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Saturday, 12.10.2024, 05:07
Estonia opens first space business incubator ESA BIC
Photo: tehnopol,ee |
The
incubation program helps promote space related business ideas by providing
technical expertise and business development support, Tehnopol said. The space
business incubators operating in Europe foster the operation and growth of more
than 140 startups each year.
"Through our Technology Transfer Program with its
business incubation centers we have already helped to create over 500 new
companies with many new jobs in Europe, by spinning off Europe's investments in
space research and development and making them available to
entrepreneurs," Director General of ESA Johann-Dietrich Worner said.
"Estonian companies have been cooperating with
ESA for 5 years, and have demonstrated excellent space capabilities and
potential for developing services and applications from space related
technologies," Worner added.
Estonian Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information
Technology Urve Palo said that with the help of the business
incubator engineers and researchers will be able to create novel products and
services related to space. "The opening of ESA BIC Estonia is a next big
milestone for us. As Estonia is known for start-ups and a digital society, ESA
BIC Estonia will combine space technologies with our already existing digital
society to create more value on both sides. Combining our existing e-services
with Earth observation data and satellite navigation services is the next step
forward," Palo said.
Andrus Kurvits, manager of ESA BIC Estonia, pointed out that the opening of ESA Business
Incubation Center Estonia is one small step for ESA, but a giant leap for
Estonia and for the Estonian startup scene. The implementation and the ongoing
management of ESA BIC Estonia will be led by the Tartu Science Park in
cooperation with the Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol and the activities will be
in both cities.
"Each year we are helping around 45 tech
companies to reach a sustainable income or first private funding. We see more
and more companies who are developing space related technologies and together
with ESA we can offer them incentive funding of up to 50 000 euros for product
development and specific know-how and mentoring," Tehnopol's Startup
Incubator manager Martin Gorosko said.
"Our goal is that 20 Estonian startups over 5
years could also reach the international arena. Today, we are launching the
first permanent open call for the incubation program in Estonia, so all amazing
space related ideas could come to life," Gorosko said.
Estonia started cooperation with ESA in 2009, so
Estonian companies and research institutions could participate in ESA's
projects for the first time. Estonia became a full member of ESA in 2015, which
provided completely new opportunities for the Estonian space sector.
The BIC Estonia consortium consists of eight partners:
Tartu Science Park, Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol, City of Tartu, City of
Tallinn, University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, Tartu
Observatory, and Kredex.