Recently Munich Startup – a platform connecting the Munich startup community – paid a visit to AZO and portrayed the company and its incubator ESA BIC Bavaria in the series “Nachgefragt bei…” of Munich Startup.
AZO has specialised inscouting and promoting space-related innovations. Founded in 2004 as an incubator the spin-off of the German Aerospace Center DLR has since supported young companies to establish their business ideas in the market. Stefanie Herrmann, CFO of AZO, explains how AZO’s various activities are helping startups to develop their business along the entire value chain.
Speaking about the market for space-based innovation, the first question that arises: are there many business ideas with a space relation? Much more one might think, Herrmann states. The target group is not as tight as it seems upon first look, the industries are very diverse.
“There are many examples, such as a service that includes the use of satellite images or signals. Or materials from the aerospace industry are integrated into a product. We are talking about a robot gripping arm or a software that was originally developed in space research and is now to be used in the automotive industry.” explains Herrmann.
Check out the full portrait allowing an overview of the business portfolio of AZO and the variety of projects supporting startups at all stages.
ESA Business Incubation Centre Bavaria
The ESA BIC Bavaria seeks entrepreneurs using space technologies in a non-space environment. That does not mean rocket science, but applies to multiple application fields such as navigation and positioning, communications techniques, Earth observation, materials, processes, signals or robotics.
ESA’s Business Incubation Centre Bavaria was launched in 2009 and is since managed by Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO). ESA BIC Bavaria and its renowned partners – DLR, Airbus Defense and Space, Fraunhofer IIS and Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Berchtesgadener Land – provide startups with financial and technical support at four branch offices: Oberpfaffenhofen, Ottobrunn, Nürnberg and Berchtesgadener Land.
ESA BIC Bavaria has four selection rounds each year. The next application deadline for the incubation programme is 01 March 2017. Apply now for ESA BIC Bavaria
