Tallinn, Estonia, 8 November 2017 – The Copernicus Accelerator business coaching programme, supported by the European Commission, accelerates the market entry of innovative space applications and products submitted to the EO competition Copernicus Masters. This year’s Copernicus Accelerator Opening Bootcamp started the 12-month coaching provided to the 50 finalists of the 2017 Copernicus Masters. Hereby, 43 mentors contribute to a tailored business coaching service with expert support. Mentors and mentees will be able to determine the focus of the coaching that will be matched according to their needs and expertise. Each mentor will work with a maximum of two startups.
“I am pleased to welcome the 50 new participants in the second Copernicus Accelerator Programme by the European Commission. It is very encouraging to see a growing number of participants compared to last year”, declares Philippe Brunet, Director for Space Policy, Copernicus and Defence, DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs European Commission (EC). “With the Accelerator Programme we very much hope that we support the great ideas and the teams behind them in their further development for their own success, and also to the benefit of all.”
Simultaneously, the Copernicus Accelerator Closing Bootcamp for the 2016/2017 coaching programme took place. The agendas for both Bootcamps included presentations with insights in the potential of Copernicus applications, key note speeches from representatives of the European Commission (EC), European Space Agency (ESA) and the organisers AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen and SpaceTec Partners, professional trainings and coaching sessions on investor pitches, as well as networking opportunities to connect with the European EO community.
The Copernicus Accelerator Bootcamps were a 2-day event for almost 170 participants and took place during the European Space Week 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia – as part of the Satellite Masters Conference & Horizon 2020 Space Info Day.
EO and big data from Copernicus hold huge potential for the creation of cutting-edge products and services. Many industries and areas of public interest benefit from the progress of the Copernicus programme. In this year’s Copernicus Masters edition, prizes worth more than EUR 1.5 million were awarded in topic-specific challenges. The Copernicus Accelerator programme ensures customised business development support to the best finalists.
About Copernicus Masters
The Copernicus Masters, launched by AZO on behalf of ESA in 2011, is an international competition which awards prizes to innovative solutions for business and society based on Earth observation data, also improving the User Uptake of Copernicus services. Annually, different prize categories tackle global challenges with competition entries in the fields of deep learning including IoT, big data analytics, smart mobility and industry 4.0. The Copernicus Masters with its Copernicus Accelerator programme has developed into a driving force when it comes to promoting cutting-edge solutions. copernicus-masters.com
European Commission – DG GROWTH
The Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROWTH) is the European Commission service responsible for: Completing the Internal Market for goods and services, helping turn the EU into a smart, sustainable, and inclusive economy by implementing the industrial and sectorial policies of the flagship Europe 2020 initiative, fostering entrepreneurship and growth by reducing the administrative burden on small businesses, facilitating access to funding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and supporting access to global markets for EU companies. All of these actions are encapsulated in the Small Business Act, generating policy on the protection and enforcement of industrial property rights, coordinating the EU’s position and negotiations in the international intellectual property rights (IPR) system, and assisting innovators on using IP rights effectively, and implementing the EU’s space policy via its two large-scale satellite programmes Copernicus (for Earth observation) and Galileo (for global navigation), as well as research actions designed to spur technological innovation and economic growth. ec.europa.eu/growth/about-us/
About AZO
AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen is an international networking and branding company initiating the most important space-related innovation competitions with more than 15,000 participants, over 200 industrial & public – and 400 international stakeholders. The Masters Series, presented by AZO consists of the European Satellite Masters (ESNC), the Copernicus Masters, the Space Exploration Masters, and the INNOspace Masters. AZO has been supporting entrepreneurship with more than 130 company foundations to date and the creation of 1,800 high-tech jobs in Bavaria with an annual turnover of about EUR 150 Mio. Additionally, AZO runs a very successful business angel network which invested more than EUR 130 Mio Venture Capital in 2016/17 as well as the ESA Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) Bavaria. For more information, please visit www.space-of-innovation.com.
SpaceTec Partners
SpaceTec Partners is an independent strategy, management, and communications consulting group with offices in Munich and Brussels. Its broad array of services includes strategy and technology consulting, communication activities, and interdisciplinary project management, which it mainly provides to public in the space and space applications domain. SpaceTec Partners also offers business coaching to startups and SMEs, and is an accredited coach by leading early-stage funds like Hightech-Gründerfonds and BayernKapital. SpaceTec Partners is involved in Copernicus User Uptake and User Requirements gathering activities on behalf of the European Commission. www.spacetecpartners.eu
