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The ESA Φ-lab Newsletter #8 | March 2023

FOCUS ON INCUBED INVEST ACTIONS

Dear Φ-lab community,

As we’ve reported previously, the ESA InCubed programme was successfully renewed by Member States at CM22, and InCubed’s mission continues to be to strengthen the global competitiveness of European commercial Earth observation (EO). Based on the lessons learned since InCubed’s inception, a number of Invest Actions have been conceived (open to Participating States on an optional basis) in order to support this central mission.

One of the most potent of these will be the EO Maker Space. Consisting of a wide range of small, rapid activities aimed at closing specific market gaps, EO Maker Space will deliver proofs of concept that target market needs and exploit innovative assets and technologies such as artificial intelligence, new computing paradigms and non-fungible tokens. The activities will be carried out by industry, research centres and the like, and will be overseen by an activities coordinator (the Local Partner) in collaboration with InCubed. In adopting this agile, multi-player approach, the EO Maker Space Invest Action seeks to reinforce the link between emerging trends and the EO commercial ecosystem.

Other exploratory activities will be covered by the InCubed Industrial Fellowship invest action, which will facilitate commercially focused, innovative research topics, leading to the co-funding of industrial PhDs and post-docs. Support to prospective and current InCubed companies will be provided both by InCubed ambassadors and through business coaching from venture capitalists, market builders and industry experts.

With such a broad-based game plan, these new Invest Actions will make a significant contribution to nurturing and reinforcing the unique competitive advantage of the European EO sector.

The Φ-lab team

INCUBED SUCCESS STORIES

All good things must come to an end, and the innovative product/service development activities that InCubed supports are no exception. But as shown here with these three examples of initiatives that have recently passed their final reviews, the end of InCubed support is the beginning of a new chapter for the companies involved, as each enters their respective market with valuable differentiators.

SpaceKnow: GEMSTONE (Czech Republic)

GEMSTONE provides companies and institutions with key insights on industry and supply-chain performance, based on indices computed through Machine Learning (ML) analysis of satellite imagery. SpaceKnow, the platform’s developer, is currently in discussions with potential new customers for the product after having secured a contract with a key industry player.

RSS-Hydro: FloodSENS (Luxembourg)

RSS-Hydro has developed FloodSENS, an ML-based flood mapping application that integrates EO datasets and derivative data from digital elevation models. The company is now implementing its go-to-market strategy in sectors such as insurance/reinsurance and development agencies, and has a proposal in progress for further ESA funding for a related application.

NEO: SINERGI (Netherlands)

SINERGI is a service that improves the reliability of data by combining EO-derived change detection with crowd-sourced data and publicly available information. After piloting with customers in the fields of building-related information and invasive plant species in waterways, SINERGI is now forging ahead with initial contracts and cooperation agreements.

QC4EO STUDY PROJECTS KICK OFF

Φ-lab has recently kicked-off two Quantum Computing for EO studies, led respectively by DLR and FZJ, to look at EO use cases where quantum computing promises to dramatically enhance computational performance with respect to traditional methods in the medium to long term. The two studies will be completed by September this year with a final round-up meeting.

LAUNCH OF THE OrbitalAI CHALLENGE

22 February - The OrbitalAI Challenge gives participants the chance to explore the cutting-edge possibilities of in-orbit data processing and its potential to drive progress in Earth’s sustainability, business, industry and science. The competition has two tracks, with one based on ESA’s Φ-sat-2 mission and the other on a smart imaging system that will be installed externally on the International Space Station in collaboration with Thales and Microsoft. The winning teams will have their code uploaded in space in one of the two systems, and other prizes include research invitations, computation vouchers, premium data access and limited-edition branded goodies.

ESA-WMF AI4EO CALL

27 March - ESA Φ-lab and We Make Future (see Upcoming Events section below) have got together to launch the AI4EO call. The initiative is aimed at supporting applications of AI in Earth observation and aerospace, with a focus on highlighting the importance of these sectors for economic and cultural development and the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. The finalists will benefit from both invitations to the EO Commercialisation Forum (also listed in Upcoming Events) and access to expert coaching, together with networking opportunities at WMF. The deadline for submissions is 5 May.

AI for Sustainable Development Goals initiative yields user-focused solutions to enhance food security

The Φ-lab and World Food Programme EO & AI for SDGs call sought commercial EO and AI-based remedies to global hunger issues. Four finalists were then supported in developing their solutions.

Φ-lab and UNICEF joint dengue fever research receives further award

A Φ-lab-UNICEF project on dengue outbreak prediction has been recognised in UNICEF's annual research awards. The foundation laid by Φ-lab’s research has now attracted funding for the crucial next phase, developing an end-user application for predicting dengue outbreaks. The Wellcome Trust has granted over €600 000 to the University of California San Diego, New Light Technologies Inc. and UNICEF to produce the tool, initially for Latin America and then potentially expanded to other regions and diseases.

ESA Φ-labbers share stories about their activities with us

A new video provides a chance to meet researchers and business innovators from ESA Φ-lab and get an overview of their stimulating working environment.

EGU GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2023

23-28 April - The General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will be held at the Austria Center Vienna. Φ-labber Rochelle Schneider dos Santos will chair a session on Digital Twins of the Earth, alongside representatives from NASA, ECMWF and CNES.

EARTH SYSTEM PREDICTABILITY FORUM ON AI AND EO

8-10 May - The ESP Forum on AI and EO has been set up to discuss how the intersection of these two disciplines can create new opportunities for ESA EO activities and assets. The virtual event is organised by ESA Φ-lab together with Oxford University and Trillium.

WE MAKE FUTURE 2023

15-17 June - We Make Future is an all-encompassing annual event on digital, technological and social innovation. Held at the Rimini Expo Centre in Italy, the gathering will include speakers, exhibitions, a B2B meeting area and a start-up competition. Φ-lab will be there with its own stand full of exhibits, and Pierre Philippe Mathieu will be giving a speech – come and pay us a visit if you're attending.

EO COMMERCIALISATION FORUM

The ESA Earth Observation Programme Directorate is organising the 1st Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum event to bring together leading stakeholders of the fast-growing EO commercial space sector. The event will include keynote speeches, panel discussions and networking opportunities, giving attendees the chance to engage with institutions, industry leaders, senior executives, start-ups, private and public investors and entrepreneurs, and also to connect with potential partners. The location and dates will be announced soon – see philab.esa.int/CommEO for updates.