The second edition of the EU initiative is being launched, with a total of €1,000,000 to be won. Organized by EUSPA (European Union Agency for the Space Programme), myEUspace competition is aimed at startups and entrepreneurs who have an idea or an existing solution like a mobile app, a wearable, a robotics solution etc. using EU space data. It is not necessary to specialize in the space industry to participate in the competition. You can enter the contest in one of the three tracks, depending on the maturity of your solution at the time of your application submission.
As part of the EU’s space policy, the European Union is developing two major space programmes: the Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and the Copernicus Earth observation system. Satellite data from these programmes are widely available for free use, and the list of areas where products based on them are applicable covers virtually every branch of the economy. This was proven by participants in the previous edition of the competition. Among the winning projects were an application for sustainable precision agriculture, a platform for enhancing road safety through the use of navigation and Earth observation data, and a solution for automatic monitoring of ground settlement on construction sites.
The goal of myEUspace competition is to promote breakthrough solutions that combine advanced technologies, innovative ideas and the enormous potential coming from data from space. Proposed projects should fit into one of the three thematic areas:
- Space My Life – consumer solutions such as mobile applications, wearables (smartwatches, smart glasses, fitness trackers, etc.) drones or robotics that will address major societal challenges in focus areas such as health, citizen safety and security, gaming and entertainment, sports and fitness, and tourism
- Our Green Planet – innovative solutions addressing environmental challenges and sustainable life that contribute to the implementation of the European Green Deal as well as solutions for the green transformation of corporates
- Dive in Deep Tech – innovative solutions combining EU space data with deep technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum technologies (quantum computing, sensing, simulation, encryption etc.), Blockchain, Metaverse and Extended Reality (Augmented Reality (AR) / Mixed Reality (MR) / Virtual Reality (VR).
A prize pool of €1,000,000 for the best applications is expected to encourage innovators to submit entries, but according to organizers, the financial boost is just one of the many benefits of participating in the competition.
“In addition to funding the best ideas, we also offer technical and business support from our experts” argues Justyna Redełkiewicz, head of Section Consumer Solutions, Market and Technology at EUSPA. “Over the past years, EUSPA has created an impressive ecosystem of startups and organizations that use satellite data on a daily basis. We are building a community that shares its experience by inspiring each other in addition to pioneering ideas with high market potential. We know from the participants of the first edition of myEUspace themselves that this is of great value to them” she adds.
Depending on the maturity of the project, the competition can be entered in three ways.
Track Submission of an Idea accepts presentations of a theoretical idea along with a description of the typical use case of the concept as well as the customer needs and potential pain points that it addresses. The deadline for submitting your idea is November 30, 2022.
Track Submission of a Prototype gathers applications of a prototype or beta version of a solution that has already been tested in a relevant environment. When applying it is important to collect a description of the typical use case of the prototype, the customer needs that it addresses and the value proposition. The deadline for submission of a prototype is February 10, 2023.
Track Submission of a Product is for products that are ready for commercialization or already in the market. As in previous case, the application needs to include a description of the typical use case of the product, the customer needs it is based on and the value proposition. The deadline for submitting a product is April 25, 2023.
All projects will be evaluated in terms of innovation and technological level, market potential, feasibility and operational capability, and use of space-acquired data. The winners of all tracks will be invited to the EUSPA’s Entrepreneurship Day on June 1, 2023 where they will have a chance to present their solutions to the jury of the competition and invited guests. Detailed terms of participation, application deadlines and application forms are available on the organizer’s website:
https://www.euspa.europa.eu/myeuspacecompetition
More information about the competition, including a description of the idea submission process, can be found in the press release available at the link below.
https://planetpartners.prowly.com/214192-one-million-euros-for-startups-in-myeuspace-competition
