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A session on the first day of the Europe-Africa Space Earth Observation High-Level Forum, which took place in Lisbon and online on 10-11 June, looked at capacity building, innovation and entrepreneurship in downstream applications. Speaking at the session, European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani talked about how synergies between the space programme components are boosting entrepreneurship in Africa by creating opportunities for entrepreneurs.

The speakers of this session agreed that cooperation was central to achieve sustainable development through capacity building, innovation and entrepreneurship. The cooperation should exist at different levels between the two continents and the countries, between the systems (Earth observation, Navigation (Galileo), communication, meteorology) and technologies (IA, big data, …) and between the organizations (private and public partnerships, network of academia, network of entrepreneurs, …).

In a keynote address ahead of the session, Veronica Cesco, Associate Programme Officer at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) said that space assets had transformed the way we live and that space infrastructure had unlocked virtually limitless access to data and information, enabling great strides in the quest for sustainable development.

She referenced a study produced by UNOOSA in cooperation with the European Commission, which found that geolocation (via GNSS) and Earth observation (EO) support 40% of targets underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). When satellite communications are included, this share increases to over 50%. She said that capacity building was essential if we are to ensure that access to space and the benefits it enables are available to everybody.

Read this: EGNSS and Earth Observation: A promising convergence for sustainable development

The session started with an overview of current capacity building programmes, during which Meshack Ndiritu, GMES & Africa training officer at the African Union Commission (AUC) highlighted the importance of the public and private sector working together. He said that academia brings innovation and the private sector brings deployment of this innovation and that this combination is needed to sustain the services on the continent.

Space-driven entrepreneurship

Highlighting how space synergies are driving entrepreneurship, EUSPA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani noted that over 2 billion users are already able to access Galileo in their smartphones, which makes it possible for them to develop applications. Diani gave three examples of where space synergies are driving innovation. 

In precision farming, georeferenced maps are combined with highly accurate machine positioning in variable rate application systems that make agriculture more resource-efficient and reduce its environmental impact. In renewable energy, Copernicus imagery is used to optimise site selection and evaluate energy potential, while EGNSS supports fine-tuning of site selection, construction and maintenance, and timing and synchronisation functions in smart grids. Finally, EGNSS and Copernicus support infrastructure planning and maintenance with tracking and navigation and land monitoring and environmental impact assessments.

And this: Space synergies serving the environment

Diani stressed that these applications are providing opportunities for entrepreneurs and that EUSPA promotes this entrepreneurship, for example though the CASSINI initiative, or through initiatives like the Farming by Satellite prize, which last year had a Special Africa Prize, won by Kenyan-Italian team GeoM&E for a solution that uses European satellite technology to monitor coffee diseases.

Diani also said that EGNOS is expanding to Africa and that this would open up opportunities for entrepreneurs in many different areas. “EUSPA is working on new opportunities to support entrepreneurs, including through Horizon Europe. There will be concrete opportunities coming soon,” she said.

Success stories

Frank Salzgeber, Head of Innovation and Ventures Office at ESA noted that supporting entrepreneurship is about cooperation – start-ups don’t have to do everything by themselves. 

The session ended with the presentation of some African space entrepreneurship ecosystem success stories. The Agribora project improves decision making by different agriculture value chain actors through the use of data-driven services and digital tools. Using technology, it de-risks the smallholder agriculture ecosystem and bridges the information and access gaps that limit productivity and profitability of farmers and agribusiness ventures. 

The second success story, Manobi Africa, delivers digital solutions and services for businesses, development projects and service providers in Africa’s water and agricultural sectors. The company profiles, maps and monitors the activities of value chain actors, in real-time, across 14 African countries by combining geospatial mapping and remote-sensing technologies at scale.

Mariane Diop, from the World Meteorological Organization moderating this session, concluded on recalling that EO works in complementarity with other space technologies as GNSS and Communication. Integrating these technologies is an opportunity for entrepreneurship.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is launching a consultation on a technology and service road map for the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS). This consultation will support the development of the PRS user segment and market uptake up till 2027.

The Agency invites Competent PRS Authorities (CPAs) from each European Member State, and European industry, to share their views and ideas on which user segment technologies are important to enhance adoption from the first generation of Galileo (G1G) and address the evolution towards the second generation of the Galileo space programme (G2G). The Agency encourages industries with potential interests and capabilities to support the development of such technologies to contact their relevant CPA to join the discussion.

The Galileo PRS is restricted to governmental authorised users. It is meant for sensitive applications that need a high-level of service continuity. The PRS uses encrypted signals with increased resistance towards interference and spoofing. Authorised users include:

• Member States
• The European Council
• The European Commission
• The European External Action Service
• EU agencies
• Third countries and international organisations (subject to security agreements with the EU).

The role of industry input

The Agency’s goal is to make sure the PRS is affordable and secure for all interested and authorised users. It balances this with making sure that European industry maintains its competitive edge in the global marketplace. In the past, the Agency did this through previous research and development programmes. It has already run several studies and projects to identify, develop and sustain technology to support market uptake. The Agency will launch more initiatives within the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (2021-2027) for technology to keep evolving.

The Agency is responsible for maintenance and execution of the PRS technological road map to support market uptake. This consultation will reflect industry needs in the roadmap. Industry will provide inputs and ideas that the Agency may explore through Horizon Europe and other financial opportunities. The Agency will use this information to plan long-term activities to support adoption of the Public Regulated Service.

Consultations will focus on the following topics: 

• The necessary steps to transform technology and services into competitive products in terms of cost, power, dimension etc. The Agency wants to support market uptake in preparation for the Full Operational Capability (FOC) milestone of the PRS and the second generation of Galileo.
• Information on current European capability and capacity within the manufacturing sector. The Agency wants to understand how to better support it, including preparation necessary for FOC and Galileo’s 2nd generation.
• Ideas to upgrade relevant manufacturing lines to make them more efficient ahead of FOC and Galileo’s 2nd generation.

Notes: 

The PRS decision 1104/2011/EU governs PRS technology manufacturing. This limits consultations to entities established in the territory of a PRS participant which has designated a Competent PRS Authority (CPA). The Agency will inform interested CPAs.

The Agency will consider all information received during consultations as ‘confidential in commerce’. It will not disclose any information unless authorised. Nondisclosure agreements are being considered; templates for which are available upon request. Due to the sensitivity of the topic and time limitations, the Agency cannot ensure that it will grant all requests.

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For more information please contact your relevant PRS Competent Authority.

The Agency reserves the right to only contact industries duly authorised by their relevant PRS Competent Authority.

For any organisational questions, please contact: prs-consultations@euspa.europa.eu 

PRS consultations

Security Department

European Union Agency for the Space Programme

Janovského 438/2 

170 00 Prague 7 – Holesovice 

Czech Republic 

The deadline for requests is 19 July 2021. All consultations will be organised between 23 August 2021 and 13 September 2021.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

On 30 June from 15:00 to 17:00 CEST, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) together with the European Commission Directorate-General for the Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) are organising an informative online workshop on EIC opportunities for space SMEs. To register to attend click here.

The European Commission launched the EIC to support the commercialisation of high-impact technologies in the European Union. Its goal is to aid researchers, start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in bringing their innovations to market by providing funding, networking and partnership opportunities, and business acceleration services. 

Read this: Galileo Masters – the EUSPA SatCom Challenge

With a budget of EUR 10.1 billion, the EIC will support game changing innovations throughout the lifecycle from early stage research, to proof of concept, technology transfer, and the financing and scale up of start-ups and SMEs. The EIC provides considerable funding opportunities through various programmes, such as the EIC Pathfinder, the EIC Transition, the EIC Accelerator and the EIC Fund. 

The upcoming workshop held on 30 June from 15:00 to 17:00 CEST is open to all SMEs interested in EIC funding opportunities and will focus on the added value of the EIC instrument and the benefits, challenges and lessons learned by previous EIC winners. It will also provide an opportunity to discuss administrative details, participation rules and other issues. To register to the workshop click here.

EIC Accelerator cut-off  

Are you a start-up or SME developing a disruptive product, service or idea? Do you have a video pitch, a slide deck, and are you ready to respond to a short set of questions about your innovation and your team? If this is you, then you can now apply for EIC Accelerator funding!

The EIC Accelerator supports individual SMEs, in particular start-ups and spinout companies, to develop and scale-up game-changing innovations in any field of technology or application. The EIC Accelerator provides substantial financial support with grant funding of up to EUR 2.5 million for innovation development costs, and investments of up to EUR 15 million, managed by the EIC Fund, for scale up and other relevant costs.

And this: Welcome to the Space Crossroads, where space and great ideas meet

In addition, EIC selected companies receive coaching, mentoring, access to investors and corporates, and many other opportunities as part of the EIC community. The EIC welcomes applications from innovators in all EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe. The cut-off dates for 2021 are 16 June and 6 October.

There is still some time left before the June 16 cut-off date, so don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to access funding and support! Follow the links for more information on the EIC Accelerator and on other EIC funding opportunities.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

At the fourth edition of the New Space Atlantic Summit, key players from Europe and the Atlantic region gathered in Coimbra, Portugal and online to discuss the role of New Space for people. European Union Agency for the Space programme (EUSPA) Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa gave a keynote address at the opening session, outlining EUSPA’s role as the key actor in the European Union’s New Space approach.

Introducing the opening session, Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency noted that innovative solutions were needed to address user needs and to link space to non-space sectors. This was something that EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa also picked up on in his address. 

Da Costa noted that EUSPA was at the heart of New Space and that its mission was to take advantage of the opportunities that come from the development of innovative space products based on satellite navigation, Earth observation and telecoms to maximize synergies between EU Space Programme components at user level.

Fostering collaboration

“We will do this by fostering collaboration between space and non-space actors, allowing greater cross-fertilisation. For example, space and non-space companies are already teaming up on several of our Horizon-financed projects to bring innovative solutions to diverse markets, such as agriculture, transport, or resource management, just to cite a few,” he said.

Read this: CASSINI hackathon leverages space to digitise green spaces

Da Costa said that EUSPA was encouraging all the EU Member States to benefit from the innovation brought by space technologies, stressing that it was particularly important to build capacity in the Member States, including those with emerging capabilities.

“In the provision of Galileo and EGNOS services, we involve large, small and medium actors from several Member States, and with them we ensure the 24/7 operations of these key EU infrastructures. In GovSatCom also, we are now looking for innovative approaches to build the GovSatCom Hub,” he said.

Speaking at the session, Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Application at the European Space Agency (ESA) said that space had entered the digital economy and society. “Data generated in space and on Earth are improving our daily lives,” she said, adding that ESA was supporting European industry, start-ups and SMEs and was looking at new concepts of innovation, for technology. “We are going to work with all the institutional players and the private sector to create even more innovation. This is key for Europe to maintain its competitiveness,” she said.

Role of private sector

The EUSPA Executive Director also highlighted the key role of the private sector. He said that EUSPA would create opportunities for EU companies to explore new markets, through dedicated procurements, grants and prizes to create new business opportunities and connect them with private investors and venture capitalists for the necessary financing capability to jump-start their business cases.

And this: Going green? Look to EU Space!

“For example, one of our winners in the MyGalileo Solution competition, 10 lines, an Estonian company, is developing an automated robot to design parking places. They already have contracts in the EU and have recently won a large contract in the US,” he said.

Da Costa stressed that the recently approved conclusion of the EU Council on “New Space for people” calls upon EUSPA, with the Commission, to foster the uptake of space services by stimulating the adoption of space-based solutions and by increasing the competitiveness of the EU industry. “We are ready to play our fundamental role on this,” he said, adding that this New Space development was essential for European economies and for European integration.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).