Seventh round of the INNOspace Masters competition launches with a new theme – “Sustainable and efficient innovations for space and the Earth” and Mercedes-Benz as a new industrial partner
Since last week, visionary teams and individuals from industry, research and universities once again have the chance to become part of the INNOspace Masters success story. For the seventh time now, the competition is looking for outstanding transfer-based project ideas at different stages of maturity – from application-oriented fundamental research to market-ready solutions. These can be spin-in ideas (into space from other industries) or approaches that add value in terrestrial industries by using space applications (spin-off). Renowned partners award prizes in five themed challenges. The winners of each challenge will receive tailored prizes worth up to EUR 400,000 per winner to enable them to implement their ideas in the best possible way, as well as gaining access to a network of internationally renowned experts. The entry period runs until 4 February 2022.
By linking space with terrestrial industries, the INNOspace Masters competition has been successfully initiating transfer-based technological developments, innovative services and company start-ups since 2015, thus laying the foundations for future innovations. Integrated into an international network, the competition tracks down new business ideas and trends each year. In the last six years, prizes have already been awarded to a total of 72 winners, who were selected from over 500 innovative business ideas from over 1220 participants from 26 countries. This not only promotes the transfer of technology between space and other industrial sectors, but also strengthens the New Space Economy in Germany and Europe.
“We are delighted that the INNOspace Masters has developed over the years to become a driving innovative force for the European New Space Economy. We are convinced that, with this year’s thematic orientation of the INNOspace Masters, focused fully on sustainable and efficient innovations for space and Earth, we can once again help many visionary researchers and companies to implement their creative solutions,” explains Dr. Franziska Zeitler, Head of the Innovation & New Markets department at the German Space Agency in the DLR.
The competition is aimed at companies, start-ups, universities and non-university research institutions, as well as consortia and individuals whose projects transfer expertise and technologies from other sectors into space (spin-in) and vice versa (spin-off). Innovators with new technological ideas, applications or business models with a focus on “Sustainable and efficient innovations for space and Earth” are invited to help shape the next generation of space. This year, prizes will once again be awarded by renowned partners in themed challenges, such as: sustainable, safe and efficient energy supply, digital sustainability, hydrogen technologies, resource-conserving approaches, Earth observation and environmental monitoring, mobility, 5G connectivity, commercialisation of space and cost reduction. This contest is hosted by the German Space Agency in the DLR, the ESA Business Incubation Centres in Germany, Airbus, OHB and, for the first time, also by Mercedes-Benz AG.
“We are proud to be able to welcome the pioneer in the automotive industry, Mercedes-Benz AG, as a new industrial partner to the INNOspace Masters and are looking forward to our exciting work together to achieve a more sustainable future. Mercedes-Benz AG’s participation in the INNOspace Masters is a powerful statement that shows the wider business interest in the New Space Economy and the ideas of innovators,” explains Thorsten Rudolph, CEO of AZO.
The winners of the individual competition categories and the main winner will be announced during the annual INNOspace Masters Conference and Award Ceremony in Berlin in July 2022.
About the INNOspace Masters
The INNOspace Masters is organised by the German Space Agency (RFM) in the DLR, embedded in the INNOspace® initiative. AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen, an international networking company for innovation competitions relating to aerospace, has been hosting the INNOspace Masters on behalf of the DLR RFA since 2015. The competition partners are Airbus, OHB, Mercedes-Benz AG and the German ESA Business Incubation Centres. With more than 50% of the entries from non-space industries, the INNOspace Masters confirms the growing importance of space in various branches of industry. More information and winning ideas from recent years can be found at www.innospace-masters.de.
About AZO
AZO – Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen is an international networking and branding company for the European space programmes with a focus on promoting innovation and entrepreneurship and supporting customers with innovation consulting, management and business consulting, and market development.
In the last 15 years, AZO has established the leading European space cluster innovation network for the satellite downstream market, as well as providing the necessary marketing and advertising platform, incubation and expert network, and regional funding programmes with the aim of increasing the acceptance of business cases.
AZO organises its “Innovation Masters Series”, the most important space-related innovation competitions: Galileo Masters, Copernicus Masters, INNOspace Masters, as well as other projects in close collaboration with the European Commission (EC), the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the German Space Agency in the DLR, and a range of other major industrial partners such as Airbus, OHB, Planet, BayWa, Merck, DHL, SAP, T-Systems, CGI, and many others.
In addition, AZO manages the ESA Business Incubation Centres (BICs) Bavaria and Northern Germany. This incubation programme has supported more than 190 start-ups in Germany to date. AZO is also involved in crowd-investing and venture capital and offers business coaching for start-ups and SMEs.
For more information: www.azo-space.com.
