The program's objective is to foster the growth of innovative startups that create products and services using space technologies or data, or that develop solutions for the space sector, thereby contributing to the promotion of Catalonia's aerospace sector. This initiative is part of the Catalunya Espai 2030 Strategy.
The financial contribution will promote the incubation of twenty startups over three years. €60,000 will be allocated to eighteen companies selected between 2026 and 2028, and another €60,000 for two companies selected in 2026. Participating companies will receive financial incentives (non-equity), mentoring, technical support, and legal and intellectual property advice.
ESA BIC Barcelona, located in the RDIT building of the UPC's Baix Llobregat Campus, is one of the 33 business incubation centers of the European Space Agency (ESA). This agreement continues the collaboration initiated in 2021 and formalized in December 2022.
Companies will also have the opportunity to be located in the area reserved for ESA BIC Barcelona within the PMT, on the Baix Llobregat Campus, which also houses the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) and PhiLab Spain.
ESA BIC Barcelona was the first European Space Agency incubator in Spain. In its initial phase, starting in 2014, it selected and incubated 27 companies. In 2022, the Generalitat, the UPC, and the PMT reactivated the program to boost entrepreneurship and innovation in space technologies.
