European Space Agency to award €1M for best satnav ideas

Funding opportunity

Prizes totalling €1 million are on offer in this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition, run by the European Space Agency.

This is includes a prize of €10,000 for the best idea and support to start-up a business at one of ESA’s four incubation centres.

The European Satellite Navigation Competition is now in its seventh year of seeking out ideas for satnav application and services. More than a thousand ideas were submitted over the first six years, many of which have turned into new businesses.

Since 2005, ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office has been a partner in the competition, and for the past two years it has offered the €10,000 ESA Special Topic Prize.  

“We are seeking innovative and creative business ideas with the potential for quick market implementation and high economic growth using satellite navigation in non-space business environments,” said Frank Salzgeber, Head of Tech Transfer at ESA.

The winner will be provided with support at one of ESA’s four Business Incubation Centres, or at an incubation facility of a member of ESINET, the European Space Incubators Network.

At the Incubation Centres there will be assistance from ESA experts, and access to space technologies and laboratories. After incubation the tech transfer office will help to acquire funding through its biannual ESA Investment Forum and the new Open Sky Technologies Fund.

The 2010 contest began on 1 May, and closes on 31 July. Competitors are invited to submit their ideas online.

For more information, visit: http://www.galileo-masters.eu