Sixth Telespazio Technology Contest (#T-TeC) presented at the IAC

17 October 2024 13:30

  • The competition promoted by Leonardo and Telespazio is open to students, researchers and PhD students in universities all over the world
  • Also for this edition, the #T-TeC will act as an enabler for the incubation and acceleration of start-ups thanks to partnerships with Seraphim and CESAH

Promoting innovation in space, transforming brilliant ideas into successful start-ups and inspiring the next generation of STEM talents: the Telespazio Technology Contest (#T-TeC) is an open innovation competition promoted by Leonardo and Telespazio, presented during the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) today in Milan.

Now in its sixth edition, the #T-TeC invites students, PhD students and young researchers from universities around the world to present innovative solutions in a variety of sectors of space, from Geoinformation to in-orbit services, from space exploration to protection against "space junk".

During the event, led by Telespazio's Chief Technology Innovation Officer Marco Brancati, the following speakers participated: Erasmo Carrera, President of AIDAA; Antonino Salmeri, Co-Chair of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC); Anthea Comellini, engineer at Thales Alenia Space and Member of the European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Reserve; Massimo Claudio Comparini, Managing Director of Leonardo's Space Business Unit; and Gabriele Pieralli, CEO of Telespazio.

Following up on the success of the 2022 and 2023 editions – which saw the participation of over 40 teams of students and researchers from 40 different universities around the world – this year’s #T-TeC once again aims to be a real enabler for the incubation and acceleration of start-ups, supporting the growth and development of ideas from the initial stages of a project to their maturation.

For this reason, in addition to the cash prizes reserved for the top ranking Idea (five thousand euros) and the first three Prototypes (ten thousand, six thousand and four thousand euros respectively), a team presenting a Prototype proposal ready for transformation into a real offer on the market and at the same time wishing to establish a start-up, will be selected to access an acceleration path with Seraphim Space, an investment fund specialising in the space industry that has supported over 100 companies around the world since 2017.

In addition, up to three proposals in the Prototype category will be offered access to a six-month incubation path with CESAH GmbH, a German consortium whose shareholders include the Federal State of Hesse and Telespazio Germany. Telespazio and CESAH, thanks also to CESAH’s work for ESA's Business Incubation Centre in the Hesse region, have set up a partnership supporting the creation and development of entrepreneurial projects of great scientific and technological value by young teams of researchers. Their common goal is boosting the development of the space economy and related segments of the market.

Finally, the contest organisers will also consider the possibility of supporting, with Leonardo’s help, the creation of a Proof of Concept (PoC) to test one of the proposals directly in the laboratory.

#T-TeC participants can choose to present their ideas and projects in one of seven macro-themes related to sustainability in Space and on Earth:

  • Space Exploration and Extra-terrestrial Exploitation;

  • In-Orbit Servicing Towards a Circular Economy in Space;

  • Sustainable Solutions for the Solar System through Digital Twins;

  • Space Domain Awareness for the Protection of Space and Ground Infrastructures;

  • Emerging Space-based Connectivity Solutions;

  • Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Solutions for Earth and other celestial bodies;

  • Innovative Electro-Optical Technologies and Solutions for Remote Sensing.

The sixth edition of #T-TeC officially closes on December 8, 2024, the deadline for submitting proposals. In the following weeks, the jury will examine the projects and choose the winners, presenting the awards in January 2025 in Brussels, during the seventeenth edition of the European Space Conference.

The 2024 edition of the Telespazio Technology Contest can also count on prestigious sponsorships. In addition to the longstanding support of AIDAA, SGAC, CEAS, and other space agencies, the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) have joined since 2023.

Gabriele Pieralli, CEO of Telespazio