More than 400 start-up companies have been supported by ESA Business Incubation Centres since the first started in 2003 at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.

Today, there are centres in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, UK, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland. More will open in other European countries.

The incubation centres are part of the ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO).

The centres support selected entrepreneurs with comprehensive commercial and technical assistance to help them start up businesses that use space technology in non-space industrial, scientific and commercial fields.

A number of entrepreneurs from the start-up companies have introduced their businesses in dedicated videos, see links on right navigation bar.

ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office

The main mission of the TTPO is to facilitate the use of space technology and space systems for non-space applications and to demonstrate the benefit of the European space programme to European citizens. The office is responsible for defining the overall approach and strategy for the transfer of space technologies, including the incubation of start-up companies and their funding.

For more information, please contact:

ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office
European Space Agency
Keplerlaan 1
2200 AG, Noordwijk ZH
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 71 565 6208
Fax: +31 71 565 663
Email: ttp@esa.int