O astronauta análogo Português, João Lousada, partilhou a sua experiência na palestra “Space is the Place”, uma sessão pública que foi aberta pelo Ministro da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Prof. Manuel Heitor. Partindo de desafios lançados pelo Centro de incubação de empresas da ESA em Portugal, os 20 participantes da CSSS trabalharam em equipas e desenvolveram modelos de negócio, usando uma tecnologia espacial – patentes da ESA ou dados de observação da Terra. Com o apoio de mentores da equipa do ESA BIC Portugal e outros mentores externos de empresas do ecossistema, destacaram-se 2 equipas, a FiltRim (vencedora da competição) e a CosmOcean (menção honrosa). João Lousada partilhou na sessão de encerramento da Coimbra Space Summer School a sua experiência. O astronauta análogo português esteve isolado no deserto de Omã, na missão AMADEE-18 que simulou as condições de vida em Marte! Durante um mês, este “astronauta em terra” simulou, em isolamento com uma equipa de cinco pessoas, uma série de experiências de preparação para futuras missões humanas a Marte. O Ministro da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Prof. Manuel Heitor, enriqueceu a sessão intitulada “Space is the Place”, durante a qual deu algumas diretrizes da estratégia portuguesa para o espaço, investimentos e tecnologia. Houve ainda tempo para uma visita ao Observatório Geofísico e Astronómico da Universidade de Coimbra, uma sessão de planetário, uma sessão de observação nocturna dos astros e até uma “febrada” astronómica. Esta iniciativa é co-organizada pelo Instituto Pedro Nunes, entidade que em Portugal é responsável pela Incubadora de Empresas da Agência Espacial Europeia – ESA BIC Portugal, pela Rede de Transferência de Tecnologia da ESA em Portugal e embaixador da ESA Business Applications; em parceria com o Centro de Investigação da Terra e do Espaço da Universidade de Coimbra, e pelo Observatório Geofísico e Astronómico da Universidade de Coimbra.

ESA Business Applications "Big Data in Health" funding opportunity will support companies using space to add value to the healthcare industry! Find out more about this great opportunity here: http://ow.ly/Fqa630lhyiR

A Coimbra Space Summer School (CSSS) é uma escola de Verão dedicada a cativar estudantes, investigadores/as e empreendedores/as para explorar a economia do espaço. A quarta edição da CSSS decorre durante 3 dias, entre 12 e 14 de Setembro de 2018, em Coimbra, com um programa de actividades diversificado, que combina a partilha de conhecimento, o contacto com pessoas, entidades e empresas ligadas ao espaço; desafios para gerar ideias de negócio; experiências quase espaciais, brindes e prémios! Tudo isto num ambiente estimulante e com boa disposição. São 3 dias cheios de espaço! Para saber mais visita a página: https://spacesummerschool.ipn.pt/

The Sanitation Economy monetises toilet provision, products and services, biological resources, data and information to provide benefits across the economy and society. Sanitation market requirements relevant to the study belongs to three distinct, mutually supporting sub-economies: - Smart Sanitation Economy, which builds on the sanitation infrastructure to provide health information insights. This approach entails the installation of smart sensors into toilets and sewage systems to provide rapid data collection and analysis of health indicators. - Circular Sanitation Economy deals with the cost-effective reutilisation of human waste, together with other biological waste, to produce a wide range of products, such as: agricultural products, energy, water, protein, etc. - Toilet Economy, which is related to the provision of basic sanitation services (i.e.: community and household toilets) for low-income countries; this mainly focuses on toilet construction, operation, maintenance and cleaning. We are looking for a network of technology and business partners that can deliver sustainable services for sanitation in low-income countries in the areas of Circular Sanitation Economy and Smart Sanitation Economy in particular. Motivation, business experience and domain expertise are key. But most importantly of all, we want to hear business ideas that are economically viable, technically possible and involve either space tech or data; such as satellite Earth observation, satellite navigation, satellite communications, spaceflight technologies. OPENING DATE: 01 September 2018 CLOSING DATE: 31 October 2018 To know more visiti the website: https://business.esa.int/funding/intended-tender/space-for-sanitation And contact the Portuguese Ambassador, IPN (space@ipn.pt).

O programa ESA Business Applications da Agência Espacial Europeia é promovido em Portugal pelo Instituto Pedro Nunes e apoia projetos que apliquem tecnologia espacial para melhorar a vida na Terra em setores como transportes, energia, saúde, agricultura, meio ambiente e segurança. O Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), em estreita colaboração com a Agência Espacial Europeia (ESA), organiza no dia 3 de julho, terça-feira, no Centro de Congressos de Lisboa, um workshop que vai ensinar como se constroem candidaturas de sucesso ao ESA Business Applications, um programa que apoia e financia o desenvolvimento de novos produtos e serviços terrestres com recurso a tecnologia espacial. O programa Business Applications da ESA, promovido em Portugal pelo IPN, tem como objetivo apoiar empresas que apliquem tecnologia espacial, com forte ligação a telecomunicações e de dados de satélites, em setores terrestres, como transportes, energia, saúde, agricultura, meio ambiente e segurança. Este apoio, técnico, financeiro e de modelo de negócio, pode ser aplicado a duas tipologias de projetos: viabilidade (projetos centrados no desenvolvimento de modelo de negócio) e demonstradores (projetos de teste e implementação dos novos produtos/serviços). O workshop está agendado para as 11h30 e será conduzido por Roberto Cossu, Portugal Country Manager na ESA no que respeita a Downstream Business Applications. É uma iniciativa integrada no encontro anual dos investigadores portugueses – Encontro com a Ciência e Tecnologia em Portugal, Ciência 2018 - e a inscrição é gratuita, mas obrigatória, em: http://www.encontrociencia.pt/. O Instituto Pedro Nunes enquanto embaixador do programa ARTES em Portugal, já apoiou oito projetos em áreas como a agricultura, space weather, energia, recursos do mar, turismo entre outras. A empresa Present Technologies foi uma das apoiadas em 2015 para testar a viabilidade do modelo de negócio do SWAIR - Space Weather and GNSS monitoring services for Air Navigation -, um projeto focado na segurança da navegação aérea, através da monitorização da qualidade do sinal dos satélites, e que vai ser testado em dois aeroportos nacionais em 2019.

At this moment SpaceLayer Technologies, Matereo (with Undersee project), Tesselo and mOceanSense are pitching for international investors! May the networking be great for all ESA BIC startups :)

Are you looking for €39.000 EURO to cover technical costs of demonstrating the use of a space technology into a non-space application? ESA has issued an open competition for demonstrators! These projects should involve the development and testing of European space technology or know-how in non-space applications, with the aim to achieve a technology transfer. In the technology transfer demonstrators it is expected that the potential receiver of the technology is involved in the project and is willing to work in the endeavor to bring a space technology to a non-space product/application. Demonstrators are meant to reduce the risk of using space technologies in other applications, thus projects that have not already proved the potential use in the proposed (or similar) non-space application, will have a higher potential of selection. To know more about this call, check out the link: https://spacesolutions.esa.int/open-call-technology-demonstrators-2018 And contact your local ESA broker, IPN for Portugal! Mail us by space@ipn.pt

Pronto para uma experiência de gravidade zero? Já que ficaste em terra nas edições anteriores, damos-te agora a oportunidade de agir no espaço! Coimbra juntou-se a mais de 60 cidades em 5 continentes. Será que vais ser tu a viajar connosco a Toulouse e ganhar um voo de gravidade zero? Desenvolve soluções inovadoras com tecnologias espaciais no dia 25 de Maio e diverte-te! Estão abertas as inscrições (https://actinspace.org/register) para o ActInSpace, limitadas a 60 participantes, em Coimbra! Ao participar no ActInSpace, serás incluído num evento verdadeiramente internacional e informal, que reúne empreendedores, estudantes, pessoas criativas, curiosas e interessadas no Espaço. O evento terá início às 13h do dia 25 de Maio de 2018, no edifício D do Instituto Pedro Nunes, em Coimbra, terminando no dia 26 de Maio ao final da tarde com a seleção da equipa vencedora da fase nacional. Quem ganhar vai a Toulouse no dia 27 de Junho de 2018 representar Portugal, disputar o primeiro lugar na final internacional e o cobiçado voo em gravidade zero! UAU! Vais perder esta oportunidade? O desafio consiste em, durante 24 horas de trabalho em equipa, apresentar uma solução para um dos desafios internacionais. Mas não estarás sozinho! Cada equipa receberá apoio de mentores, profissionais nas áreas de gestão de negócios, criação de empresas, inovação tecnológica e peritos técnicos. As oportunidades não ficam por aqui… As equipas com projectos promissores receberão apoio dos Centros de Incubação da ESA (https://spacesolutions.esa.int/business-incubation) e seus parceiros para os acelerar e fazer do sonho a realidade. Para te inscreveres já, individualmente ou em equipas de 2 a 5 elementos, vai a https://actinspace.org/register . Também na plataforma de registo poderás encontrar outros participantes para formar a tua equipa. Se não tens equipa, não há problema! Nós apoiamos-te a criar uma! Se ainda não estás convencido, ou queres esclarecer qualquer questão, não hesites, contacta a organização do ActInSpace em Portugal (space@ipn.pt). Boa sorte!

Last March 19th, we had the pleasure to co-host with our partner DNA Cascais the second edition of the Space Founders Dinner in Portugal. The dinner took place in Cascais, joining the community of ESA BIC startups as well as companies and national institutions involved within the space community. At the event, we had representatives from the European Space Agency (ESA), Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto (UPTEC), DNA Cascais, the Nova University of Lisbon and the municipality of Cascais. It was a great networking event, promoting collaborations and joint developments, fostering the National Space community.

16 companies and 56 new jobs are applying space technology in terrestrial sectors with an export capacity of 40% and an annual return of almost 900 thousand euros in 2016. These are the numbers of three years of existence of Incubation of the European Space Agency in Portugal (ESA BIC Portugal), coordinated by Instituto Pedro Nunes and supporting startups that transfer space technology for terrestrial applications. In this third year of activity, ESA BIC Portugal announces the entry of five new projects and the graduation of six startups that, with the support of this program, have managed to reach a stage of maturity. Carlos Cerqueira, IPN, notes that ESA BIC Portugal "demonstrates the maturity of the Portuguese space industry and the ability of Portuguese startups to find new solutions and business for the terrestrial market from space technologies." FIVE NEW COMPANIES Horizontal Cities, Stratio, Tesselo, Fibersail and Theia, which apply technology initially designed for Space in areas such as transport, natural resources, maintenance industry and archeology, are the five new companies joining the others supported. Horizontal Cities, winner of the Vodafone Big Smart Cities 2015, created the first GPS application for cycling users that allows navigation through flat routes in the city of Lisbon. Also operating in land transport, Stratio, uses space technology in heavy duty vehicles to predict and anticipate the occurrence of severe wear and tear, allowing timely actions by transport companies and, consequently, a reduction in maintenance costs and and a reduction in the emission of polluting gases. Stratio was one of three startups selected at the 2017 Web Summit as an example of the use of space technology in terrestrial markets. Tesselo, which has developed a technology aimed at companies that manage terrestrial natural resources, combines satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to provide real-time geospatial information through a system that continuously monitors the state of agricultural crops and forest and forest health. forests. Another new incubator of ESA BIC is Fibersail that promises to revolutionize the way currently is the prevention and monitoring of fatigue of large structures in the markets of the wind industry and maritime transport. With a fiberoptic measurement and monitoring system that allows you to measure - remotely and with high precision - the shape of any structure, Fibersail can provide information on the behavior of, for example, wind turbines in real environment, allowing builders to create more efficient and secure structures. Theia is the fifth new company to join the ESA BIC community with a project that allows the remote detection of archeological sites and resources based on satellite imagery, allowing for very large archaeological assessments, quickly and accurately, avoiding delays and cost overruns in large works such as motorways. SIX STARTUPS REACH MATURITY The three first years of ESA BIC Portugal also mark the first six graduates: Active Aerogels, Findster, D-Orbit, Space Layer Technologies, Airborne Projects and Eye2map are companies that survived the startup phase and reached maturity with the support of this program. Active Aerogels, which developed the world's first spray airgel with super-insulation properties, and can be used at temperatures ranging from -250 to 400 degrees, went from the prototyping phase to an industrial scale with mass production capability. Created initially to isolate rockets, Active Aerogels' innovative and unique product is expanding to land-based markets, useful in construction, to replace thermal insulation foams and in the aircraft industry, to end the wear and tear caused by traditional material which covers the planes. Findster has created, through geolocation technology, a system that allows the user to have absolute control over the location of children, elderly and pets and does not require the payment of monthly fees for their use. D-Orbit develops Atmosphere Analyzer, an innovative approach to ionosphere sampling, where during the reentry maneuver, the satellite passes through an ionosphere region between 80km and 150km, collecting data and transmitting it to the land. To this day, this region has been little investigated for being too high for stratospheric balloons and too low for satellites. Space Layer Technologies has developed the SOUL application which, through satellite Earth Observation data, provides alerts on city air quality to patients with respiratory diseases, minimizing the impact of pollution on their lives. Airbone Projects is developing an unmanned aircraft landing station (UAVs, drones) to switch batteries and solve the problem of the limited time of their flights when they fly, for example, large agricultural or forestry areas. Maintenance of power lines, electronic surveillance and precision agriculture are some of the sectors that benefit from this technology. Eye2Map is dedicated to the provision of imaging services and geographic information obtained by drone, aircraft or satellite that can be applied, for example, in the measurement of coastal erosion, burning areas, volume of wood, disease detection and pests in plantations and monitoring works of art or monuments. THE ANNIVERSARY The Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, and the Deputy Minister, Pedro Siza Vieira, attended the 3rd anniversary of ESA BIC Portugal. At the session, Niels Eldering, who has been involved in ESA's incubation program at European level for 15 years, considered Portugal "one of the most enterprising members" of ESA. "Portuguese entrepreneurs stand out for their persistence, they do not give up." João Gabriel Silva, Dean of the University of Coimbra, Carlos Brito, Vice-Dean of the University of Porto, Ana Abrunhosa, President of the CCDR and Teresa Mendes, President of the Board of Directors of Instituto Pedro Nunes. ESA BIC Portugal is a program under the project funded by the 2020 Center, Portugal 2020 and the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund "SIAC ESA BIC".

Stratio, incubated in the Business Accelerator of the Pedro Nunes Institute, was born of a need shared by a client: the Municipal Transportation Services of Coimbra (SMTUC) fleet had frequent engine problems that caused constant stops and great costs of maintenance. Using space technology, introducing the concept of predictability, Stratio developed a product that allowed SMTUCs to reduce maintenance costs by 12%, less than 350 hours in forced down time, an 8% decrease in fuel costs and a reduction of 93 tonnes of gaseous emissions. All this was possible because the problems of the vehicles began to be detected before they occurred. From Coimbra to the world, already with offices in Silicon Valley and Madrid, Stratio has been chosen by the European Space Agency (ESA) to attend the Web Summit on November 9 at 2:15 p.m. Together with Frank Salzberger, director of ESA's technology transfer program, Stratio will step onto the Growth Summit where some of the world's fastest-growing companies will be presented. Stratio collects more than 250,000 sensor data per day and per vehicle. Compatible with all heavy vehicles, regardless of age, make or model, the device developed by Stratio collects all the data generated by the sensors of the vehicle in real time and, through an artificial intelligence algorithm, can anticipate and anticipate the occurrence of wear and serious malfunctions, allowing for timely actions by the customer and, consequently, less costs and time in the workshop.

INFANTE is a development and demonstration microsatellite project that will be in orbit (to be launched in 2020) as a precursor of a constellation for Earth observation and communications with a focus on maritime applications. The project was presented last October 19th, during the International Meeting of AED - Aeronautics, Space and Defense Cluster, in Oeiras. INFANTE will be the first satellite developed by Portuguese industry, articulated in a national consortium led by the TEKEVER group, which integrates nine companies with references in the space sector such as Active Space Technologies, Omnidea, Active Aerogels, GMV, HPS and Spinworks; and 10 internationally recognized R&D centers in their areas of competence, such as CEIIA, FEUP, ISQ, FCT-UNL, INL, IPN, IPTomar, ISR Lisbon, IT Aveiro and UBI. INFANTE will establish the basis for new lines of business associated with the space sector, based on new products, services and processes, contributing to strengthen Portugal's position in the international space landscape. The INFANTE space segment includes a modular and low-cost microsatellite, equipped with a software-defined radio with air and maritime surveillance functions; propulsion system for orbit maintenance; solar panels and their mechanisms; and cargo bay with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multispectral camera, along with scientific experiments and technological validation. In the soil segment, the INFANTE project includes the development of a new system for rapid assembly, integration and testing, adapted to small satellites and frequent launches; and a data hub to aggregate, process and disseminate information. The consortium is joined by satellite data users to support the demonstration of INFANTE results, such as the National Maritime Authority, IPMA or INIAV; other domestic companies; and international organizations such as the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Federal Fluminense Institute of Brazil or the French CLS. INFANTE takes place between 2017 and 2020 and has an investment of 9.2 M €, executed by a team of 150 researchers, engineers and technicians, of whom 40 are PhDs. It is co-financed by Structural Funds in the context of the Portugal 2020 Program's R & D IS Mobilization Programs.

Berlin received on the 18th and 19th of September the Space Moves! Business Idea Competition. The most promising ideas were selected to pitch for a panel of experts, including ESA’s experts! Among them was the Portuguese “All In Surf”. The Portuguese startup won the third place of the competition. All in Surf, is an on-site monitoring system allowing better understanding of the behavior of ocean currents over the surfboard in the formation of giant waves and helps to realize important details that help to improve the performance of surfers. Instituto Pedro Nunes was present at the event as the National ARTES Ambassador, the first European organization that jointly manages an ESA Business Incubation Center, as well as Ambassador Platform, and even ESA Technology Broker. Thus, IPN was also present on behalf of its ESA BIC Portugal’s role, supporting an entrepreneurship project (All in Surf) also enrolled in the "Promotion of the space economy and support in the incubation program of the European Space Agency in the Central Region" (CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019). The CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019 project is co-financed by the European Funds supported by the Center 2020 - Regional Operational Program of the Center.

Space Moves! an event jointly organised by ESA and the Space Administration of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to promote space-enabled services with a major focus on transport and mobility will occur next September 18th and 19th in Berlin. This 7th edition of ESA’s annual ARTES Applications workshop will bring together companies, users, experts, entrepreneurs, and the vibrant startup scene to foster partnerships, spark new ideas, and inform about ESA funding and support opportunities. The Space Moves! Business Idea Competition - which deadline was extended to September 3th – is a competition for new space-enabled business concepts. The most promising ideas will be selected to pitch at the Space Moves! event in Berlin. The workshop attendees and the judge panel will vote for their preferred ideas. The winners will be announced during the second day of the event. This prize for the winning ideia includes: European Space Agency cash prizes: o 1st prize: €3,000 o 2nd prize: €1,500 o 3rd prize: €500 • Eligible travel expenses to the Space Moves! event in Berlin, Germany, covered by the Space Administration of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) • Coaching by representatives of the P3 Group during the Space Moves! event • Access to ESA Business Applications to develop the idea further and explore funding Do you want to know how to enter the Competition? The submission is very simple. You only have to download the Space Moves! Business Idea Pitch Form, fill it and submit it to business@esa.int with subject "2017 Space Moves! Business Idea Competition" before the deadline: 3 September 2017, 23:59 CEST See more: https://business.esa.int/news/space-moves

In order to stimulate the participation of the industry and academic community in the programs Galileo and EGNOS, the Portuguese National Authority of Civil Aviation (ANAC) is organizing the workshop “Deployment of Galileo and EGNOS in Portugal”. The workshop will take place on September 21st, in the main auditorium of the Aeronautical Infrastructures Direction on ANA (Portugal Airports), being the registrations open until September 15th. To known more, please visit: http://www.anac.pt/vPT/Generico/Eventos/Paginas/GSAMarketDevelopment.aspx

Coimbra Space Summer School launched the challenge: to stimulate business ideas that bring technology from space to the earth day-to-day. Many were the people who responded to it. The Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra hosted two full days of activities, such as Space Sessions and Business Sessions (among which general knowledge about space, successful applications of space technology in our daily lives, earth observation, data collection and Satellites). In these sessions participants learned about the two strands and how to relate them. The peak of the first day was the lecture "How to be an Astronaut" by cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienk. The auditorium of the Department of Physics was small to welcome all those who wanted to hear it. Mikhail Kornienk remembered in Coimbra his 516 days in space (of which 340 followed, the second largest stay of a human being in space). There were questions in all sort of forms: How do astronauts bathe? How do you eat? Why do you have two watches? What are you doing all day on the space station? What did you miss the most? The cosmonaut answered all questions with a touch of humour. Over two hours, the cosmonaut spoke from day to day in space and looked ahead to the future: conditions must be met to advance to Mars. For Kornienko the conquest of Mars and its colonization is possible and urgent, as humans destroy the planet Earth. The Russian cosmonaut was still confident about the possibility of future human colonies on other planets. He also warned of the imminent destruction of our planet, calling on young people to change their attitudes to defend the planet. Yet during the first day there was time for a different activity, a nocturnal observing session, during which participants had the opportunity to see stars such as Saturn, Jupiter, double stars and swarms of stars. Several challenges were introduced to the participants, who gathered in teams to solve them. On the second day, it was up to the teams to make a final presentation of the draft resolution of the challenges to the scientific and business community. The day was closed with an “Astro Barbecue”, in which, in a more relaxed atmosphere, the Coimbra Space Summer School ended, and the prizes were awarded to the winning team, one drone per participant. Coimbra Space Summer School was organized by the Incubator of Companies of the European Space Agency in Portugal (ESA BIC Portugal), headquartered at IPN, and by the Geophysical and Astronomical Observatory of the University of Coimbra.

Kick-Start Activities are a new and simplified ESA's funding scheme. The activities will be funded up to 75%, with ESA providing a maximum of € 60,000. The thematic Calls for Kick-start Activities are open to any industry in IAP participating Member States. They are designed to be particularly interesting for SMEs and start-ups looking for opportunities to develop their ideas for new business applications. The registration process has been simplified: only a single document with a maximum of 20 pages is required. In the second semester 2017, six Thematic Calls for Kick-start Activities will be launched: • FinTech (July 10th - September 19th) • Wildlife Protection (July 31st - October 11th) • People Mobility (September 20th - October 31st) • Arctic/Sub-Arctic Regions (October 12th - November 23rd) • Space for Municipalities (November 1st - December 13th) • Com. Climate Service (November 24th- January 16th) With Kick-Start activities, ESA aims to make it easier for entrepreneurs and start-ups to participate in the ARTES IAP program, supporting the emergence of new business services and applications that rely on spatial data and resources. To know more please check: https://goo.gl/ytpEua

The ARTES Workshop "how to write good proposals for ARTS" was held yesterday at Pavilhão do Conhecimento da Ciência Viva, in Lisbon. The workshop was organized by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Program's Ambassador of the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES). It was aimed at the Space community and Portuguese companies working space assets with applications on Earth. We had the presence of the European Space Agency (ESA) represented by Norbert Huebner, who spoke on the subject in question. The various participants have the opportunity to have face-to-face discussions with Norbert Huebner to present ideas for ESA ARTES projects. There were interventions by Emir Sirage from the FCT Space Office, Fernando Guerra from ANACOM, national delegate to the ARTES program, and Carlos Cerqueira from the Pedro Nunes Institute. During the event, the Small ARTES Open Call Financing Program was also presented. This initiative aims to encourage companies to submit their proposals for practical and terrestrial applications of space technology such as communications or satellite navigation, earth observation and technology used in manned spaceflight. The selected proposals can benefit from a financing of up to 25 thousand euros, not being restricted to Portuguese beneficiaries. The CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019 project is co-financed by the European Funds supported by the Center 2020 - Regional Operational Program of the Center.

O ESA BIC Portugal marcou presença no Lisbon Investement Summit 2017. O evento teve lugar nos dias 6 e 7 de Junho, no Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, em Lisboa. Estiveram presentes a D-orbit, que produz tecnologia que permite a recolha de dados in situ da mesosfera, a water dog dedicada ao desenvolvimento e design móvel, a Airborne Projects que desenvolve soluções de software e hardware para aeronaves não tripuladas e a Connect Robotics. A Connect Robotics está no mercado de entregas autónomas por drone Além da Linha de Vista (BVLOS - Beyond Visual Line of Sight). O Lisbon Investment Summit é uma conferência que reúne investidores, empresários e executivos da comunidade tecnológica de todo o mundo num ambiente de contacto direto, criando oportunidades de networking e de investimento. O evento contou com a presença do primeiro-ministro, António Costa, e do secretário de Estado da Indústria, João Vasconcelos. O ESA BIC Portugal marcou presença no no Lisbon Investement Summit 2017 através do projecto ESA BIC “Promoção da economia do espaço e apoio no programa de incubação da Agência Espacial Europeia na Região Centro”, CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019. O Projeto CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019 é co-financiado pelo apoiado por fundos europeus, pelo Centro 2020 – Programa Operacional Regional do Centro. ############################################################## ESA BIC Portugal attended the Lisbon Summit Investement 2017. The event took place on 6 and 7 June at the Carlos Lopes Pavilion, in Lisbon. Among the present startups, were D-orbit (which produces technology that allows in-situ data collection of the mesosphere), airborne projects (that develop software and hardware solutions for unmanned aircraft) and Connect Robotics, founded in January 2015, by experts in UAVs control and in supply chain management. It's currently doing autonomous drone deliveries BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) in Portugal, and actively working to safely integrate drones into the international airspace as founding member of the Global UTM Association The Lisbon Investment Summit is a conference that brings together investors, entrepreneurs and technology community executives from around the world in a direct contact environment, creating networking and investment opportunities. The event was attended by the Prime Minister, António Costa and the Secretary of State for Industry, João Vasconcelos. ESA BIC Portugal was present with the support of the ESA BIC project "Promotion of the space economy and support in the incubation program of the European Space Agency in the Central Region", CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019. The CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019 project is co-financed by the European Funds supported by the Center 2020 - Regional Operational Program of the Center.

O ESA BIC Portugal marcou presença na 3ª edição do TECNET – Business Camp, através do Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) e do projecto ESA BIC “Promoção da economia do espaço e apoio no programa de incubação da Agência Espacial Europeia na Região Centro”, CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019. Sob o lema Sente o fututo agora, o evento teve lugar nos dias 1, 2 e 3 de Junho, em S. João da Madeira. O TECNET é um evento dedicado à tecnologia, às empresas, à inovação e ao empreendedorismo, destinado a empresas e instituições de cariz tecnológico e inovador, promovido pela Sanjotec em parceria com a rede Tecparques e a Portuspark. Trata-se de um evento com dimensão ibérica, que pretende aproximar o tecido empresarial das grandes oportunidades de negócio e de investimentos. No TECNET – business camp, criam-se condições para fortalecer o contacto entre as empresas instaladas nos Parques de Criatividade e Tecnologia e Incubadoras. O Projeto CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019 é co-financiado pelo apoiado por fundos europeus, pelo Centro 2020 – Programa Operacional Regional do Centro ################################################################# ESA BIC Portugal was present at the 3rd edition of TECNET - Business Camp, with the support of Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) and the ESA BIC project "Promotion of the space economy and support in the incubation program of the European Space Agency in the Central Region", CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019 Under the motto "Feel the future now," the event took place on June 1, 2 and 3 in S. João da Madeira. TECNET is an event dedicated to technology, business, innovation and entrepreneurship, aimed at companies and institutions of technological and innovative nature, promoted by Sanjotec in partnership with the Tecparques network and Portuspark. It is an event with an Iberian dimension, which aims to bring the business fabric closer to the great business and investment opportunities. In TECNET - business camp, conditions are created to strengthen the contact between the companies installed in the Parks of Creativity and Technology and Incubators. The CENTRO-02-0651-FEDER-000019 project is co-financed by the European Funds supported by the Center 2020 - Regional Operational Program of the Center

On the upcoming June the 20th, at the Knowledge Pavilion from "Ciência Viva" in Lisbon, ESA ARTES Ambassadors in Portugal will host a workshop on "How to write good proposals for ARTES". The workshop is aimed for the Space community, but also to other Portuguese companies that even if operating in terrestrial markets, (may) use space technology. ESA will be represented by Norbert Huebner, Head of Feasibility Studies Section, who will speak on the subject and prepare the attendants to submit successful applications. All interested attendants may have the opportunity to have a face-to-face discussion with Norbert Huebner, subject to schedule. The event is public and free, however registration is mandatory: https://goo.gl/forms/nGKLzmPudSO14MjU2 PROGRAMME 09:30 – Welcome and reception of the participants 10:00 – Opening: Objectives of the Workshop and space opportunities in Portugal FCT, ANACOM, IPN 10:30 – How to write a Good Proposal for ARTES ESA IAP, Norbert Huebner 11:30 – Brief coffee break 12:30 – Final notes ESA IAP, Norbert Huebner 13:00 – Closing session __________________________________________________________________________ No dia 20 de junho, no Pavilhão do Conhecimento da Ciência Viva, Lisboa, a Plataforma Embaixadora do Programa ARTES da Agência Espacial Europeia (ESA) em Portugal organiza o workshop “How to write good proposals for ARTES”. O workshop destina-se não só à comunidade do Espaço mas também a empresas portuguesas, que operando noutros mercados terrestres, utilizem (possam vir a utilizar) tecnologia espacial. Contará com a presença da ESA, na pessoa de Norbert Huebner, que falará sobre o tema em questão, detalhando como se constroem candidaturas de sucesso. Todos os interessados poderão ainda solicitar de uma reunião cara-a-cara com a ESA para apresentação de ideias de projetos ESA ARTES e sua discussão, sujeito a agendamento prévio. Este evento é público e gratuito, contudo sujeito a registo obrigatório: https://goo.gl/forms/nGKLzmPudSO14MjU2 PROGRAMA 09:30 – Recepção e recepção dos participantes 10:00 – Abertura: Objectivos do Workshop e oportunidades espaciais em Portugal FCT, ANACOM, IPN 10:30 – Como escrever uma boa proposta para o ARTES ESA IAP, Norbert Huebner 11:30 – Coffee Break 12:00 – Apresntação da call para o ARTES e Q & A ESA IAP, Norbert Huebner 12:30 – Notas finais 13:00 – Encerramento

It was on the 4th and 5th of May that the o "Pitching for Investors 2017" workshop took place in the IPN, conducted by Rick Salmon. Within the scope of the ESA BIC Portugal program and the Regional project to foster entrepreneurship and help startups using space technology to raise funds and foster their skills in "investment readiness", IPN promoted a workshop to thought entrepreneurs to communicate a business idea effectively, in a short period of time. Rick Salmon is an American communication specialist working with both entrepreneurs and with extensive experience as a corporate leader. He was also one of the winners of the prestigious European Venture Pitching Contest, in 2009. He co-founded several successful technology companies. Rick also led innovation and leadership development programs for clients such as the European Space Agency, Walt Disney Corporation, ESPN Sports, and others. This initiative was aimed to a few entrepreneurs involved in startups from the ESA Incubation Center in Portugal. This project is co-financed by Centro2020, Portugal 2020 and European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. __________________________________________________________________________ Nos passados dias 4 e 5 de Maio, o IPN promoveu o workshop "Pitching for Investors 2017", conduzido por Rick Salmon, no âmbito do programa ESA BIC Portugal. Este workshop, dirigido a jovens empreendedores visou ajuda-los a comunicar a ideia de negócio, com base numa tecnologia espacial, de forma eficaz e num curto espaço de tempo. Os empreendedores do espaço que participaram neste workshop ficaram assim melhor preparados para angariar fundos, promovendo as suas competências na "preparação para o investimento". Rick Salmon é especialista em comunicação, tanto junto de empreendedores como com vasta experiência no mundo corporativo. Foi em 2009 um dos vencedores do prestigiado European Venture Pitching Contest. Co-fundou várias empresas de tecnologia de sucesso, promovendo e orientando programas de desenvolvimento de liderança e inovação para a Agência Espacial Europeia, Walt Disney Corporation, ESPN Sports, entre outros. Esta iniciativa destinou-se apenas a alguns empreendedores no espaço, promotores de startups do Centro de Incubação da ESA BIC Portugal. Este projecto é co-financiado pelo Centro2020, Portugal 2020 e pela União Europeia através do Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional.

Call for business opportunity and technical viability of new applications and services exploiting one or more space assets (e.g. Satellite Communications, Satellite Navigation, Earth Observation, Human Space Flight Technology). Opened to ideas for services addressed to "Food Security", for either decision makers, food suppliers and distributors, transport companies and other relevant stakeholders in this sector. Such services may include for example: 1. Full organic/fairtrade food traceability: to provide full traceability in order to support food suppliers and manufacturers during the certification process while offering a better experience to the consumers and increase their food awareness. 2. Improvement of the food supply chain: to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of one or more elements of the food supply chain (e.g. process, transport, storage, distribution). 3. Management of water and food resources: to assess the impact of natural events on food and water resources availability and on the volatility of food price in order to improve the management of resources. Free webinars on May 11th, and May 24th 16:00 (CET) Register here: https://goo.gl/MYVbP0 Deadline for applications: July 10th For further information please visit the website: https://goo.gl/MYVbP0 or contact us: space@ipn.pt or 239 700 922

This call for Kick-start Activities, dedicated to the theme "Ageing Population", is opened to ideas for services addressed to the ageing population as a whole, local authorities, carers, the (national) health and social care system, residential homes, technology and service providers and other relevant stakeholders in this sector. Such services may include for example: 1. Health and care: mobile health, tele-home, remote monitoring, fall prevention, wearable devices 2. Independent living: smart home, home automation, lifestyle intervention, remote workplace, personal assistance 3. Safety and security: surveillance, emergency response, extreme weather and pollution alerts 4. Social, leisure and education: social interaction, remote education, remote occupation, entertainment, (outdoor) mobility The Kick-start activity proposed must demonstrate the relevant exploitation of space-based data and technology for instance: Satellite communications, Satellite navigation, Earth observation or Human spaceflight technologies. For more information, please visit the webpage: https://goo.gl/WHnOZg Or attend one of the webinars on this thematic call - April 11th and 18th, 16:00 (CET). Deadline for submitting proposals: 29th May

The second call for Kick-start Activities is dedicated to the theme "Automated Road Transport", and was just launched! It is open to ideas for services addressed to local authorities, infrastructure/road operators, public transport operators, logistics companies, private drivers, fleet operators and other relevant stakeholders in this sector. Such services can cover topics as: • Managing a network of automated road vehicles • Monitoring automated trucks driving system • Providing optimal decision support systems for automated road transport from big data analytics and optimisation • Resilience of the automated road transport to cyber attacks on vehicles and infrastructure Kick-start Activities elaborate the business opportunity and the technical viability of new applications and services exploiting one or more space assets (e.g. Satellite Communications, Satellite Navigation, Earth Observation, Human Space Flight Technology). The closing date is 24 April 2017. For more information and submission please visit https://goo.gl/78oHaN

You can now apply to the Small ARTES Open Call! The purpose of the call is to stimulate the submission of realistic ideas for innovative utilisation of space services and technologies such as Satellite Communications, Satellite Navigation, Earth Observation, Human Spaceflight technologies within non-space markets such as transport, energy, health, agriculture, environment, safety, etc. Deadline: 1st June 2017 To submit your proposals: http://space.ipn.pt/pages/artes_call

ESA has launched an opportunity to offer funding and support to companies for the business case assessment and development of new space enabled Internet of things (IoT) services that target relevant customer needs. This call is hosted under IAP ARTES Program - Integrated Applications Promotion (https://artes-apps.esa.int). Feasibility Studies resulting in compelling business cases will be eligible for additional funding support at follow-up IAP Demonstration Project. Dealine for submission: 13 April 2017 13:00 CET More info: bit.ly/2loFhZP

Enquadradas no âmbito do Programa ESA BIC Portugal e do projeto financiado pelo Centro 2020 “SIAC ESA BIC”, o Instituto Pedro Nunes lança oficialmente as “Bolsas para Jovens Empreendedores no Espaço”. Estas bolsas visam estimular o empreendedorismo e espírito empresarial de jovens que queiram desenvolver as suas ideias de negócio desde que relacionadas com o sector espacial. Os jovens empreendedores no espaço terão assim apoio financeiro para suportar o seu esforço no desenvolvimento das suas ideias de negócio inovadoras, bem como acompanhamento e ajuda no desenrolar dos seus projetos, num período de 6 a 12 meses. Sendo o projeto SIAC ESA BIC um projeto inovador e com grande potencial de criação de empregos e riqueza, e por estar totalmente alinhado com a estratégia de especialização inteligente do Centro de Portugal, é um projeto estratégico e diferenciador para o desenvolvimento da Região, e da economia do espaço em Portugal. Regulamento das Bolsas para Empreendedores no espaço: https://goo.gl/8qHtsm Formulário de candidatura: https://goo.gl/DPGNLS Para mais informações, contactar a equipa ESA BIC Portugal, através do email space@ipn.pt. O Projeto ESA BIC - Promoção da economia do espaço e apoio no programa de incubação da Agência Espacial Europeia na Região Centro é co-financiado pelo Centro 2020, Portugal 2020 e União Europeia, através do Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional.

Meet the people behind #ESABIC Portugal: Who are they and what they do? #ESABICPortugal is one of the sixteen European centers that support startups using technologies and other space assets, such as satellite imagery or data, in non-spatial industrial and commercial uses in areas as diverse as health, energy, transport, security and life Urban, among others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teNOWTbTnco

The European Space Agency Incubation Center (ESA) in Portugal (ESA BIC Portugal), managed by the Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), celebrates its second anniversary on November 23rd. ESA BIC Portugal is one of the sixteen European centers that support startups using technologies and other space assets, such as satellite imagery or data, in non-spatial industrial and commercial uses in areas as diverse as health, energy, transport, security and life Urban, among others. In the first two years of activity, the program already hosts 12 startups. In the total of its 5 years of activity - estimated duration of the program in Portugal - ESA BIC Portugal expects to incubate up to 30 companies that will allow the creation of around 240 new jobs, with a total impact exceeding 6.5 million Euros . ESA BIC Portugal represents a direct investment in Portugal of € 1,950,000 (one million, nine hundred and fifty thousand Euros). The program is led by IPN and has poles in the Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto (UPTEC) and in the agency DNA Cascais. The ESA BIC Portugal Anniversary event will be held at IPN (building D - Accelerator) on November 23, 2015 at 4:00 pm, with the presence of the European Space Agency, program partners and startups. We would like to confirm your presence by e-mail space@ipn.pt, as soon as possible

The European Space Agency (ESA) is now inviting entrepreneurs to submit innovative ideas to the Earth Observation Entrepreneurship Initiative (EOEI) Call until 19 June 2016 12:00 CET! The Call aims to attract new players to the world of Earth Observation from space and support innovative ideas using Earth Observation (EO) data that can turn grand challenges of our society, emerging business needs and advances in digital technologies into new growth opportunities for Europe. ESA plans to award up to 50 Innovation Vouchers worth 15,000 EURO enabling the selected applicants to procure data, tools and specific expertise and services to refine their idea and prototype products both on a technical and business model point of view. It is to be noted that this Call is directed specifically to new players and is fully complementary to other existing competitions (e.g. Copernicus Masters, App camps), as it addresses the pre-incubation phase, thereby bridging the feasibility gap between ideas and the incubation of new companies. More information: http://esa-eoei.org/

O Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) lança hoje com a Agência Espacial Europeia (ESA ARTES Applications), em colaboração com o Gabinete do Espaço da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) e a Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM) a sua call anual para aplicações de comunicações por satélite e para aplicações integradas, denominada Small ARTES Applications. Esta call insere-se no âmbito das actividades “espaço-terra” do IPN, visando estimular a submissão de projectos que se proponham utilizar recursos espaciais para gerar negócio noutros mercados (transportes, turismo, mar, energia, etc.). Esta call estará aberta para submissão de candidaturas até ao dia 21 de Junho e apoia duas linhas de projectos: 1. Comunicações por Satélite 2. Aplicações Integradas A call Small ARTES Applications é... Uma oportunidade para validação técnica e de mercado de ideias que utilizem activos espaciais para criar novos produtos ou serviços ou trazer uma vantagem competitiva a produtos/serviços existentes, respondendo a uma necessidade ou oportunidade concreta de mercados não espaciais (transportes, turismo, mar, energia, etc.). É também uma preparação para projectos futuros no contexto dos programas ESA ARTES Applications (ESA ARTES Integrated Applications e ESA ARTES SatCom Applications). Exemplo dos projectos Small ARTES Applications 2015. Activos espaciais são... Equipamentos que são ou podem ser colocados no espaço (ex. satélite, lançador) ou equipamentos terrestres que apoiam directamente a actividade no espaço (ex. uma ground station), incluindo todas as tecnologias, arquitecturas, software, técnicas, ferramentas, sistemas, hardware, modelos, componentes, materiais, etc. desenvolvidos para integrar esses equipamentos, bem como dados e imagens gerados a partir deles (ex. provenientes de satélites de Observação da Terra). A ESA divide os activos espaciais por áreas, por exemplo: Navegação, Telecomunicações, Observação da Terra. Para saber mais sobre a categorização dos vários activos espaciais, visitar www.esa.int/ESA (menu “Our Activities” no topo da página). Uma ideia de negócio é enquadrável na linha de Comunicações por Satélite quando... O produto ou serviço a levar para o mercado não espacial incorpora comunicações por satélite. Uma ideia de negócio é enquadrável na linha de Aplicações Inegradas quando… O produto ou serviço a levar para o mercado não espacial incorpora pelo menos dois activos espaciais, por exemplo: Tecnologia + Telecomunicações; Navegação + Telecomunicações; Navegação + Observação da Terra; Ciência Espacial + Navegação; etc.. Para ter acesso aos activos espaciais… Resultados de projectos ESA, projectos FP7/H2020, projectos FCT ou outros; Directório de patentes da ESA: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/IP_for_commercialisation; Base de dados de tecnologias do espaço com potencial de aplicação não espacial: http://www.esa-tec.eu/see-more/space-technologies/ Informação sobre a call Small ARTES Applications, incluindo documentação de candidatura: http://space.ipn.pt/pages/artes_call Para mais informação, contactar space@ipn.pt

Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) was invited by the European Commission to present their best practices in coordinating the Incubation Center of European Space Agency in Portugal (ESA BIC Portugal) during the 2nd Finance Workshop Space Economy, held on 3 May in Brussels. Launched in 2014 end, the ESA BIC Portugal is one of 16 current ESA incubators at European level. In this structure are supported startups to implement proven technology in space in sectors such as health, transport, energy, security and urban life. The 2nd Finance Workshop Space Economy brought together representatives of the European Commission, the European Space Agency and Airbus, as well as investors and incubators. The initiative intended to discuss new ways to finance the growing boom in space startups that has taken place mainly in the United States and Europe, from SME finance programs to the emergence of specialized investment funds for the space industry. In addition to the ESA BIC Portugal, ESA BIC UK was also chosen to present their experience in business incubation in the space area. So far, the ESA BIC Portugal has supported 11 startups. In the next five years - duration of the program - provides incubate 30 companies that will create about 240 new jobs and ability to raise capital of 6.5 million euros. The ESA BIC Portugal is a direct investment in Portugal of € 1,950,000 (one million nine hundred and fifty thousand euros) in five years. This program is led by the IPN and has poles in UPTEC and DNA Cascais Agency. The ESA BIC Portugal has the support of the Space Office (FCT / ANI) and other stakeholders, such as CCDRC, universities, municipalities and investors and was considered of strategic importance to Portugal, which is why the Government through the FCT, It has invested significant resources in this area.

MOSTRA QUE A CIDADE DOS ESTUDANTES TEM UM NOVO PROFESSOR. BIG smart cities by Vodafone Power Lab e Ericsson é uma competição de ideias para negócios de base tecnológica que melhorem o dia-a-dia de quem vive, trabalha ou visita uma cidade. Este ano, o BIG smart cities ficou mais BIG ainda, e evoluiu para uma amplitude nacional, com as cidades do Porto, Coimbra, Évora e Lisboa a promoverem eventos locais: os BIG city challenges. Assim, durante o mês de Abril, vamos procurar 4 equipas nestas 4 cidades, para se juntarem aos 20 finalistas que vão poder desenvolver as suas ideias num programa de pré-aceleração. Faz-te BIG, prepara o teu pitch, inscreve-te e vem aproveitar os BIG city challenges para melhorares o teu projeto. Além da possibilidade de teres acesso direto ao grupo de 20 finalistas BIG smart cities e de ganhares o prize money de 500 euros, terás a oportunidade de aperfeiçoares o teu modelo de negócio, através de mentoring no dia do challenge. Marca já na tua agenda: o BIG city challenge @ Coimbra é no dia 21 de Abril no Instituto Pedro Nunes às 14h. Vais ficar a olhar para o Mondego ou vens mudar o mundo? 3 COISAS QUE PRECISAS DE SABER SOBRE O BIG SMART CITIES: 1. Este ano tens 2 formas de candidatar-te: através do formulário disponível no site bigsmartcities.com e/ou participando num dos eventos BIG city challenges a decorrer no Porto, Coimbra, Évora e Lisboa. 2. A tua ideia deve enquadrar-se numa das seguintes áreas de oportunidade: Smart Living (Qualidade de vida, Energia, Saúde, Educação), Smart Mobility, Smart Tourism e Smart Government. 3. De entre os 20 finalistas BIG smart sities, será selecionado um vencedor que recebe 10.000 euros, 6 meses de incubac?a?o no Vodafone Power Lab e uma viagem para conhecer um polo de inovação da Ericsson na Europa. Tens alguma dúvida? Então aparece numa das sessões de esclarecimento que vamos anunciando no Facebook ou envia-nos um e-mail para hello@bigsmartcities.com. PENSA BIG. PENSA SMART. INSCREVE­-TE EM BIGSMARTCITIES.COM Mais informação em: bigsmartcities.com https://www.facebook.com/BIGsmartcities https://twitter.com/BIGsmartcities

The ‘Space for Sustainability Award’ is targeting students and young professionals under 30 with Project Ideas which will enable the space sector to put SD on a formal footing, raise awareness among the younger generations and professionals, and contribute to furthering the debate on the topic. Submit your idea to a judging panel of distinguished personalities and win a memorable trip and the opportunity to make some great contacts! The author of the winning Project Idea will have the quite unique opportunity to visit Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou (French Guiana) as well as to attend a launch of either Ariane, Vega or Soyouz!! The main requirement for the Award is that the innovative Project Idea must link space (from a broad perspective) with at least one of the pillars of sustainable development (environment, economy, social, governance), and preferably focus specifically on European purposes. Information available at http://sdaward.eisc.esa.int/

The deadlines to submit proposals for ESA BIC Portugal in 2016 are the following (PT time): - 1st February - 18th May - 12th October The application documents are available at: http://space.ipn.pt/pages/open_call Startup? Start now! For more information, contact us at space@ipn.pt!

On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the Business Incubation Center of the European Space Agency in Portugal, it takes place on 19 November, Thursday, at 17:00, at the Instituto Pedro Nunes, in Coimbra, a presentation event of the results of this project and firms that will be supported in the next two years. The Business Incubation Centre of the European Space Agency in Portugal (ESA BIC Portugal), coordinated by Pedro Nunes Institute, was released in late 2014, being one of the 13 current ESA BICs in Europe. ESA BICs supports startups applying technology developed for the space in sectors such as health, transport, energy, safety and urban life.

A new competition INNOspace Masters was recently launched by the Space Administration department of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to promote innovative ideas for the next space generation, organized by Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO), which also organised the ESA/SAP Earth Observation Appathon early in 2015 in Portugal and other 5 locations. What topics does the competition address? INNOspace Masters is especially interested in forward-thinking ideas, research projects, demonstrators, prototypes, and innovative (but ready-to-implement) business concepts in the following subject areas: generative manufacturing, increased modularisation of production, flexible platforms, intelligent components, cyber-physical systems for complex production and logistics processes, and innovations along the entire value chain in satellite manufacturing. Prizes awarded by first-class partners The prizes will be awarded in three categories to meet different levels of innovative maturity and sophistication sponsored by world-class partners, including: the Space Administration department of the German Aerospace Center, Airbus Defence & Space, and Germany's two ESA Business Incubation Centres in Bavaria and Darmstadt. Along with extensive marketing/communication activities and networking contacts, the winners can look forward to technological and business-related services from first-rate partners. From 16 September 2015 to 31 January 2016, interested major enterprises, SMEs, start-ups, university, or non-university research institution (or even a consortium of organisations) are invited to submit their brilliant ideas and solutions for the next space generation in the very first INNOspace Masters competition. For more information, visit: www.innospace-masters.de

With the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and in the scope of the activities of ESA Business Incubation Centre in Portugal (ESA BIC Portugal), IPN will host an "Investment Readiness Training" facilitated by Rick Salmon. Message by Rick: "If you are an early-­stage entrepreneur who will either need funding now or in the future, then you will need help. You can try to figure it out on your own or you can learn from people who have already done this successfully. To succeed you will need to work your own network and you will need to tap into other people’s networks. You will also need some special communication skills if you are going to be able to connect quickly, make a lasting good first impression and then be able to persuade investors to support your company’s growth. If you have a sense of urgency about this, then you cannot afford to wait or leave this to chance. Many entrepreneurs fail because they don’t get the help they need at the time that they need it most. Take advantage of a unique offer. The Investment Readiness Programme (IRP) has been designed to quickly and effectively teach you some of the tools necessary in order to obtain funding and grow your business. Great entrepreneurs are usually serial entrepreneurs. They learn the rules of the game and they are most often successful in raising capital again and again. Wouldn’t you like to learn some of these skills? The IRP will provide you with the opportunity to learn and to benefit from other’s experience and networks. My name is Rick Salmon and I will be your facilitator and the leader for this exciting programme. I am an experienced serial entrepreneur and have built a number of successful technology startup companies over the past 20 years. The ESA Investment Readiness Programme offers the very best of what I have learned as an entrepreneur. When clients retain me as a startup consultant they’re actually paying for two basic things, experience and innovation. Experience can be gained in only two ways, through one’s own situations or by learning about other’s situations. Innovation however, is a method of thinking. During the Investment Readiness Programme I want to share from my own experiences and perhaps bring in other special guests and experts who will share from their own experience. I will attempt to help the participants to become more innovative thinkers in approaching their own startup situations. I encourage you to join this exciting Programme. I will take-?on the personal challenge of doing whatever I can to discover how to help you and how to make your company succeed." The training targets ESA BIC Portugal startups and intends to generate important benefits for the entrepreneurs: get the business ready for investors and customers; clarify the company’s Unique Selling Proposition; learn to communicate your value in a brief but powerful way; create a 15-­second elevator pitch for power/speed networking; prepare, present and perfect an 8-­minute investor presentation; learn how to speed-­up your overall business development cycle.

The Ambassador Platform for Portugal, managed by IPN, and ESA invite the space and non-space communities to attend a workshop on ESA ARTES Applications opportunities, including the topics of megaconstellations and funding schemes. Date and time: 28 Oct 2015, 10h-12h30 Venue: Ciência Viva, Pavilhão do Conhecimento, Lisboa, Portugal Agenda: Morning: 10:00 ESA ARTES Programme overview, Luís Serina, Space Office 10:15 ESA ARTES Application programmes (ARTES 3-4 / ARTES 20) Norbert Huebner, European Space Agency (ESA) 10:45 Megaconstellations, Cyril Michel, European Space Agency (ESA) 11:05 The Portuguese Ambassador Platform (Support to the national community) Inês Plácido, Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) 11:25 Experience in ARTES 20 projects, Testimonies of Space companies 12:15 Questions & Answers Afternoon: Bilateral meetings with ESA ARTES representatives about ARTES applications and ARTES space/ground segment can be requested via space@ipn.pt and will be held in the afternoon of the event. Registration: http://www.gppq.fct.pt/h2020/eventos.php?id=4101 For queries, please contact: space@ipn.pt or 239700900

The next deadline to submit your proposals to the ESA BIC Portugal programme is on the 2nd of November! Please contact space@ipn.pt for questions!

"É uma comunidade jovem e pequena, mas faz parte da elite mundial na investigação aeroespacial e constitui um dos nossos melhores "produtos" de exportação. Quinze anos depois da adesão de Portugal à ESA e ao ESO, os méritos destes estudantes, cientistas, engenheiros e comunicadores são observáveis a olho nu. Mas o financiamento é curto e não há um plano de acção delineado. Até onde podemos ir?" Notícia completa em: http://p3.publico.pt/node/18032/

"A tecnologia usada propõe-se ajudar a preparar missões tripuladas a outros planetas que venham a ser calendarizadas, fornecendo o máximo de informação sobre esses planetas" Notícia completa em: http://sicnoticias.sapo.pt/pais/2015-09-01-Portugal-lidera-consorcio-que-vai-testar-tecnologia-para-explorar-planetas

The new dates for the selection campaign #46 are: - submimssion date: 2nd of November - evaluation date: 18th of November

Stimulating terrestrial applications using space assets (satcom or combined space assets), IPN, FCT and ANACOM jointly launch an open call that funds 25k€ to build a solid outline proposal to ESA ARTES 20 and ARTES 3-4 calls! All information available at: http://space.ipn.pt/pages/artes_call For any questions, please contact space@ipn.pt or 239 700 922

Call for digital technologies: connecting people and creating communities The Institute for Sustainability, in partnership with the Mayor of London’s Office, has launched a challenge-led competition to encourage SMEs and entrepreneurs to come forward with technology that could help the capital’s major redevelopment projects cope with the demands of London’s growing population. More information: http://www.iveridis.com/?v=join&pID=CCA092A2-DF5C-C4D6-FDF79F619655E50C

Time is running! At this website you will find all relevant information to apply for ESA BIC Portugal! (see above "BIC Open Call"), or call us at space@ipn.pt!

LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS WITH BIG DATA FROM SPACE Earth observation and the big data it produces can help countless innovative products and services really take off. SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME IN ANY RELEVANT APPLICATION FIELD, INCLUDING: Agriculture, Rescue/Emergency, Environment, Marine, Mobile Apps, Energy, Smart Cities and Transport/Logistics SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 13th July 2015 For more information: http://www.copernicus-masters.com/

Está aberto o iGEO - Mentes Criativas, um concurso que premeia a criatividade nacional na utilização de informação geográfica através de aplicações móveis, promovido pelo Ministério do Ambiente, Ordenamento do Território e Energia (MAOTE), através da Direção-Geral do Território, e que conta com o patrocínio da Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento (FLAD). A aplicação vencedora receberá um prémio no valor total de 4.000 dólares e o segundo e terceiro lugar receberão prémios no valor de 2.500 dólares e 1.000 dólares, respetivamente, prémios que são patrocinados pela FLAD. Destinado a pessoas coletivas ou singulares, maiores de 18 anos e residentes em Portugal, o iGEO - Mentes Criativas visa fomentar a utilização e a informação geográfica disponível em aplicações móveis, premiando as melhores propostas ao nível de inovação, funcionalidade, design, usabilidade e desempenho, bem como na promoção dos vários temas georreferenciados e disponibilizados no portal iGEO. O iGEO (http://www.igeo.pt) é uma iniciativa do MAOTE que pretende colocar os dados geográficos de referência da administração pública ao serviço da sociedade e, assim, promover a criação de novos produtos e serviços de elevado valor acrescentado suportados por modelos de conhecimento intensivo. Os dados a disponibilizar, no âmbito desta iniciativa, terão como principais destinatários a administração pública, as instituições de ensino e de investigação, as Organizações Não Governamentais e também as empresas privadas. Os proponentes poderão consultar todas as informações em http://www.igeo.pt/DadosAbertos/InscricaoConcurso.aspx e apresentar a sua candidatura até às 23h59, do dia 15 de abril de 2015. Para eventuais dúvidas ou pedidos de esclarecimentos contate a Direção-Geral do Território através de concurso_apps@igeo.pt

Selection campaign #45 - Deadline: 18th May 2015 - Tender Evaluation Board: May-June Selection campaign #46 - Deadline: 2nd November 2015 - Tender Evaluation Board: 18th November 2015

The call for proposals for ESA BIC Portugal is now open! The call will be permanently open and four evaluations will take place each year in the next 5 years. The next submission deadline is 2nd of February! The incubatees of ESA BIC Portugal, either in Coimbra (with IPN), Cascais (with DNA Cascais) or Porto (with UPTEC) will benefit from 50.000€ for prototype/product/service development and management and acquisition of intellectual property, alongside with business support and 80h of technical support. Launch your business with Space at ESA BIC Portugal! For more information, please contact: space@ipn.pt

Research, innovation and technology in radio program led by Edgar Canelas. This time it was ESA BIC Portugal who was on the spotlight, in the November emission. http://www.rtp.pt/play/p383/e173753/os-dias-do-futuro

" ESA’s latest Business Incubation Centre has opened in Portugal, ready to help entrepreneurs and start-up companies take space technology and services into non-space areas such as health, transport and energy. Over the coming five years, the centre will help 30 Portuguese start-up companies to get their businesses going, creating at least 120 local high-tech jobs. The companies will receive €1.5 million as seed incentive and be able to tap into an additional €7 million." To see the full article: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Technology/TTP2/ESA_business_incubator_opens_in_Portugal

During the 5th Portuguese Space Forum, held on November 5th, was launched the ESA Business Incubation Centre in Portugal (ESA BIC Portugal), which will support Portuguese companies that implement space technology in sectors such as health, transport, security, or energy. Over the next five years, the 30 companies supported by ESA BIC Portugal can access a total investment value of 1,5 million euros, raise capital of around 7 million euros, and are expected to create more than 120 new jobs. The ESA BIC Portugal is managed by Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) and implemented in collaboration with Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto and DNA Cascais. In addition, ESA BIC Portugal will count on multiple local, regional and national partners (business experts, technical experts from higher education institutions – namely the University of Coimbra and the University of Porto). The launch of ESA BIC Portugal was attended by Franco Ongaro, ESA Director D-TEC, Teresa Mendes, President of IPN, João Gabriel, Rector of the University of Coimbra, Pedro Carneiro, Vice President of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, António Pires de Lima, Portuguese Minister of the Economy, and Nuno Crato, Portuguese Minister of Education and Science. Carlos Cerqueira, Head of Innovation at IPN said that “ESA BIC Portugal has unique characteristics since it promotes the creation of startups based on state-of-the-art technologies tested in Space applications, providing these new companies with the potential to create disruptive innovations tailored for the global markets”. Teresa Mendes, President of IPN, added that “the ESA BIC and Ambassador Platform in Portugal contribute to further accomplish IPN’s mission to support the technology transfer process and to stimulate the creation of new economic activity and skilled jobs in Portugal”. Click here to see the presentation! http://www.slideshare.net/xysto/esa-bic-and-ambassador-platform-in-portugal-051114

The Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) seeks entrepreneurs with innovative ideas for using space technologies or developing applications, to create new products and services in a non-space environment. ESA’s Business Incubation Centres (BICs), initiated by ESA's Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO), work to inspire entrepreneurs to turn space-connected business ideas into commercial companies, and provide technical expertise and business-development support. Our Business Incubation Centres across European countries support selected entrepreneurs with comprehensive commercial and technical assistance to help them start up businesses that apply space technology to non-space industrial, scientific and commercial fields. ESA BICs help to create viable businesses and new jobs by providing support to more than 75 companies every year in Europe, and more than 200 start-ups companies have received support to date. More info at http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Technology/Business_Incubation/

Instituto Pedro Nunes from Coimbra will implement an ESA BIC. The goal is to support businesses that apply space technology in Earth in sectors such as health, energy, transport, security and urban life. More on Diário Digital (in portuguese) http://diariodigital.sapo.pt/news.asp?id_news=740491

From Space to Earth. European Space Agency will launch incubator for Portuguese companies. More on Observador (in portuguese). http://observador.pt/2014/10/28/tecnologia-espaco-na-terra-agencia-espacial-europeia-vai-lancar-incubadora-para-empresas-portuguesas/

Instituto Pedro Nunes will install a business incubator of the European Space Agency (ESA) in the country. The new incubator will support 30 companies over the next five years. More on Exame Informática (in portuguese) http://exameinformatica.sapo.pt/noticias/mercados/2014-10-28-Agencia-Espacial-Europeia-vai-lancar-incubadora-em-Portugal