An event fostering collaboration in shaping the future of space innovation in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem took place in Paris this month with an international delegation in attendance. It was also the perfect opportunity to highlight success stories from 20 years of the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs) network. Geraldine Naja, director of ESA’s department of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, led the discussions with a welcome address at the business incubation forum at the Agency’s headquarters.
A number of ESA’s business incubation initiatives from all over the world attended the event to showcase and share their approaches to business incubation in the field of space. The aim was to create a dynamic platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences and strategies among international business incubation and acceleration practitioners, fostering collaboration and innovation in the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this context, representatives from the ESA BICs met with professionals from Australia, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, as well as from across Europe, to share their experiences and views on the topic.
Celebrating 20 years ESA BIC
The network of 32 (and counting) ESA BICs across Europe marked its 20th anniversary at the meeting, with success stories highlighted during the forum. The event celebrated two decades of powering entrepreneurship through space, reflecting on the success of the ESA BIC in supporting startups and innovation in space technologies. Representatives from a number of the incubation centres took part in discussions with the international delegation.
One of the founding principles in the formation of the ESA BIC network – first established to empower entrepreneurship and to allow local economies to benefit from space data and technologies – is collaboration. “The key ingredient [for the rapid growth of the ESA BIC network] is ensuring enough entrepreneurial talent in the region: having people to collaborate with,” comments Niels Eldering, head of ESA’s department of Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation in the Commercialisation Services. “Startups are the pioneers of the economy – they foresee major trends and developments.” There is a crucial role for fostering international connections and new collaborations for this network that will contribute to shaping the next 20 years of space innovation, driving growth across regions.
Internationalisation and entrepreneurship
The day featured several informative roundtable discussions. The panellists’ fruitful contributions and engagement with the various attendees offered valuable insights from global counterparts. The event was an important platform for sharing knowledge, fostering cooperation and opening new opportunities for collaboration – not only within the ESA BIC network but also with regions farther afield.
The first roundtable discussion covered internationalisation and entrepreneurship. One of the panellists was Sahith Reddy Madara, of Creative Destruction Lab, commented: “We explored how global connections meet local opportunities, opening doors for entrepreneurship and innovation across different regions. It was an inspiring day filled with valuable exchanges and fresh perspectives on the evolving global space landscape.”
Another of the roundtable discussions highlighted examples of international entrepreneurship from startups and alumni. “This was a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge and engage with like-minded experts from such a broad entrepreneurial landscape,” said panellist Martijn Leinweber, ESA BIC Noordwijk incubation manager. “This global forum was a great way to learn from international space related business innovators who are open to seeking collaboration in Europe.”
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ESA BIC 20 YEARS CELEBRATION: The Dutch business incubation centre of the European Space Agency (ESA BIC Noordwijk) was the first set up by ESA 20 years ago and now the network has expanded to 32 ESA BICs across Europe. During May 2024, this milestone was marked in Tartu, Estonia at the ESA Commercialisation Gateway Network Meeting. The #20yearsESABIC celebrations were launched – yes, that’s 20 years powering entrepreneurship with space – with the anniversary logo unveiled (see below visual). Keep an eye out for articles, stories and podcasts (to be shared here) celebrating the network so far and looking forward to the next 20 years, with sustainability and diversity at the forefront.
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