The Space Service Hub: Ignition and Liftoff!
The Space Service Hub is up and running. Together with the European Space Agency, Eurisy launched this new platform to showcase a diverse set of satellite-based applications. During the launch event, participants travelled from space to Earth to discover a set of satellite solutions in urban, rural and coastal areas.
Currently, eight companies have been integrated into the platform as part of a visibility package which they won through the ESA Startup Competition 2020 and the Global Space Markets Challenge 2021. Sandra Vogt, ESA Industrial Policy Officer, presented some of the ESA opportunities to boost commercialisation and internationalisation in the space sector. One of the initiatives highlighted was the Commercialisation Gateway, which aim is to raise awareness of commercialisation activities for companies that are interested to work together with ESA. You can download the presentation here.
Impressions from the IAC 2021 in Dubai. As part of their price, the winners of the competitions were invited for a pitching session and award ceremony to showcase their products and services and to connect with investors.
With the Space Service Hub, Eurisy aims to go beyond the beaten tracks of space outreach. When it comes to market development, companies in the sector still struggle with persistent barriers such as a lack of awareness of the existence of satellite-based services, the perception that these solutions would be too complex, and convincing potential customers of the benefits in their daily operations. The Space Service Hub presents space solutions in a non-technical and immersive way. Both the 3D web platform and the virtual reality have been designed to trigger the interest and curiosity of a wider audience. The Space Service Hub gives space service providers permanent visibility of their flagship products and allows newcomers to learn more about the value of satellites for society.
“At our events, we see space enthusiasts hyped to make a virtual trip in space, but we also see professionals being inspired by the videos demonstrating the solutions.” – Corneel Bogaert, Eurisy Project Officer
After navigating through an animated version of our planet to get acquainted with the different satellite-based services populating the 3D web platform, participants had the chance to learn more about the actual solutions of the companies involved. First, their solutions were demonstrated in short videos. The representatives were then given the floor to give further explanations. The integrated companies cover a variety of services. Among the solutions that participants learned about were satellite remote sensing techniques to help farmers to better monitor their crops, locating leakages in underground pipelines with positioning services, and detecting pollution at sea.
During the final part of the webinar, questions from the audience were addressed by the company representatives. In addition, they also shared their experiences related to the competitions and exchanged views on market barriers and future perspectives. The importance of reaching out to potential clients was a recurring message. One of the critical barriers identified is the initial work to make people understand what can be achieved with satellite data. A lack of awareness and knowledge makes it difficult to enter new markets. What is needed to create a sustainable business then? Reaching out to potential users and bringing the value of satellite-based services to their understanding. The ESA competitions and the Space Service Hub offer a way to do exactly that.
The recording of the webinar is available here: