Generating new sOlutions 2 and from Space through effective local start-up HUBs

Project Information

Go2Space-HUBs

Grant agreement ID: 870370

DOI

10.3030/870370

Project closed

EC signature date 8 November 2019

Start date 1 December 2019

End date 30 November 2021

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Space

Total cost

€ 1 106 626,25

EU contribution

€ 1 106 626,25

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD CARLOS III DE MADRID
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Go2Space-HUBs (Generating new sOlutions 2 and from Space through effective local start-up HUBs)

Reporting period: 2019-12-01 to 2021-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The objective of the EU-funded Go2Space-HUBs project was to secure the creation and up-scaling of European businesses, offering technology and services in and from the space sector, ensuring value creation and innovation through cross-fertilisation, training, and locally owned and driven networks and initiatives that connect effectively with existing EU initiatives.

The 6 consortium partners (EU, TECPAR, TEHNOPOL, IPN, MAC coordinated by UC3M) from 5 different countries (Belgium, Poland, Estonia, Portugal and Spain), together with the 2 third parties involved (CREOTECH and TECH TOUR), representing key players in the local and regional startup ecosystem, have joined efforts in order to address the above-mentioned specific challenge.

This was achieved through the creation of 3 new Space hubs in Coimbra, Madrid and Tallinn strengthening local entrepreneurship/business ecosystems & networks. The HUBs have extensive experience in providing support to start-ups and have been supported by entities that are experts on investor readiness & access to finance services, technology transfer, in addition to an aerospace cluster representing SMEs from all the relevant space-segments.

The project included a range of new local initiatives for entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale ups and SMEs, building bridges to EU activities and was designed to secure the creation of new start-ups & to help start-ups and scale-ups grow. 369 SMEs and corporates participated in:
• Incubation of 20 entrepreneurs/early stage start-ups
• Acceleration of 23 established start-ups/scale-up
• 3 Demo-Days to present their solutions to Investors and partners
• 3 Innovations Days
• 4 B2B events to facilitate spinning-in/-out
• 3 Space Hackathons
• 7 Joint-applications to the Copernicus incubator
• An “Up-scaling engine” to help a range of local scale-ups and SMEs secure more efficient growth, introduction to existing space recourses including a large number of B2B coaching sesions and webinars.
• Identifications of barriers to investments in space
• Targeted training on access to private and public finance with the organisation of Venture Academies & Final Investment & Partnering event with participants from all the 3 HUBs.
• 4 webinars and 1 Hackathon on DIAS Environments

Go2Space-HUBs was the 2021 UIIC Award Winner in the category of Outstanding Practitioner amongst other European best practices and UC3M, project coordinator entity, received during Project execution the ACEEU's accreditation in Entrepreneurship and Engagement becoming the first European university and the second institution in the world to achieve this accreditation.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The results and outputs of this project included strengthened local and intra-community entrepreneurship- and business networks, that has helped to strengthen the entrepreneurship and business ecosystems and will perdure beyond the project. Other results included new knowledge and skills for the consortium partners, that have enabled them offer effective supporting and coordination actions. Furthermore, important results include training and educational material that can be used by the consortium partners and third collaborative parties in other activities they offer to support entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs.

The list of the results for exploitation can be summarised as follows:
• New entrepreneurship- and business networks created locally and intra-community
• Educational material on the DIAS environment including best practice examples
• Webinars on the DIAS Environment
• New knowledge and skills about organization of Hackathon
• Deeper knowledge and skills about organization of space Incubators.
• New knowledge and skills about organization of Accelerators.
• New knowledge and skills about cross-fertilization and technology transfer.
• Prototypes and patent applications.
• Training material and webinar on the SME instrument (EIC Accelerator).
• Training material on capturing private finance (pitching; pitch deck).
• Informative presentation and brochure on opportunities for investors in and from the space sector.
• Preliminary findings on barriers, needs and facilitating factors for access to finance for space start-ups.
• A pool of certified mentors.

In terms of exploitation of the project results, Go2Space-HUBs project will facilitate growth and cross-fertilization beyond the project duration through collaboration with entrepreneurial and sectorial platforms. The 3 Hubs will continue to support entrepreneurs and startups within the framework of various incubation and acceleration programs that are ongoing and supported by other European projects, using the Go2Space e-learning system expertise, and sharing all the material developed: all the educational material are available on the project’s website which will be mantained for updated information.

Go2Space-HUBs has contributed 100% to the gender equality objectives set up in the Incubation and Acceleration Programs, in the innovation events and in the investment activities.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Go2Space-HUBs results and impacts have been the following:

• Create three new Space Hubs at local level in Madrid, Tallinn and Coimbra, tailored to regional needs. Contribute to reinforce their local entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems by means of international collaboration.
• Foster entrepreneurship opportunities in and from the space upstream and downstream sectors amongst entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs, including actors not traditionally involved in the space sector.
• Facilitate knowledge and technology transfer between the space and non-space sectors through the organization of 4 B2B brokerage and matchmaking events and through providing targeted training on existing space programs and resources, like the DIAS environments to business and trainers.
• Incubate Space HUB Coimbra and Tallinn (IPN and Tehnopol) in total incubated 20 entrepreneurs and/or early stage start-ups that offer services to or from the space upstream and downstream sectors.
• Facilitate the creation of 5 new start-ups per Space Hub in the space upstream and downstream sectors or that utilize resources from the space sector to offer services or products to non-space sectors.
• Space HUB Madrid (UC3M) in total accelerated 23 established start-ups and/or scale-ups that offer services to or from the space upstream and downstream sectors (includes spinning-in/-out: i.e. application of marine, atmosphere and terrestrial solutions to challenges in space and vice versa).
• Facilitate the scaling-up of European Start-ups and SMEs through a large number of B2B coaching sessions, reducing existing barriers for growth, building bridges between local initiatives and existing European instruments and supporting cross-fertilization between the space sector and the non-space sectors (improve the understanding of the different financing options, facilitate access to finance for those who are investor ready and providing capacity building on market growth).
• Reduce barriers to finance from private and public sources through targeted training for Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs on how to capture public and private finance.
• Contribute to the diffussion and use of DIAS Environment through training and awareness on the available data, information, resources and tools and embraced best practices from these environments, as an enabling element in support of the development and scaling-up of start-ups.

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