quality education and gender equality.

“All five companies selected are committed to achieving these goals,” says Gonzalo Martin de Mercado, Business Development Officer at ESA. “ASPIRE with ESA carefully curated the applications and are pleased to offer all the successful candidates direct access to our technology and business expertise. We are looking forward to working with all of them.”

The first of the five, Geomatys, is a French geospatial intelligence and IT development company. Its analytics technology provides a forecasting and alert system for infectious diseases, especially those prompted by changes in the environment. It aims to bring together industry and governmental health authorities using its decision-making platform so they can work closer together to prepare for when outbreaks occur. The SDGs the project is linked to are good health and wellbeing, and climate action.

LiveGreen is based in Sardinia, Italy. It was founded in 2017 with the intention of becoming a market leader in microalgae production. It produces spirulina algae, the protein of which can be used to create a powdered substitute for meat, soybean, and pea flour. Its Breathing Buildings for Sustainability pitch to ESA aims to reduce the impact of buildings in urban areas. It uses carbon dioxide produced in the building to grow microalgae for various environmental applications. The SDGs addressed are affordable and clean energy, and sustainable cities and communities.

Swedish company Monava specialises in sound and vibration, specifically used in early warning systems. Its pitch suggested using this expertise for monitoring avalanches and landslides in mountainous regions. Sensors collect data and when key information is received local authorities can be notified of the impending threat, closing roads, railways and alerting people at risk. The SDGs covered are decent work and economic growth, and sustainable cities and communities.

AgreedEarth is a UK startup using satellite data to promote sustainable farming practices. The company intends to use its EISI funding to help farmers reduce their reliance on nitrogen fertilisers which release nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Satellite data identifies areas where levels are high and provides this information to agronomists. Like Monava, the SDGs addressed are decent work and economic growth, and sustainable cities and communities.

The last of the five, France-based CarbonFarm, is committed to decarbonisation. Agriculture represents 20% of greenhouse gas emissions with rice-growing alone accounting for 1.5% of emissions and 10% of all methane produced. Using satellite data, CarbonFarm hopes to cut emissions from rice by half, also reducing the need for manual inspections of crops. Its SDGs target zero hunger, and clean water and sanitation.

“All the companies chosen have clear targets and all tackle the UN’s SDGs,” added Felipe Villalobos, ASPIRE WITH ESA cohort manager. “Congratulations to all five and we look forward to the societal and environmental benefits that all will offer over the coming years.”

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Coast Guard (ITCG) have today signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) with the objective to cooperate on the utilisation of space applications to support maritime systems and services. The agreement was signed today by Commander General Admiral Chief Inspector Nicola Carlone of the ITCG and Elodie Viau, ESA Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications (TIA).

The ITCG is mandated by the Italian Government to develop and implement national and international regulations and standards for ensuring the appropriate level of safety in vessel operations for protection of human life at sea and marine environment. This includes maritime safety, maritime vessel traffic management, ship, and port security; maritime monitoring and surveillance; maritime search and rescue and maritime assistance service.

The MoI with ITCG has been signed after several months of continuous conversations with representatives and it is an important milestone for the collaboration between both entities. From the experimentation of advanced digital technology systems in maritime scenarios and in ports, to the advanced use of satellite image processing with artificial intelligence technologies for object recognition, to the use of satellite navigation and 5G communication networks, the agreement defines the areas of collaboration for the experimentation of space applications in the maritime sector.

Cooperation between the two entities will enable long-term sustainable socio-economic development, the improvement of the safety of navigation, the decarbonisation of the shipping sector, encouraging the creation of sustainable infrastructure and helping to mitigate polluting emissions.

"Using innovative technologies and applications is essential to rethink the maritime sector, reduce the environmental impact and ensure an adequate level of safety in ship operations for the protection of human life at sea and of Marine environment,” said Admiral Carlone. “These are issues on which the Port Authority Corps has already been involved for years and which will be at the center of the digital transition already underway."

"Space applications offer a unique opportunity to support maritime systems and services while enabling long-term sustainable socio-economic development,” said Dr Viau. “For this reason, our agreement with the General Command is important, which aims to use space applications to promote sustainable innovative connectivity in the maritime sector, safety and monitoring of maritime transport and ports.”

To achieve these results, the General Command and the European Space Agency will undertake to share knowledge, ideas and experiences, jointly planning and managing activities in these sectors. These activities could be seeds for the ESA accelerators, particularly the Rapid and Resilient Crisis Response (R3) for the activities related to maritime safety and security, and Space for a Green Future (S4GF) for the activities related to maritime sustainability and decarbonisation of maritime transport.

This story is part of our story series: Meet the Ambassador. In this series, we 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.

1.    WHO IS THE ESA BUSINESS APPLICATIONS AMBASSADOR IN AUSTRIA?

Science Park Graz hosts the ESA Business Applications Ambassador Platform in Austria, providing companies and communities powerful tools to fully exploit space assets for the benefit of the economy and everyday life. At the heart of these activities, the Ambassador promotes the utilisation of space-based products and services such as Earth observation data, satellite navigation, telecommunication services and technologies derived from human spaceflight for innovative applications in terrestrial applications and services.

2.    TELL US ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR TEAM

Martin Mössler is the Managing Director of Science Park Graz and General Manager of the ESA Space Solutions Centre in Austria, the umbrella initiative that hosts ESA Business Applications. Martin has been ESA’s Ambassador for Business Applications in Austria since 2016 and is passionate about technology, internationalisation and, of course, space. Martin’s network spans across large parts of Austria, Europe and beyond, contributing to vast activities in South-Eastern Europe.

Inês Plácido is ESA’s Ambassador for Business Applications in Austria and is the go-to-person for funding and support opportunities for entrepreneurs and SMEs using space technology and data. Inês additionally supports innovators in their growth and impact in the world by connecting people and exploring synergies between programmes and networks.

Simone Carli runs the ESA Spark Funding Austria call which is part of the ESA Business Applications activities in Austria. Simone also manages the participation of Science Park Graz in international projects, connecting innovation ecosystems and facilitating cross-border collaborations of space start-ups.

The diversity of our nationalities and the complementarity of our profiles are the magic ingredients to our professional, highly achievement-oriented, and team-based approach to work!

3.    WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU TO WORK IN THE SPACE INDUSTRY? 

It is the visionary character of all interacting partners who work in the space industry that is most uplifting. Furthermore, the large picture required by space sciences and in the view of our planet from above generates a very special mindset within a person. Finally, our future depends on whether we manage or not to address challenges on Earth. To a large degree, these will be solved through space technology and space sciences as such.

4.    DO YOU HAVE COMPANIES WORKING TO SOLVE BIG WORLD PROBLEMS? 

As a question of principle, we require all the companies we support to contribute to a better and more sustainable planet. The times when business models could be based on the mere exhaustion of resources are about to finish, given the socio-economic and environmental challenges we witness today.

5.    EXAMPLES OF COMPANIES (CURRENT SPARK PROJECTS)

Perigee (Founders: Markus Enenkel, Emanuel Rudas) Using a combination of satellite-based emergency services and social analytics, enhanced with state-of-the-art machine learning, Perigees’s PIPA - Public Interest Prediction Algorithms allow NGOs/NPOs and their fundraisers to inform their whole communication strategy based on predictive data. This allows them to reduce costs for campaigns and optimise workforce capacities.

REFARMO (Founder: Tomaž Ščavničar) Regenerative Origin is a commercial digital platform by REFARMO to enable the delivery of regenerative farming certification with carbon verification and climate impact standards.

Sentinel Hub (Founder: Grega Milcinski) Sentinel Hub uses time series satellite imagery in the mapping of floodplains to improve accuracy and automatise currently manual and time-consuming tasks, contributing to a more frequent update of these maps.

Aeroficial Intelligence (Founders: Julian Jank, Markus Stadlmair, Johannes Schuster) Using space-based ADS-B and Artificial Intelligence, Aeroficial Intelligence provides airports and air navigation service providers accurate and real time predictions of the gate arrival time for incoming flights to a specific airport. This enables better resource allocation as well as pre-tactical and tactical planning.

6.    WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS? 

To always be cautious if the solution one is pursuing addresses a real and sizeable problem or opportunity. While being an entrepreneur requires a lot of vision, ideas and stamina, wishful thinking rarely makes companies flourish. Finally, the most important element of a good entrepreneur is to empower a strong team. Powerful teams are as important as strong leadership, as only in this constellation mutual success is possible.

7.    USING ONE WORD, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ESA SPACE SOLUTIONS COMMUNITY?  

It is not possible to answer in one word, but it is a visionary and empowering community of space enthusiasts, which ranges from businesses professionals to engineers and techies. The role of space is to unite disciplines, nations, and technologies. All mentioned players have their distinct job when it comes to enriching our daily lives through space.

8.    HOW WOULD YOU SOLVE PROBLEMS IF YOU WERE FROM MARS? 

We would take an unbiased meta-view from above and exclude political as well as economic pre-conditions for a short moment, to enable us to look at the bottom of problems and find open-minded solutions which centre around humans’ and our planet’s ecosystem.

9.    WHAT IS YOUR WEBSITE LINK WHERE THE READERS CAN FIND MORE ABOUT YOU? 

The activities of the ESA Space Solutions Centre in Austria are published on our website.