The 1st anniversary of
ESA’s Business Incubation Centre in Portugal was commemorated in November 19 at the Pedro Nunes Institute with a presentation of results and startups supported so far, and a space cake, of course!
The Business Incubation Centre of the European Space Agency in Portugal (
ESA BIC Portugal), coordinated by Instituto Pedro Nunes, was released in late 2014, being one of the 13 current ESA incubators in Europe. Up today, ESA BIC Portugal has selected six startups (Active Aerogels, Airborne Projects, D-Orbit PT, Eye2Map, InanoE and Space Layer Technologies), and less than half a year, it has already reached the goals set for the first year.
In the five-year period - duration of the program - the
ESA BIC Portugal provides incubate 30 companies that will create about 240 new jobs and raise an expected capital ofg € 6.5 million. The ESA BIC Portugal is a direct investment in Portugal of € 1,950,000 (one million nine hundred and fifty thousand euros) in five years.
This program is led by the IPN and has poles in UPTEC and DNA Cascais agency. The ESA BIC Portugal has the support of the Portuguese Space Office (FCT / ANI) and other stakeholders, such as CCDRC, universities, municipalities and investors . In the anniversary, we had representative of the European Space Agency (ESA), Pedro Nunes (IPN), National Innovation Agency (ANI / Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Science and Technology Park, University of Porto (UPTEC ), DNA Cascais and Coordination Center and Regional Development Commission (CCDRC).