The Technology Transfer, Application & Innovation Workshop 2026 is open for applications
Are you a highly motivated university student in engineering, science, sociology, industrial design or business administration with a strong interest in technology and innovation? The ESA Education Office is looking for university students to participate in the fourth edition of ESA Academy’s Technology Transfer, Application & Innovation Workshop. Developed in close collaboration with the ESA Commercialisation Department, this workshop will be held at the ESA Academy’s Training & Learning Facility in ESEC-Galaxia, Transinne, Belgium, from 19 to 22 January 2026.
Technologies and satellite systems developed by the space industry play a vital role in improving our everyday lives on Earth. Satellite systems contribute widely to well-known areas such as communication, navigation and search and rescue. Nevertheless, space technologies can also serve other innovative purposes, such as health care improvement, multimodal transportation, water recovery, waste management, sports, risk management and many other downstream applications. The commercialisation of space technologies and their applications require people with creativity, vision and business acumen —skills this workshop is designed to foster.
Delivered by ESA specialists and external experts from start-ups and industry, the Technology Transfer, Application & Innovation Workshop will immerse participants in the near-infinite possibilities of technology transfer and application, highlighting their essential role in driving innovation. There are many exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to develop new products and services!
Throughout the workshop, students will learn about different disciplines within the field of Technology Transfer, Application & Innovation, including patenting, entrepreneurship, and business incubation. This course goes beyond theory and includes a hands-on experience. Students will work in teams to explore real ESA patents, brainstorm innovative application ideas, and build a business model around them. By the end of the week, they will step into the role of actual entrepreneurs and pitch their concepts.
Join us on this exciting journey where creativity meets innovation and take your first steps into the world of entrepreneurship!
Preliminary schedule
| Day 1 |
Introduction to ESA and the Commercialisation department Fundamentals on Patenting an Invention and Introduction to an ESA Invention Case Examples of Technology Transfers Dissecting an ESA Invention Group Project 1a: Technology Transfer: From Fiction to Reality |
| Day 2 |
Commercialisation of Technology and Data Beyond Space Group Project 1b: Practical Case Study - Refine your idea Funding sources: Public and private Group Project 2: From Patent to Application |
| Day 3 |
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Space Tech Start-Ups Tips for Pitching Group Project 3: From Application to Business Group Project 4a: Group Project Finalisation |
| Day 4 |
Visit of ESEC-Redu Group Project 4b: Group Project Finalisation Final presentations Group Project Wrap-up and Conclusion |
Who can apply?
For the fourth edition of this workshop, ESA invites business, engineering, science, sociology and industrial design students to work together on different group assignments and complement each other’s knowledge.
To participate, students must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
- Enrolled as a university student for the year 2025-2026 in a Bachelor (at least 3rd year), in a master (i.e., MSc or equivalent), or a doctoral (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) degree programme with a background in business, engineering, science, sociology or industrial design.
- Aged minimum 18 years old. ESA Academy and relevant partners will only appraise applications from students who have no or limited professional experience in relevant engineering, business or space-related topics.
- Citizen of an ESA Member State, Canada*, Latvia, Lithuania or Slovakia.
Selected students will be expected to attend the entire 4-day workshop at ESEC. They will be sponsored by ESA to cover accommodation and meals, as well as up to 350 Euros for travelling to Belgium.
ESA is committed to achieving diversity and creating an inclusive professional environment. To this end, we welcome proposals and applications from all eligible candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability, or other characteristics. The ESA Academy strongly encourages inclusiveness within its programmes and within participating teams, which contributes to the enrichment of our programme.
Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support, either digitally or at the location of the training. In case of any questions or specific needs, please reach out to academy.training@esa.int to get assistance or advice during the application process.
To enhance the learning experience, students will actively engage in a group project work throughout the week to apply their newly acquired knowledge. Upon successful completion, participants will be awarded a certificate of participation and a course transcript, enabling them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.
How to apply
- Fill in the application form via our platform;
- Upload a motivation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, no images);
- Upload a CV (PDF, Europass format, no images, maximum 2 pages);
- Upload a formal recommendation letter (PDF, maximum 1 page, including signature, no image) from a university professor or academic supervisor from your current university (if not possible to receive the recommendation letter from your reference, please ask them to send a recommendation email to academy.training@esa.int before the application deadline).
- Upload a copy of your Transcript of Grades from the two previous semesters, or, if not available, the previous graded academic year (PDF).
All answers and documents should be in English (Transcript of Grades can be submitted in language of hosting university, if unavailable in English).
*Canadian students enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary institution may apply for additional support from the Canadian Space Agency through this Announcement of Opportunity (grant applications should be submitted at least 7 weeks before the course delivery and account creation 3 weeks before the submission deadline – create an account soon!). This additional support is to cover costs that are not already covered by ESA for selected Canadian post-secondary students.
The deadline for applications is 16 November 2025 23:55 CET
For more information, please contact academy.training@esa.int.