Category: Incubed

Φ-lab helps mentor Italian start-ups in the Quasar space challenge

Posted on by nchimonides

Φ-lab has provided coaching for the six chosen start-up companies in the Quasar challenge. Set up by venture capitalist fund Primo Space in conjunction with g-nous, the challenge culminated in an event where the finalists were able to pitch their value propositions to space industry representatives.

The Quasar open call is aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship in the Italian space sector by placing promising early-stage start-ups in contact with industry leaders and institutions. Launched in September 2021 by Primo Space and space-sector consultancy g-nous, the initiative fosters skills exchanges and new partnerships in an effort to reinforce Italy’s innovation potential in international space markets.

Start-ups submitting their application were evaluated in October based on relevance to the sector, level of innovation and team competence. The six chosen finalists then underwent an intensive, tailored mentoring programme during November, covering the areas of technology, business, fundraising and legal matters. Φ-lab has a wide-ranging partnership agreement with Primo Space and was one of the key contributors at this stage, with four mentors from the Φ-lab Explore and Invest offices offering advice and feedback to the start-up teams.

Explore Office researcher Gabriele Meoni found mentoring a stimulating experience: “I collaborated with two companies that are focused on my specialist area of cognitive computing in space. One of the most rewarding aspects for me was to see just how quickly industry is moving forward in this field, along with the fact that by exchanging ideas from our differing research and market perspectives, I feel we were able to learn a great deal from each other.”

Fully primed from their coaching, on 10 December the six start-ups had the opportunity to present their companies and meet investors, space entrepreneurs and industry representatives. The event hosted a sector-focused panel discussion with experts from ESA, D-Orbit, The Italian Space Agency, Ogilvy Orbiter and ThinkOrbital, while D-Orbit’s CEO Luca Rossettini also provided food for thought for the finalists in his inspirational keynote speech.

“We’ve been particularly impressed by the energy and innovative spirit of the finalists,” said Raffaele Mauro, General Partner at Primo Space. “We’ve also received great support from our partners and mentors, and the challenge even provided a catalyst for several Italian entrepreneurs living abroad to enter the fray. The drive and skills demonstrated by all involved parties are further proof of the continuing growth of Italy’s burgeoning space ecosystem.”

As a result of the initiative, the six finalists will now have a number of opportunities, including being prioritised within the Primo Space deal flow and investment analysis process, and gaining access to a wider space industry network. Primo Space and g-nous are already planning the follow-up challenge, to be launched later this year.

The six chosen start-ups are OhmSpace, Revolv Space, LEOcloud, Stratobotic, AdapTronics and Witted.

To know more: Quasar, The Φ-lab Explore Office, InCubed

Photo courtesy of Soukizy

OroraTech receives InCubed co-funding for its wildfire detection CubeSat system

Posted on by nchimonides

German start-up OroraTech has hit the ground running in 2022, with the launch in January of not only its first CubeSat but also an InCubed co-funded activity to begin developing its successor platform and payload. The satellites’ dedicated remote-sensing capabilities will enable the Munich-based company to enhance its established wildfire detection and monitoring services.

Wildfires continue to be a growing risk for many of the world’s crucial yet delicate forestry systems. 2019 saw record levels of damage in South Australia’s bush fires, and the recent Marshall Fire in Colorado destroyed over a thousand homes and cost the state more than $1 billion.

The ability to predict, detect and monitor the presence of wildfires clearly has enormous advantages for authorities, citizens and the environment, with consequent benefits in preparedness, response times and damage limitation. Founded in 2018, OroraTech already has a number of global customers for its wildfire service, including SOPFEU Quebec, Australia’s Forestry Corporation NSW and Arauco in Chile. The service draws on sensor data from a variety of existing satellites to provide intelligence for protecting forests and nearby assets.

In a first move towards vertical integration, OroraTech has recently launched a Thermal Infrared (TIR) imager on a Spire 6U CubeSat. The findings from this first launch will feed into the company’s next initiative, the InCubed co-funded development of a customised CubeSat with TIR and optical imaging instruments and onboard Artificial Intelligence (AI) computation. “With current SSO [Sun Synchronous Orbit] satellites, there is a data gap in the peak burn time from 15:00 to 18:00 and a general delay until the information is available on the ground,” explains OroraTech CTO Martin Langer. “We need our own TIR imaging resources and on-orbit processing to close that gap and reduce the delay from hours to minutes.”

The InCubed-supported activity forms part of a longer term relationship between OroraTech and ESA. The company was originally aided by ESA BIC Bavaria, and was then able to advance the wildfire services product through ESA Kick-Start. Michael Nyenhuis of the German Space Agency at DLR underlines the significance of institutional support for this and other local start-ups: “OroraTech is a leading example of Southern Germany’s pedigree in seeding space entrepreneurship. From its beginnings at the Technical University of Munich, the company has enjoyed considerable growth through both private and public investment, and numbers among ESA BIC Bavaria’s hundreds of alumni. We are very happy that OroraTech has now garnered funding from InCubed to support the commercialisation of its globally important services to the forestry ecosystem.”

The initiative has kicked off with a de-risking phase to evaluate requirements and develop a CubeSat-compatible payload. The team will also study the trade-offs between a 3U and 6U platform size. For ESA Technical Officer Roger Walker, the possibility of filling a current hole in data availability has significant implications: “OroraTech’s expansion into upstream data acquisition will undoubtedly elevate the performance of the wildfire service for the benefit of its growing customer base. Additionally, there is the potential to capture thermal imaging data in the afternoon gap for improved detection of other climate-change parameters such as gas flaring on oil rigs, and it’s particularly encouraging that OroraTech is already considering broadening its services in this way.”

To know more: OroraTech, CubeSat, ESA BIC Bavaria

Registration now open for the Φ-lab Investing in Industrial Innovation Event

Posted on by esaphilabincubed@2020_admin

ESA Φ-lab is organising a two-day forum to bring together major players in the commercial Earth observation sector. Scheduled for 24 and 25 February, the online event will include representatives from industry, public institutions, national delegations and investors.

The Φ-lab Investing in Industrial Innovation Event is both a unique networking platform and a broad-based showcase for the host of activities of the ESA InCubed programme. In the context of the Commercialisation priority of ESA’s Agenda 2025, the event aims to stimulate and develop market-oriented Earth observation (EO) by connecting European companies with not only investors, venture builders and potential customers, but also Delegates from ESA Member States.

The proceedings will kick off with an introduction by ESA’s new Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli. Other speakers are expected to include Géraldine Naja, ESA Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Procurement, plus guests from the agriculture, insurance and water management sectors. The programme will feature presentations from a number of activities co-funded by InCubed, together with talks on innovation, institutional support and the commercial end-user viewpoint. There will be numerous round-table discussions and a final session where private investors will give their perspective on EO. The winners of an InCubed video-pitch competition will also be announced.

More information on the Investing in Industrial Innovation Event can be found on the dedicated website. To participate, register here.

To know more: InCubed, ESA Agenda 2025

InCubed-supported HyperScout imager selected for high-profile Australian CubeSat mission

Posted on by esaphilabincubed@2020_admin

The HyperScout instrument, partly developed by cosine Remote Sensing under an ESA InCubed co-funding activity, has been adopted as the hyperspectral imager of choice for Australia’s first satellite mission funded at state level. Scheduled for launch in 2022, the Kanyini is based on a 6U CubeSat platform and is being engineered by SmartSat CRC and two South Australian companies.

The SASAT1 Kanyini project is aimed at promoting and developing the South Australian space industry through the launch of a CubeSat nanosatellite with Earth observation and Internet of Things (IoT) payloads. With funding from the South Australia state government, Kanyini is a collaboration between local entities the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, Myriota and Inovor Technologies.

Data collected from the project is intended to support informed decision making in the areas of water usage, climate policy and disaster management. There is also an associated educational programme, which commenced with a competition in schools to name the satellite itself. The winning entry, ‘Kanyini’, is a Pitjantjatjara aboriginal word that describes the principle of responsibility and unconditional love for all of creation.

The HyperScout 2 is a three-in-one instrument that combines hyperspectral and thermal imaging with high-level data processing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities. Available for deployment on satellites of any dimensions, the imager is however particularly suited to small platforms built around a smart blend of custom-made and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The HyperScout series was designed and brought to production by the Remote Sensing business unit of Dutch company cosine, with initial co-funding support provided by the Dutch government through the Φ-lab InCubed programme.

“We needed a compact imaging payload that gave us a much more nuanced Earth view than a three-band sensor,” explained Pete Nikoloff, Kanyini Mission Director at SmartSat. “The spectral range of the HyperScout 2 enables an extremely detailed analysis of land cover, benefitting research into crop health, forests, inland water and coasts, while the thermal infrared imager will provide vital information on heat generators in South Australia. In parallel with the development phase, a research programme is being formulated with SmartSat’s partners to make the best use of the systems once in orbit.”

cosine Remote Sensing Managing Director Marco Esposito underlined the AI credentials of the company’s brainchild: “The HyperScout 2’s onboard processing power will give Kanyini the opportunity to utilise advanced AI algorithms directly in orbit, ultimately reducing data traffic requirements or accelerating decision making for rapid-response scenarios.”

ESA Scout System Manager Massimiliano Pastena sees a crucial link with the ethos of the Φ-Department: “We’re very happy that HyperScout 2 has been selected for Kanyini, as it provides another example of an InCubed-supported initiative that subsequently grows and enjoys take-up at a global level. We also found the name of the satellite, with its reference to care and responsibility for our planet, an inspired choice that matches well with our approach to future Earth observation.”

“The purpose of the ESA InCubed Programme is to support and develop the commercial EO sector  through de-risking business-focused products and services along the EO value chain,” added ESA InCubed Programme Manager Amanda Regan. “Improving Hyperscout was one of the first InCubed activities and is a good case in point of where we were able to help de-risk a commercially focused development. We are very pleased to see that Hyperscout 2 has been picked up by the Kanyini project and we wish them every success.”

To know more: cosine, HyperScout 2, Kanyini, SmartSat

InCubed helps launch Satelligence’s Deepview monitoring service

Posted on by esaphilabincubed@2020_admin

After a successful development activity co-funded by InCubed, Satelligence has launched Deepview. Underpinned by Copernicus and contextual industry data, the service enables companies to progress their sustainability commitments by tracking deforestation risk in the supply chain.

Deforestation was at the forefront of the recent COP26 in Glasgow, with over 100 governments signing a pledge to end and reverse forest loss by 2030. But commerce also has a major role to play, and companies with credible sustainability policies need to ensure that their environmental stewardship extends to their suppliers. Maintaining vigilance over vendor processes and sources reduces risk and empowers organisations to make informed procurement decisions.

Satelligence is well placed to support such vigilance. The Dutch company has used its remote-sensing data expertise to build Deepview, an innovative service that maps the web of relationships between producers, traders and goods manufacturers so that companies can pinpoint areas of deforestation risk throughout the value chain.

As Head of Client Relations Nanne Tolsma explains, the service is a powerful tool for its users: “Deepview provides companies with new layers of meaningful supply-chain engagement while allowing them to demonstrate a commitment to internal and external transparency. This is an essential step towards the achievement of satellite-based supply-chain traceability for sustainable agricultural production.”

The main focus of Deepview is currently the palm oil supply network of large traders and consumer goods companies, but the solution can easily be scaled to other commodities.

Kicking off in February of this year, the Deepview initiative began by interviewing a large number of businesses to better understand their environmental risk monitoring needs and requirements in often complex supply chains. Several companies were then selected for demonstrations on how their palm oil suppliers could be monitored, after which the iterative development of the web application prototype began in earnest. The result is an off-the-shelf tool that is now production-ready for commercial use, with several food giants among its early adopters.

Example of Deepview’s palm oil dashboard for Aceh in Indonesia

“InCubed has enabled us to complete early testing of our solution across a wide cross section of companies and to drive our market introduction forward at a time when deforestation is garnering considerable international attention. We are very grateful to ESA and the Netherlands Space Office for their continuing support,” Nanne Tolsma adds.

The ESA Technical Officer for the activity is Frank Martin Seifert: “Deepview is a prime example of how Earth observation can be at the forefront of real-time environmental oversight while also forming the basis for value-added commercial applications. We’re happy to have provided InCubed funding for an initiative that is win-win-win: beneficial for the profile of EO, for industry and above all for the health of the planet.”

To know more: Satelligence, Copernicus, Deepview use case

ESA Φ-lab and World Food Programme launch joint innovation initiative

Posted on by nchimonides

The EO & AI for SDGs Innovation Programme is now open for submissions. Launched by Φ-lab together with the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, the initiative aims to find Earth observation and Artificial Intelligence-based solutions to global hunger issues.

In a world where we produce enough food to feed everyone, there are 811 million people – or 10% of the global population – that still go to bed hungry every night. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the complex social-economic landscape only serve to make the situation more dire, but as a counterpoint to this daunting backdrop, advances in space, satellite and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have radically transformed humanity’s ability to observe and model the Earth’s systems.

This then begs the question of how Earth observation (EO) and AI can help solve global food crises. To find an answer, Φ-lab and the World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator are joining forces to launch the EO & AI for SDGs Innovation Programme. The initiative will seek out cutting-edge innovations that use EO and AI technologies to address the challenges that WFP faces in its operations, while striving for business viability and industry leadership.

Read the full article at wfpinnovation

InCubed and SENER Aeroespacial’s EO-DDL development continues apace

Posted on by nchimonides

Eight months after kick off, the EO-DDL payload data transmission system is currently undergoing prototype construction. Designed to meet the downlink requirements of tomorrow’s Earth observation satellites, the InCubed co-funded activity is well on the way to reaching a key Technology Readiness Level milestone.

With the rapid transformation of the Earth observation sector, satellites are increasingly being launched in large constellations with payloads of next-generation sensors producing considerable volumes of data. This presents significant challenges for data transmission, as the growth in spacecraft numbers leads to congestion of frequency bands and current hardware struggles to keep up with payload data-rate requirements.

ESA has proposed to alleviate the problem of overcrowded airwaves by moving the frequency range for sensor data from the X-band (8.025-8.4 GHz) to the K-band (25.5-27 GHz). While the K-band has the advantage of a greater bandwidth, it does bring its own challenges, such as requiring highly directional beams and complex signal modulation to cope with the infamous ‘rain fade’ effect.

Responding to these trends and technical requirements, SENER Aeroespacial is developing a bespoke, future-proof solution for satellite-to-ground-station data transmission: the Earth Observation Data DownLink system (EO-DDL). The EO-DDL consists of a Payload Data Transmitter (PDT) unit in tandem with a Dual Band Steerable Antenna (DBSA) assembly. The system can transmit in both X and K-band and will handle data rates of over 2.6 Gb/s per channel.

Building on a feasibility study it previously carried out for ESA, SENER is now working under an InCubed contract to develop the product further. “Collaborating on this InCubed activity is an exciting opportunity for SENER, as it will enable us to meet the increasing demands for high-throughput LEO-to-ground communication in institutional and commercial EO markets. We’re very happy to contribute to cross-fertilisation within ESA by extending the experience we’ve gained in the Science Programme to Earth observation. We’re also hoping to agree strategic partnerships as a result of the development, with several satellite manufacturers already showing interest in the proposed product line,” commented Jose Antonio Gomez, SENER Project Manager for the EO-DDL.

Andrea Modenini, ESA Technical Officer, was also keen to underline the importance of the activity: “Developing the EO-DDL represents a major step forward in satellite communication architecture. The dual-band capabilities will provide unprecedented flexibility, while the data-rate capacity of multiple gigabits per second will ensure that the data transmission module can tackle the expected traffic from big-data payloads.”

Since signing the contract in March of this year, product development has been progressing steadily. Following the definition and design phase, the team successfully passed the Preliminary Design Review and will hold the all-important Critical Design Review within the next few weeks. Meanwhile the prototype components are being produced and assembled in preparation for functional testing, with the activity expected to meet its final objective of achieving a significant level of technology readiness (TRL 6) during the second quarter of 2022.

To know more: SENER Aeroespacial, ESA Technology Readiness Levels, Satellite frequency bands

Sat4Flood completes InCubed activity to monitor levees and is now in commercialisation phase

Posted on by nchimonides

Miramap, SkyGeo and 52impact have successfully completed the Sat4Flood activity as part of the InCubed programme, demonstrating the ability to estimate and visualise the risks of levee failure using Earth observation data. Sat4Flood is now rolling out the product to water safety organisations and has started to generate revenue.

Sat4Flood provides organisations responsible for water safety with a cost effective tool to better understand and manage levee failure risks globally. Dutch activity partners Miramap, SkyGeo and 52impact developed the Sat4Flood monitoring service by combining satellite high-resolution soil moisture data with Interferometric SAR deformation data and other Earth observation data sources.

Since completing the InCubed activity, the Sat4Flood activity partners have started engaging with potential customers and rolling out the product commercially, beginning with water authorities and international engineering companies. As a result Sat4Flood is expected to soon join the ranks of former InCubed activities that are generating revenue.

Sat4Flood Project Manager Yvette Pluijmers from Miramap said: ‘’By combining our companies’ extensive experience in monitoring levees, we have been able to develop state-of-the-art technologies that can identify and monitor levee failures. The consequences of levee failure are huge and so Sat4Flood provides users with a much-needed product to help prevent the devastating impacts of levee failures.’’

Sea level rise, extreme weather such as hurricanes, storms and drought events around the world continue to cause levee failures. This can lead to critical flood defence failures resulting in tragic losses of life and the devastation of large areas. Sat4Flood service helps water safety organisations to prevent such failures by providing continuous and reliable monitoring of levees. The Sat4Flood service web portal provides information in a user-friendly way and potential levee hazard alerts are pushed to service users in order to proactively mitigate the risk.

ESA’s InCubed programme supported the development, validation and commercial viability of Sat4Flood. This included identifying key target customers, gathering their feedbacks on levee failures identification and visualisation to validate the product, up to engaging with three potential customers in a proof of concept validation. The proof of concept was a great success, the engaged customers received three months of fully operational service, to which they provided very useful feedback to further fine-tune the product.

Amanda Regan, Head of the Φ-lab Invest Office and InCubed Programme Manager, said: ‘’Sat4Flood provides water safety organisations with an invaluable product to monitor levee failures. The InCubed team have enjoyed working with Miramap, SkyGeo and 52impact to develop Sat4Flood and we wish them all the best in their commercial roll-out.’’

The Sat4Flood InCubed activity commenced in September 2019 and was successfully concluded during the final review in March 2021. A major finding of the activity was a clear confirmation of the benefits that satellite based systems like Sat4Flood can provide to users with customisable levee monitoring information.

To know more: Sat4Flood InCubed activity, Sat4Flood website, Sat4Flood video pitch

HubCAP kicked-off as a new InCubed activity

Posted on by nchimonides

HubCAP is a newly launched product developed by the Irish Icon Group with the support of ESA InCubed programme. This Open Source “Hands-Free Monitoring” platform for integration with existing workflows will answer the emerging needs from ELMS/CAP (environmental land management system/common agriculture policy), which represent a deep interest for the Icon Group.

HubCAP will be a highly flexible Application Platform for the agriculture and environmental sectors, based on Copernicus data and the SEN4CAP (Sentinels for Common Agriculture Policy) toolkit. It is developed by the Icon Group, a European leader in Earth imaging services and Ireland’s largest processor of imagery data.

The objective of this newly developed product is to align with a new paradigm in Land Cover and Use Determination using satellite imagery that has been enabled by the move from an artisanal process to an automated workflow-based provision of information. This will free up trained and capable technicians to provide analysis and information, rather than just simple image-based products, making the end user experience easier and more tailor-made.

The HubCAP service is conceived as three modules, each with a different starting point:

  1. IACS Module (integrated administration and control system)  – this will be the Paying Agency existing interface for CAP users, which they will customise to obtain HubCAP information
  2. EO Module – based upon results of other activities (SEN4CAP, DIAS (Data and Information Access Services))
  3. Bureau Module – based on a validated user concept and other activities (IACS)

The system is simple – because it includes a comprehensive API (Application Programming Interface) for monitoring via direct integration with existing administration systems, wide, verified, fully supported and very customer focused. It is wide thanks to an advanced dashboard for conducting bespoke ad-hoc local analyses, and it is verified since it offers and supports integrated ‘geo-photos’ and other forms of verification, where required.

Also, each classification ‘transaction’ is fully recorded and certified, showing the algorithm version and image sets used.

Elaine Doyle, Icon Group Product Manager said: “HubCAP is a robust and simple platform through which Government Agencies (especially CAP, non-CAP Paying Agencies and Environmental Agencies), and commercial users will be able to access the benefits of Sentinel data in a fully supported, legally recorded and compliant manner. We are very happy to count on ESA InCubed programme support to develop and commercialise it”.

Patrick Griffith, ESA Technical Officer, added: “The market of EO based CAP monitoring service capabilities is now really taking up pace. HubCAP comes with some innovative concepts and will lead to the enrichment and diversification of this key market for EO services.”

To know more: HubCAP Activity page, Icon Group, ESA InCubed programme

Living Planet Symposium 2022: time for abstracts

Posted on by gaiamaggi

ESA’s next Living Planet Symposium is set to take place on 23–27 May 2022 in Bonn, Germany. In gearing up for this prestigious event, it’s now time to submit abstracts to ensure a much sought-after slot to present topics such as the latest scientific findings on our planet, novel Earth observing technologies and new opportunities emerging in the rapidly changing sector of Earth observation.

The deadline for abstract submission is 26 November 2021.

The Living Planet Symposia bring together scientists and researchers from all over the world to present and discuss the latest findings on Earth science and advances in Earth observation technologies. Moreover, these extraordinary events also offer unique forums for decision-makers to be better equipped with information, for partnerships to be forged and formalised, for space industries to join the conversation, for students to learn, and for all to explore the concepts of New Space such as the digital transformation and commercialisation.

Read the full article on www.esa.int