This is an edited repost of the Deltares news item; view original here

Validation projects in water technology

This NEW-TTT challenge supports short, focused validation activities that strengthen the technical foundation, feasibility and market readiness of promising water technology innovations. Projects are carried out in collaboration with the unique facilities and expertise of Deltares, Wetsus and the University of Groningen.

Validation projects help innovators take the step from early-stage research to real market application. They do so by providing access to specialised testing facilities and by supporting the further development of technologies at TRL levels 3–5. In addition, they play a key role in demonstrating feasibility and building the necessary evidence base. At the same time, these projects prepare teams for next steps in business development or for attracting early-stage funding.

Who can take part in the challenge?

Early-stage Dutch startups or spin-offs affiliated with research institutions that do not yet have significant commercial turnover, and researchers or PhD students with a technology in the field of water treatment, monitoring, modelling, raw material recovery or related enabling technologies.

The maximum project duration is 6 months. Applications can be submitted until 31 October 2026. Visit the Deltares website for the full terms and conditions, assessment criteria and application procedure.

This is edited from the original news item published on the Deltares website.

Deltares is a community partner of SBIC Noordwijk; discover more here

Discover startups from ESA BIC Noordwijk with a water-related focus!

Water themed post: ESA BIC Open Call: Earth observation applications using satellite data to protect water and oceans

The post Accelerate your water technology towards real-world application (deadline: 31 Oct) appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Do you have a space business idea? Download the ESA BIC application documents to share your proposal >>

Unlocking the positive impact of space data

Satellites orbiting Earth collect vast quantities of data about oceans, weather patterns, soil moisture, ship movements and environmental change. For entrepreneurs and innovators, this stream of space-derived information represents an untapped opportunity. The next generation of tech startups can use satellite data to build tools that solve real problems on Earth – from protecting marine ecosystems to improving water management and strengthening global supply chains.

One particularly promising area is water and ocean monitoring. Satellite imagery and radar sensors can track ocean temperatures, algal blooms, sediment movement and coastal changes in near real time. A startup could combine satellite observations with artificial intelligence (AI) models to create early warning systems for harmful algal blooms that threaten fisheries and drinking water. Such platforms could alert local governments, aquaculture farms and water utilities before contamination spreads, helping protect both public health and coastal economies.

Maritime and aquatic solutions

The maritime sector is another area where satellite data has already proven valuable – and where further innovation is possible. Satellites can detect vessel movements using automatic identification system (AIS) signals and radar imagery. Startups could develop analytics platforms that identify suspicious patterns linked to illegal fishing, smuggling or unreported shipping activity. Governments, insurers and conservation groups could use these insights to enforce regulations, reduce risk and promote sustainable ocean use.

Satellite technology can also transform freshwater management. By monitoring rainfall, soil moisture, groundwater indicators and reservoir levels, satellites provide a global view of water availability. A startup might build a predictive platform that helps cities anticipate droughts or optimise reservoir usage. By using such solutions, farmers would benefit from satellite-driven irrigation recommendations that reduce water waste while improving crop yields.

Beyond water and maritime applications, satellite data can support climate risk modeling for insurers, monitor deforestation and biodiversity loss, track infrastructure development or assess landscape changes after flooding. As open datasets become more widely available, the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs are lower than ever.

Get inspiration from market trends and use cases of using space infrastructurein the non-space ecosystem >>

Answer the challenge and develop your space business idea

The key opportunity is translating raw space data into practical insights. Startups that combine satellite information with machine learning and local sensor networks, while user-friendly software can create powerful decision-making tools. By turning data from space into solutions on Earth, innovators have the chance not only to build successful companies, but also to protect ecosystems, manage resources more sustainably and improve life for communities around the world.

Do you have an idea utilising EU satellite data to meet the following challenges? Apply by 19 April to join the Dutch heat of the CASSINI Hackathon with its theme Space for Water:

• Disaster risk monitoring: Develop tools that support flood monitoring and early warning systems.
• Tracking and preventing water pollution: Explore how Earth observation can detect and monitor environmental impacts
• Securing equitable and efficient access to water: Use satellite data to monitor water availability and support resource management

Or develop your idea into a successful business with the support of ESA BIC Noordwijk, just as the below companies have done in recent years. Apply by the next selection deadline.

ESA BIC startups utilising space data for aquatic applications

Here, we highlight a number of ESA BIC startups’ solutions that leverage the latest satellite data sources and advanced forecasting models.

• MARMORIS

Marmoris is supporting life below water from space

Space link:
Marmoris uses space technology to make coral reef restoration and conservation efforts easier, faster and cheaper. Helping to give coral reefs across the globe a chance of survival, the startup makes use of remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and AI to help stakeholders involved in coastal ecosystem conservation make data-driven decisions to increase the effectiveness of their work and lower the costs. These technologies can particularly be highly valuable to scaling up coral conservation and restoration efforts. Read incubation interview

• REEF SUPPORT

Empowering marine biodiversity with space data

Space link:
Reef Support is focused on helping marine biologists in their task of researching and improving the health of coral reefs by using satellite data and AI. With a small team and a fast pace, the startup uses efficient tools to deploy and train their AI and machine learning (ML) models for its solutions portfolio. Working with engineers, scientists and conservation partners focused on coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves, the startup pairs data with digital tools and community programmes to support monitoring and restoration work. Read about the startup

• 2C DEGREES

2C Degrees navigates water scarcity with satellite precision

Space link:
2C Degrees primarily utilises Sentinel satellite imagery made available by the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as other satellite data and remote sensing. The accessibility to satellite data facilitates the startup’s solution to provide foresight for slow-moving water crises. Via its platform, data is extracted from satellite images to make predictions about (surface) water bodies, such as rivers, to provide insights about whether they will expand or shrink over time. During the period of incubation at ESA BIC, 2C Degrees collaborated with such organisations as Macomi and Partners for Water, among others. Read incubation interview

Apply by the next ESA BIC selection deadline

If you are interested to apply to ESA BIC, make sure you can explain your business idea’s space connection in the application process and emphasise your validated space link. Will the space asset of your innovation by downstream, technology transfer or upstream? In some cases, it can be evident what the space link is, especially for those entrepreneurs concentrating on upstream technologies or offering technology transfer innovations. However, for anyone building a business accessing everything that satellites are capable of achieving and looking to use space assets or resources for the development of downstream terrestrial applications, then just stating you will be “using Earth observation data” or “using satellite navigation” just doesn’t cut it. Discover more here.

APPLY TO ESA BIC NOORDWIJK
You can apply to the Dutch business incubation programme of the European Space Agency, ESA BIC Noordwijk, if you are an entrepreneur or startup. The programme gives you the best chance of developing your space business idea via a well-established network and community in the heart of the Dutch space industry. You need to be resident in the Netherlands, with a company that is not yet founded or not older than 5 years. Then, the rest is up to you. Share your business proposal in the next application round and you could be joining our space community soon. Follow the pre-steps before submitting your application by one of the two selection deadlines per year. esa-bic.nl

Prepare your space business idea for lift off!

Discover everything you need to know about the ESA BIC Noordwijk programme.

See also:

• ESA BIC Open Call: What startups applying for incubation can expect
• Inside the ESA BIC community: What we expect from our startups and why

The post ESA BIC Open Call: Earth observation applications using satellite data to protect water and oceans appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Do you have a space business idea? Let’discuss your idea before the application deadline >>

For over 20 years, ESA BICs have been providing entrepreneurs with equity-free funding, access to world-class technical expertise, including ESA experts and national technology institutes, as well as tailored business support. The network has delivered significant socioeconomic benefits, solidifying Europe’s position as a global leader in space-related innovation. The unique ESA-supported incubation programme assists startups working with downstream applications, technology transfer cases and upstream technologies. Though, when ESA BIC Noordwijk was established, the startups supported initially focused on technology transfer innovations and, recently, we have seen an increasing trend towards such space assets.

Development of space assets

The uniqueness of ESA BIC Noordwijk’s comparatively high number of startups working on technology transfer innovations (when compared to the other ESA BICs) can be explained by its origins. Niels Eldering, head of ESA’s Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation in the Commercialisation Services Department, has been there since the beginning of ESA BIC and recently commented about its origins: “Around the turn of the century, you saw more and more startups popping up in Europe. ESA had had a knowledge transfer programme for years, but that was focused on mature companies that wanted to bring technology from space to the market.” The switch was then made to create a startup programme. “The idea was to set up an incubator that would select promising startups with different application ideas from the space industry. And then support them with business and technical knowledge. ESA was eager to try that itself. Thus was born ESA BIC Noordwijk in 2004.”

“Startups are the pioneers of the economy. They are often just a little ahead of the rest of the market because they foresee major trends and developments. In the 20 years of the ESA BIC network’s existence, there have been three major developments,” Niels explains. “The first generation of startups brought hardware from space to other sectors, such as healthcare and logistics. The second generation saw the great promise of European satellite programmes like Galileo and Copernicus. Even before the satellites were launched, they paved the way for commercial-use scenarios. They started working on satellite applications for our society. There is also the generation focuses on NewSpace: they build rockets, satellites or components for a rapidly growing, international space economy.”

While, lately, the majority of startups supported at ESA BIC Noordwijk use satellite data for the development of downstream terrestrial applications – which is evident across the network (see visual summing the status as of 2025 Q3) – the trend for technology transfer innovations appear to be once again on the increase, if the current incubatees are anything to go by (over 50% currently are developing innovations based on technology transfer).

Technology transfer trend

The invaluable proximity to cutting-edge space research that is afforded to the startups at ESA BIC Noordwijk is always a positive influence on the focus of the entrepreneurs. The technology transfer innovations are utilised to bring space tech down to Earth and, over the years, have successfully provided solutions via the hardware, software, knowledge/processes or intellectual property (IP) first used for space applications. If you are interest to investigate the catalogue of patents for your own space business idea, your first step could be to take a look at ESA’s Space IP or the ESA Commercialisation Gateway website to discover technology transfer applications and businesses using space technologies.

From ESA BIC Noordwijk’s alumni portfolio, the earliest technology transfer innovation first started out under ESA’s incubation programme in 2005 with the development of Bradford Space’s ozonizer. More recently, there have been successful innovations from Skytree (graduated in 2012) for direct air capture, HDES (graduated in 2021) for cool gas generators (now being developed by its spin-off Solidflow) and NeoStove (graduated in 2022) for its space-inspired pan (now being produced under the company name Effium). Jump forward a few years and out of all the current ESA BIC incubated startups, over half of them are focusing on technology transfer solutions.

Current ESA BIC incubatees inspired by & repurposing space tech

Here, we highlight the current incubatees that have all transfered space tech knowledge into their entrepreneurial ventues.

• GRAVITY GARDENS

Gravity Gardens innovates methodologies for efficient agricultural solutions

Space link:
Gravity Gardens is developing a novel, space-inspired agricultural technology that increases crop yields using minimal land. The focus is on scalability and simple integration to the current supply chain model. This technology leverages space principles, precision and optimisation, to create breakthroughs in terrestrial food production. Think of it as reimagining how food can be grown, with the potential to limit deforestation by increasing agricultural productivity. Read incubation interview

• HALLTECH

HallTech redefines physical vapour deposition for industrial manufacturing

Space link:
HallTech is transferring a technology from space to redefine physical vapour deposition (PVD) processes on Earth. Its innovation leverages a modified electrical propulsion device. The core technology that is the Hall-effect thruster (HET), used for manoeuvring satellites in space. However, the plasma plume created by the HET is not designed for PVD, as the environment is completely different. In the startup, there is all the expertise to make it optimal for PVD applications. Read incubation interview

• WREN AEROSPACE

Wren Aerospace leverages space tech to unlock the power of the stratosphere

Space link:
There are three aspects of space technology in the Wren aircraft. Firstly, there’s a composite structure akin to those developed for space missions. Next, is the hydrogen propulsion system, which needs to operate at minus 60 °C, which is something very different to using hydrogen on Earth. Finally, the third link is a novel control method is used, inspired by space re-entry vehicles to control the aircraft in the thin air of the stratosphere. Read incubation interview

• ZEMQUEST

ZemQuest delivers emission-free energy using aluminium as solid fuel

Space link:
In 1987, NASA sought a solution for electrical energy in single-use systems and went on to develop an aluminium–air battery concept, for which several patents followed that have since expired. ZemQuest has now repurposed the original design, upsizing and enhancing it to allow mechanical recharging, with the addition of rapid reactivation capability. The original design was much more difficult to reactivate – almost behaving more like a primary battery that you use and then you need to disassemble it completely and then reassemble with fresh aluminium in it, which is no longer necessary with the ZemQuest approach. Read incubation interview

Apply by the next selection deadline

If you are interested to apply to ESA BIC, make sure you can explain your business idea’s space connection in the application process and emphasise your validated space link. Will the space asset of your innovation by downstream, technology transfer or upstream? In some cases, it can be evident what the space link is, especially for those entrepreneurs concentrating on upstream technologies or offering technology transfer innovations. However, for anyone building a business accessing everything that satellites are capable of achieving and looking to use space assets or resources for the development of downstream terrestrial applications, then just stating you will be “using Earth observation data” or “using satellite navigation” just doesn’t cut it. Discover more here.

Please take note: If you are using satellite data in your innovation, you also cannot simply just collect the data. You need to be carrying out innovative processing to add that extra something to your product. If you are creating an upstream product or service, you must first contact Netherlands Space Agency. Details

Attend the info sessions & webinars for application tips: register via here

APPLY TO ESA BIC NOORDWIJK
You can apply to the Dutch business incubation programme of the European Space Agency, ESA BIC Noordwijk, if you are an entrepreneur or startup. The programme gives you the best chance of developing your space business idea via a well-established network and community in the heart of the Dutch space industry. You need to be resident in the Netherlands, with a company that is not yet founded or not older than 5 years. Then, the rest is up to you. Share your business proposal in the next application round and you could be joining our space community soon. Follow the pre-steps before submitting your application by one of the two selection deadlines per year. Join for the next webinar to find out more. esa-bic.nl

Prepare your space business idea for lift off!

Discover everything you need to know about the ESA BIC Noordwijk programme.

See also:

• ESA BIC Open Call: What startups applying for incubation can expect
• Inside the ESA BIC community: What we expect from our startups and why

The post Technology transfer space assets of ESA BIC Noordwijk incubatees appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.