Over the last decade, space has been altering the way we live and work. From our cars’ navigation systems to the map on our mobile phones, the benefits of satellite technology are simplifying our everyday lives. With the steady and continuous growth of the European space sector, entrepreneurs, and European small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have shown a great interest in developing innovative technologies that could allow significant cost reductions and offer new products and services. It is not by chance that the downstream sector is not only the fastest growing area, but also brings the highest economic returns. As such, European entities are more and more interested in fueling and boosting space innovators with greater investment and more emphasis on space entrepreneurship opportunities powered by European funding and technological capabilities.

With the advancement of space downstream applications thanks to easy and instant access to space data and signals, businesses nowadays have more chances to develop new technologies and added value solutions. Though start-ups face some big challenges when looking to launch their products and services. A general lack of business knowledge and access to mentors and experts across the entrepreneurial value chain pose a series of important hurdles to overcome. European space entrepreneurs seeking funding, in particular for research and development (R&D), and product development, also frequently find themselves lost in the endless stream of information available inside the EU.

And this is where the EUSPA Space Academy comes into play!

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme, EUSPA, launched the EUSPA Space Academy, an online training programme providing a comprehensive curriculum and tailor-made support with an interactive and easy-to-use interface. The training is free and open to every interested entrepreneur.

The holistic curriculum covers seven topics necessary for a downstream start-up to succeed. These are: EU space data and signals, team and resources, customer and sales, product, business, finance, and legal matters. Each of these topics are supported by live sessions with renowned experts from academia or business, such as office hours, workshops, and mentoring sessions with designated trainers.

The EUSPA Space Academy is “the” opportunity of the year for entrepreneurs and start-ups seeking to unlock their potential and commercialise their ideas. EUSPA aims to foster the development of an innovative and competitive European space sector and this programme is a concrete example of an innovative answer to the business challenges of today’s era.

You can find more information on the official website of the EUSPA Space Academy: https://www.euspa.europa.eu/spaceacademy/