Innovation

We have developed comprehensive expertise in organising international space competitions, including the world’s leading innovation competitions for space applications. We foster the development of innovative products and services in various high-tech domains such as:

Earth observation
Satellite navigation
New space Economy
Space Exploration

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Innovation

Networking

Promotion

Become a Partner!

By becoming a partner to one of our existing innovation competitions and setting up your own challenge, you will benefit from Innovation, Promotion and Networking:

Access to state-of-the-art innovation
Access to a unique innovation and expert network
Visibility at an international level
Exploitation of growth and jobs in your region

On behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), AZO is organising the EO Excellence Award since 2021. The EO Excellence Award aims to put the spotlight on scientific researchers and innovators that are pushing the boundaries of Earth Observation for addressing the challenges of our everchanging planet. The award further promotes an EO community that fosters international collaboration and outreach through its unique nomination process, where Nominators have the opportunity to support budding researchers in the early stages of their careers. Since its launch, the EO Excellence Award has received more than 40 nominations from 17 countries, covering a wide range of topics from EO data processing to demand-orientated solutions.

Next Stage to Space is to facilitate the European ecosystem for Space Transportation by providing a platform where startups and SMEs can pitch their value propositions to meet the promising fields of innovations identified by Large Space System Integrators.

Objectives & Achievements (2022 – 2024):

6 pilot technologies have been identified to provide innovative solutions for ArianeGroup and MTA’s needs.
50 SMEs and startups from the space and non-space industries have submitted solutions.
7 projects between LSIs and solution providers will be funded.

The ESA Payload Masters aims to promote and scout for innovative in-orbit experiments and novel technologies for payloads. The programme offers access to In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV).

Objectives & Achievements (2023):

30 in-orbit experiments were submitted as proposals by industrial and public institutions from the space and non-space industries.
2 slots were granted together with AZO and The Exploration Company for the first flight of the Nyx reusable spacecraft (October 2024).

Expired

Initiated by AZO and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as well as the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology, the Galileo Masters is today the leading network for Satellite Navigation. The Galileo Masters annually awards the best services, products, and business cases that use satellite navigation in everyday life, spurring the development of respective market-driven applications. Since 2004, more than 11,900 developers have participated, distributing an overall prize pool worth EUR 13 million to more than 350 winners and assigning 200 international judges with the evaluation of submissions.

With partners such as European GNSS Agency (GSA), the German Federal Ministry of Transport & Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), DLR, and the European Commission (EC), the competition is the leading innovation network for Satellite Navigation.

AZO launched the Copernicus Masters in 2011 on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) and with the strong support of world-class partners. The Copernicus Masters is an international innovation competition with the objective to drive Copernicus User Uptake of Earth observation (EO) data and thus respective business cases.

With partners such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission (EC), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Planet, BayWa AG, Astrosat, Airbus, and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), the Copernicus Masters awards prizes of over EUR 4.7 million to more than 3,700 participants and 110 winners with innovative solutions for business and society based on Earth observation data.

Expired

Between 2015 and 2023, AZO organized the INNOspace Masters on behalf of the German Space Agency at DLR. The INNOspace Masters seeks sustainable and efficient innovations for space and Earth. Innovators with new technological ideas, applications, or business models were invited to shape the next generation of space exploration. With partners such as Airbus, Mercedes-Benz, OHB, German ESA Business Incubation Centres and DB Netz AG, the INNOspace Masters has awarded EUR 8 million. Since 2015, 1,220 participants, including companies, startups, universities, research institutions, non-university research institutions, and individuals, from 26 European countries, have submitted more than 500 business and application ideas.

AZO co-organised the European Space Week 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia, and 2019 in Helsinki, Finland.

The European Space Week is the leading event for the European space programmes and brings together business, policy-makers, international experts and the space application user community.

With a mix of keynotes, panel discussions, networking opportunities, business matchmaking sessions and exhibitions, it provides the perfect setup for a productive exchange of ideas, future trends and current challenges.

As the highlight of each European Space Week, the innovation competitions Copernicus Masters and Galileo Masters announced their winners at a festive Awards Ceremony.

Expired

In 2017, AZO launched the Space Exploration Masters on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) and in line with the goals of the ESA Space Exploration Strategy.

The Space Exploration Masters was an international competition to identify the best technology transfer business successes, and to empower and foster business innovation around space exploration activities in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), on the Moon, Mars, or beyond – for the benefit of society and the Earth.

In cooperation with strong world-class partners such as ESA, Space Resources.lu, Astrosat, Airbus, Air Liquide, Merck and Hundsville Madison County Chamber, the competition awarded more than EUR 1.3 million to 14 winners in 2017 and 2018.

Innovation

Become a Partner!

AZO - Your partner in Innovation & Competition

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