Winners of the Technology Transfer Challenge 2023

The winners of this year’s ESA Technology Transfer Challenge are TeroMovigo (1st prize) and Azulfy (2nd prize). They apply ESA Patents to monitor the stability of our infrastructure and to ensure we can fight pollution in a privacy-preserving way. Congratulations to both!

The Competition

ESA Space Solutions Portugal, in collaboration with ESA Commercialisation, implemented the 2nd edition of the ESA Technology Transfer Challenge (ETTC).

This competition rewards the best solution to an industry problem based on the application of an ESA patented invention or software. Applications were scored on their impact, technical feasibility, and originality and applicability.

The aims of the ETTC are twofold. First, to stimulate effective technology transfer of ESA IP to other industries. Second, to generate leads for technology transfer projects in support of Technology Broker activities by ESA Space Solutions Portugal.

Of the 11 applications received, 2 rose above the rest: TeroMovigo and Azulfy. They were presented with their prizes at the award ceremony during the celebrations of the 9th anniversary of ESA Space Solutions Portugal.

The Winners

TeroMovigo clinched the 1st prize, a hefty €20000 reward, for their innovative proposal utilising an ESA-patented machine learning algorithm. Their solution aims to enhance the monitoring of critical infrastructure stability with millimetric accuracy. While GNSS receivers are increasingly employed for stability assessments of structures like bridges and dams, environmental factors and obstacles, such as atmospheric disturbances and reflections, can compromise their precision. TeroMovigo’s proposes to use a trained convolutional neural network based on the ESA patent, improving the accuracy of GNSS receiver positions. This advancement allows clients to conduct near real-time monitoring of infrastructure stability, addressing challenges for early failure detection and increased safety in the face of climate change impacts.

Azulfy secured the 2nd prize, a €15000 check, for their innovative approach to pollution analytics using satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms. Aligned with EU2030 goals, Azulfy monitors water, air, and soil, providing crucial alerts to local governments and policymakers. Their product stands out by incorporating user feedback data via a mobile app or web platform. However, accessing user geolocation data for validation and local event communication poses GDPR challenges. The proposed solution involves an ESA Patent that encrypts geolocation data, allowing the system to use it without disclosing sensitive information, ensuring a balance between data power and privacy compliance.

Congratulations to the winners and to all of us benefiting from their solutions.