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INNOspace Masters promotes ideas for the transfer of technology and expertise from other industries to the space sector (spin-ins/New Space) or from space to non-space sectors (spin-offs).
The overall theme for the 2025 round of the competition is:
Energise Our Future – Cross-Industry Innovations Linking Earth and Space
Under this overall theme, the competition offers six different challenges for you to participate in. Each challenge covers a wide range of topics and focuses on a different stage of technological maturity – from applied research to market-ready solutions.
In addition to global networking contacts, the winners will receive technological and commercial support, as well as assistance with project implementation.
Submission for this year’s competition round is closed.
Here are the most important dates for you if you are taking part in one of our challenges. The ESA BIC Challenge has a slightly different Evaluation Phase, with a shortened initial evaluation and an additional coaching phase.
On behalf of the Federal Government, the German Space Agency at DLR designs and implements the German Space Programme, which integrates all German space activities at national and European level.
The German Space Agency at DLR has started the INNOspace® initiative to promote innovation, technology transfer and new markets.
The challenge:
The space industry continues to change: More and more new concepts are reaching economic feasibility, creating emerging markets and new opportunities for space industry innovation. At the same time, the space industry integrates new hardware, technologies and concepts from terrestrial industries to further drive its transition. Therefore, the German Space Agency at DLR is looking for ideas and concepts for space spin-ins and spin-offs that lead to technologies, processes, and applications with cross-industry relevance.
This year, the DLR Challenge will award a minimum of 4 projects in two categories:
The focus of the DLR Challenge is on technology with a pre-commercialisation TRL (Technology Readiness Level). Of particular relevance are collaborative projects from consortia that combine expertise from industry and research. So, team up with relevant partners and submit your idea! This year’s DLR Challenge impulse topics include, but are not limited to:
The European Space Agency (ESA) is dedicated to the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of mankind. Established in 1975, ESA works with its 22 Member States to push the frontiers of science and technology and to promote economic growth in Europe.
ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs) are the largest network of incubators supporting space related start-ups in Europe. The objective is to support entrepreneurs with a space-based business idea and help them developing their product while getting their company off the ground. In the process, they create and grow clusters of space-related start-ups across Europe.
Each incubation centre is managed by local champions who connect their ESA BIC to local industry, universities, research organisations, government, and investor communities. There are five centres in Germany: ESA BIC Bavaria, ESA BIC Hessen, ESA BIC Baden-Württemberg, ESA BIC Northern-Germany and ESA BIC North Rhine-Westphalia. All the centres are embedded in local communities, but also have strong regional and national links.
The challenge:
The space economy offers huge commercial opportunities, leveraging satellite data and the technologies that support space infrastructure and information systems. Space assets and the insights gained from space data drive value across non-space sectors, including critical infrastructure, communications, cybersecurity, the green transition, sustainable mobility, and more. As innovative applications become more cost-effective, they open up new commercial opportunities in various industries, while bringing significant benefits to new communities and user groups.
The ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs) and the ESA Business Applications and Space Solutions (ESA BA) programmes provide a comprehensive and structured support to innovative businesses who want to seize these opportunities.
The ESA BICs in Germany are looking for teams of ambitious entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas involving space technologies or new commercial concepts for the use of space data. The teams will receive support to turn their ideas into a viable company. Potential innovation areas and use cases are:
Prerequisite: Valid space connection, existing business idea, founding team with complementary skills.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is dedicated to the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of mankind. Established in 1975, ESA works with its 22 Member States to push the frontiers of science and technology and to promote economic growth in Europe.
One of our top priorities is to help companies seize the commercial opportunities to exploit space technologies and data and benefit society at the same time, with the ambition of creating a greener, safer and digital Europe. Our vision is to make the continent a space commercialisation hub, where innovative ideas can grow into world-beating space companies that benefit people all over the world.
The challenge:
There are tremendous commercial opportunities by using satellites and the technologies that underpin space infrastructure and data. Space assets and insights derived from space data generate value in non-space domains such as critical infrastructure, communications, (cyber) security, green transition, sustainable mobility, and more. Today, more innovative applications are becoming financially feasible. Thus, new commercial opportunities for all sectors arise, while creating benefits to new communities.
The ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs) and the ESA Business Applications and Space Solutions (ESA BA) programmes provide a comprehensive and structured system that supports innovative businesses wanting to seize these opportunities.
In a drive for a sustainable future, ESA BA supports businesses of all sizes and across all sectors to develop innovative solutions for Earth using space technologies. We are looking for innovative services or applications for sectors such as:
Prerequisite: High technological readiness level, utilisation of space technology or data, concept for innovative applications or services in terrestrial market and confirmed customer need with a clear business case.
Airbus is a European leader and pioneer in the space sector with a strong focus on technology and industrial development using new commercial approaches. With the vision of linking Earth and Space through viable cross-industry innovation, Airbus aims to boost the commercialization of space in Europe, considering efficiency and sustainability at the same time. The aim is to foster New Space applications by integrating and connecting different systems and sectors along the entire value chain. This is achieved through intensive co-innovation and co-creation between the space industry and terrestrial partners across a variety of vertical markets.
The challenge:
Airbus is looking for innovators with ideas for exceptional hardware, industrial processes, applications, or business models relevant to space that promise to have a lasting impact on our daily lives. The focus is on smart solutions enabling sustainable and commercially viable innovations linking Earth and Space on topics such as, but not limited to:
The challenge:
Mercedes-Benz is looking for smart innovation for future mobility enabled by space solutions. Join the Mercedes-Benz car2space Challenge at INNOspace Masters:
With more than 40 years of experience as an independent force in the European space industry, OHB tackles one of the biggest challenges of today: The sustainable and cost-efficient use of resources. Thus, especially synergies and developments for space and Earth should be in focus. The technologies developed by OHB cover the entire cycle of space innovation from building and launching satellites into space via establishing ground stations and IT solutions. We are always open to new creative approaches, including the exploration of new worlds in space and on the ground.
The challenge:
Are you ready to push the boundaries of space technology? We’re looking for fresh ideas on how to design space system architectures and solutions based on end-to-end value chains. Whether through increased on-board computing, seamless connectivity via inter-satellite links or a LEO economy, the future space systems will look very different from those of today. We are looking for disruptive ideas on how to create or enable these future systems, such as:
Learn which criteria the submission needs to fulfill in order to have the best chances of winning the dedicated challenge.