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Resources 2024

CSSS’24 Resources

The CSSS is about coming up with a business idea (the Competition) to tackle big problems (the Challenges) using technology developed for space (the Technologies). This page will give you information on all those things. Further down you will also find some examples of Earth applications that have already been developed. These may tickle your imagination.

Read on and good luck!

Competition Challenges Technologies

Your mission

As you know, Instituto Pedro Nunes is the entity that coordinates ESA Space Solutions Portugal. One of its main activities is to support the creation of startups that use space technology through a dedicated incubation program, the ESA BIC Portugal. We have already supported the creation of more than 60 new companies.

Startups selected for this program receive 50K to prototype their solution and protect the associated Intellectual Property (IP). They incubate for up to 2 years in one of the 15 incubators spread throughout continental Portugal and islands, and receive technical support from our team and from ESA.

Furthermore, they gain information on our networking know-how and other funding opportunities. And, of course, they become part of the ESA Space Solutions network, which gives them visibility and recognition; after all, not many companies can use this brand!

Are you an entrepreneur with the will to create a business? Do you have your head in space? Have you had an idea brooding for a long time and would like to develop it? This is your opportunity to test your entrepreneurial streak, with nothing to lose!

  1. Pick one of the challenges below and come up with a space-tech-based business solution to solve it.
  2. Pick a technology (or more). This year’s thematic technological capabilities come from solar storms, however, you can use data from ESA satellites (Earth Observation, Global Navigation Satellite System, or Satellite Communications), technologies from the ESA Patent Portfolio, and Artificial Intelligence.

Your idea, your solution, your space business! Simulate your application to ESA BIC Portugal.

Business ideas competition

Competition

The business ideas competition is based on the use of one or more space assets to design an innovative solution (product/service) to be commercialised, that responds to one of the challenges.

Each team chooses only one out of the 4 existing challenges – so your business idea can only respond to/fit one chosen challenge.

Only participants who follow the CSSS24 program in its entirety and who make their pitch, complying with the available time and considering the guidelines presented, are eligible for the final competition.

All participants will work in teams, which are formed on the first day of the event, promoting the diversity of its composition.

The two teams that obtain more points from the jury win the competition, being classified as 1st and 2nd will receive symbolic prizes. All the participants of this 10th edition of CSSS24 will receive a welcome kit and a participation certificate.

Final Presentation – Pitch

The presentations/pitches and the slide decks should be in English. Use Keynote, Google Slides or PowerPoint to create your presentation. You may have drawings, mock-ups, or others to add value to the presentation. Each team has a total of 5 minutes to pitch, followed by 5 minutes for questions from the jury.

The presentation should be assertive and attractive, emphasising the points on the evaluation criteria – do not forget that innovation is a key element.

Identify your team, what challenge you are addressing, and what space asset/technology is used.

Jury

The Jury consists of 3 elements representing the three organising entities: IPN, OGAUC, and GeoPlaNet.

Assessment Criteria

  1. Use of space assets – eliminatory criterion:
    If a space asset is not used, i.e., if it is demonstrated that the connection to space is tenuous, the team will be eliminated from the competition.
  2. Fitting the challenge – 20%:
    Does the business idea respond to one of the challenges that was launched?
    Did it deviate from what was asked for?
  3. Innovation and originality of the project – 30%:
    Does the solution solve a relevant problem or take advantage of a significant opportunity?
    Is the value proposition clear, well-defined, and relevant? Is it possible to go to market with this idea?
    What is the competitive advantage about other existing solutions or to other players in the market?
  4. Project Viability – 25%:
    Has the market and the clients been identified?
    How will it make money, and sell? B2B/B2C/B2G/…
    Are there competitors doing the same? How are they differentiated?
  5. Quality of the presentation– 25%:
    Were all the essential points of a pitch addressed?
    Was the presentation delivered assertively?
    Was the presentation thoughtful and creative?

Challenges

Challenge 1. Solar Storms

If a huge solar storm hits the Earth, are we prepared to protect the systems and services that are, nowadays, crucial for the proper functioning of society? If not, how can we be better prepared to detect, protect, and control the damage?  

Recently, solar storms gained worldwide media attention due to the spectacular lightshow observed at unusual latitudes, last May. Solar storms are disturbances on the Sun, which can take many forms, and propagate outwards, into the heliosphere, affecting the entire Solar System. When approaching the Earth, the terrestrial magnetosphere is disturbed by the charged particles and electromagnetic radiation emitted by these events, with these disturbances being perceived, e.g., as the more commonly observed at the poles and so famous aurora borealis.  

The Sun’s behavior, although, is dynamic, and it has been observed to fall into cyclical patterns. Every 11 years, the Sun shows a more active behavior, with extreme events occurring more often and more intensively during a certain period of time. The effects of these events can be felt all over the heliosphere, with consequences that can turn up to be dramatic for technological systems in the near-Earth environment. Recently, there has been great concern about solar storms. Not only because we are experiencing another peak in the solar cycle, which will be reached in 2025, but also because we are increasingly dependent on technology, telecommunications, and satellites.  

Although super-strong solar storms are rare, humanity has witnessed their effects before. In 1859, the Carrington event occurred, the largest solar storm ever recorded, with disruptions felt over the long-distance communications technologies that existed at the time: the telegraph.  In 1989, Canada also suffered a power outage due to a solar flare. On July 14, 2000, a solar flare short-circuited satellites and affected radio communications worldwide. And finally, in May 2024, even Coimbra witnessed the effects of a solar flare, with the very unusual sight of aurora borealis as far south in Europe. During the first week of May this year, a series of large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) occurred, sending clouds of charged particles hurtling toward the Earth. It was the largest solar storm in 20 years, and one of the largest auroras displays over the past 500 years! 

With that said, we are no strangers to the consequences extreme solar events can have on Earth, and major advancements were already made in monitoring and forecasting the Sun’s behavior. Therefore, we can’t say we are totally unprepared for a potential extreme event, given that some important observational sensing missions are already in action when it comes to our Star, the Sun. In order to monitor and understand the Sun’s behavior we already have a few satellites orbiting it, and, therefore, monitoring it. Nevertheless, we can’t be certain when the next Carrington-level event will happen, and, this way, there are still some potential future problems to solve or, if they ever happen, to at least diminish their damage. If we’re ever exposed to a disruptive solar storm, important questions, regarding humanity’s economical and social stability, arise: How can we avoid major disruptions in telecommunications, satellites, and other critical systems dependent on electrical energy and the previously mentioned technologies? How can we prevent an internet apocalypse?  

The world is connected by technology, and many of our day-to-day services and businesses are dependent on the proper functioning of digital/electronic systems. The U.K. government lists adverse space weather as one of the most serious natural hazards in the National Risk Register, and its been estimated that a Carrington-class event today would result in between 0.6$ and 2.6$ trillion in damages to the U.S. alone. Services and infrastructure such as aviation, telecommunications, power grids, oil and gas pipelines, railway, banking and financial systems, among others, are extremely exposed physically and technologically to an extreme solar storm. 

Given the state of the art of monitoring, insulation, and damage prevention technologies in the infrastructure and services that can be affected by an extreme solar storm, 

  1. Can you think of a new or an add-on solution that could prevent major damage to any of these systems/services (in particular or in general)?  
  2. Can you think of a solution that could replace temporarily the functions of any of these systems/services, if these are ever down, and thus, avoid major social and economical consequences to humanity?  

READ MORE:

Solar storms:  

 

Space Weather:  

 

Applications:  

Challenge 2. Technology and Education for all

How can technology be an ally in the educational and social inclusion of disabled students? 

Students with some type of disability, physical or intellectual, are more likely to drop out/ not take advantage of their classes. The technological means, used correctly and in a way adapted to the needs of each student, can become an asset and allow that there are no students excluded from learning. EdTech thus renews the independence and autonomy of children and contributes to their social inclusion.  

However, as we have seen with the pandemic, access to the internet and technology is out of step. In many regions of the world, students with disabilities and from disadvantaged backgrounds had the most difficulty accessing technological learning tools, widening the social gap. This proves that there are improvements to be made so that technology can help, especially those who need it most. 

How does the use of inclusive technologies can support students with disabilities? 

  • Increasing access to education itself, from mobile phones and tablets, by making learning content more accessible from a variety of formats. Study in Kenya: 71% of visually impaired students, when they had access to a smartphone, had greater access to education thanks to the screen reader option.  
  • Students’ greater self-confidence in the learning process when they use technology, generating a greater autonomy and less dependence on teachers. Study in Tanzania: 52% of students using technology feel more confident in learning.  

Various technologies have been developed to assist the learning process by students with some kind of disability. These technological tools have been developed to adapt to the specific needs of students. Some examples:   

a) Kurzweil 3000: is a software that turns written texts into audio and vice versa. It is a tool with other assistance technologies and works with 13 languages. Helps mainly students with visual impairments, ADHD, and other condition.

b) TactPlus: is a 3D Braille printer. It has auditory instructions to be at the service of blind people.

c) Smartboards: are interactive technology boards where children can associate shapes, colors, sounds, objects and words with their fingers. These frames are mainly used in primary school and are directed to children with Down syndrome. Indeed, a global, systematic review for children with Down syndrome found that assistive technology can help the development of numeracy, speech, language, memory and social skills.

d) Video description: this functionality corresponds to a voice recording that accompanies videos and describes and interprets the cultural language and emotions that arise in a video. This tool is useful for students with autism, who sometimes have difficulties in perceiving social reactions.

In the development of technologies that seek to assist the learning of students with some kind of disability, it is important to take into account some problems that are associated with assistive technologies do that they function effectively and have a real positive impact on the lives of students. These are some of the challenges to be taken into account:  

  • Adaptability: Not all technologies are advantageous or applicable in students with the same disability, because the degrees of disability and difficulty are different. Thus, for the technological means to work in a way that students can make the best use of them, it is always necessary a certain type of monitoring and adaptation of these instruments to the individual needs of the students. 
  • Availability: It differs greatly from country to country and within the same population, depending on the monetary possibilities of each family. Only smartphones and tablets are more affordable, although other technological devices are also required.  
  • Access: The pandemic excluded many people with disabilities, because remote education was not equipped to take into account the needs of these people. For example, a worldwide online study shows that only 12% of blind students had access to braille material and only 10% of deaf students had audio transcription services.  
  • Lack of specialized training of teachers: Especially with more complex technology.  
  • Stigma: Assistive technologies make visible the students’ shortcomings, reinforcing their differences, and consequently negative looks. It is important that its design be familiar, small and similar to other devices used by the common citizen, in order to reduce the feeling of difference and consequent stereotype.  

According to the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, society should promote and seek that all technological devices have a design and other elements that allow all people to, regardless of their deficiencies, operate them autonomously.  

Can you think of new tools/devices, either with broad or singular disabilities application, that could help meet this goal?  

How can we democratize the access to assistive technologies to low- and medium-income countries, also considering the different cultures and languages?  

The lack of knowledge/training about the assistive technologies from teachers/providers also diminish the expected outcomes. Can you think of a solution that could mitigate this gap? Many more issues need a solution, so be creative and help making the world a better place for everyone ☺️ 

Read more:

Examples of assistive technology for deaf people:  

Examples of assistive technology for blind people:  

Examples of assistive technology for people with down syndrome:  

Challenge 3. Sustainability and Food industry

In a world of 8 billion people, how to develop a sustainable food production and supply system? 

Food production methods are, in their generality, responsible for one third of greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of the world’s deforestation. Despite the global production being exacerbated, there is a waste in food produced: in 2022, about 9% of the world’s population had chronic hunger. According to a UN report, 931 million tons of food are thrown away every year. Thus, there is a high level of inefficiency in the systems of production, marketing and food consumption.

In this sense, several technological solutions have been developed, so that it is possible to fight the hunger felt by many populations and face the climate change caused by this industry.  

  • One of the main causes of food waste is related to the storage of food, especially after harvest. Several solutions have been developed to preserve food.  
  • With the help of Earth Observation Technologies (EOT) and satellites, it is possible to increase the efficiency of agricultural production. Using the information gathered by these spatial instruments, producers can anticipate weather patterns and know what the composition of the land is so as to apply only the necessary amount of fertilizers, seeds and herbicides. Producers can also have knowledge of how the development of the crop occurs, being in any area of the globe and calculate the impact that different weather conditions will have on the crop. It is also possible to estimate the amount and value of the harvest, months in advance. 

Despite these innovative methods, the food industry faces several challenges that it is important to take into account in the development of sustainable solutions: 

 

  1. Greater environmental awareness of the consumer: leading to choose products with the “eco-friendly” label. The plastic involved in these products has been one of the factors. 
    1. Thus, the Nestlé brand announced an investment of 8.7 million dollars in order to reduce the non-reusable plastic that made up its products.  
  2. Change in consumption patterns: two major phenomena are observed – on the one hand, an increase in the number of people with diabetes (500 million people worldwide have this disease), due to added sugars, many artificial, and preservatives; and, on the other hand, these eating disorders have encouraged many consumers to bet on organic diets with high nutritional value. Animal protection is a growing concern of the consumer, which has been leading industries to develop alternatives like vegetable-based meat. 
  3. New legislation and standards to comply with: there are several government entities that are dedicated to the implementation of consumer protection, food hygiene, healthier foods, registered trademarks. Producers should be aware of this growing number of laws and follow them:
    1. In the UK, for example, there has been a campaign to promote the adoption of carbon labelling on products sold to consumers. 
  4. Economic pressure and inflation: the food industry is highly connected worldwide. 
    1. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia there has been an increase in the price of cereals exported from Ukraine, which suffered a rise of 10% in 2023. 
    2. Regional tensions, such as in the Red Sea, lead to increased transport costs and consequently higher prices. 
    3. The lack of skilled labor in the food industry has caused challenges in North America and the UK, with the latter suffering a loss of $1.77 billion at the expense of this issue.  
  5. Small-scale producers: who are usually less polluting in the production process and with more organic products, have the greatest difficulty in entering the large market and reaching a larger number of consumers. In addition, the new regulations implemented by several governments are strict, leading to a series of protests from farmers in the food industry.  

There are several opportunities for the Food Industry on the road to Sustainability, important to take into account in developing solutions: 

a) Digital transformation: the integration of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and the Internet of Things in the processes of production and sale of food – despite high investment costs – prove to be a real advantage in several aspects.  a) First, the tracking of the production process along the entire supply chain allows to verify possible waste of resources and thus a saving of food, after the repair of the process.  b) Second, the analysis of consumer behavior forecast will allow companies to predict the estimated sales of products and thus maintain a control of inventory, and consequently reduce food waste. 

b) Greater efficiency to minimize food waste: while the ability to predict consumer behavior with certainty and align inventory according to customer demand is improved, it is important that food retailers already have access to methods to avoid throwing out food.  a) Startups like Food Drop connected restaurants, local producers and supermarkets, facilitating the collection of nutritious foods that would be directed to charities or other communities, from online platforms.

c) Resource saving in the production process: vertical indoor agriculture is a technological method where all variables involved in plant growth are controlled and that allow to optimize water use, nutrients/soil, climate and lighting.  a)  AeroFarms is an example of a start-up that is dedicated to this practice, integrating Machine Learning and IoT with a connected and innovative approach.

How can we make the best use of these and other opportunities provided by technology to address the problems generated by the food industry, given the challenges that are involved? 

Can you think of new technological solutions that would improve the sustainability of any dimension of the food production and consumption chain?  

Do you have a process/technology integration solution that could improve the sustainability of any of the chains (production/consumption)? 

LINKS TO THE PARTICIPANTS:  

About Earth Observation in AgriFood: 

Tools created for Small-Scale Agriculture: 

Technology Innovation for sustainable food systems:  

Others:  

Challenge 4. Your idea!

Who are we to tell you what are the biggest problems facing humankind?! You may have much better ideas. This is why Open Challenge exists: to give you the freedom to think bigger. But remember, you have to justify why your problem is a problem.

Technologies

The technologies available to you during the CSSS are

ESA Satellites

ESA, the European Space Agency, manages a large number of satellites that orbit the Earth and monitor our planet in different ways. These data are freely available and enable an enormous amount of business solutions.

There are three main types of satellite data: Earth Observation (Copernicus), Geolocation (Galileo) and Telecommunications.

Read on.

Earth Observation (Copernicus)

Copernicus is the European Union’s Earth Observation Programme, looking at our planet and its environment for the benefit of Europe’s citizens. The Sentinel constellation of satellites (see below) produces vast amounts of data that are freely available for anyone to use. Read more on:

Sentinels

  • Sentinel-1 has radar instrumentation that see through cloud and measure minute changes in land. Its applications include emergency responses (volcanic, seismic, landslide). More info.
  • Sentinel-2 images the Earth’s surface in 18 spectral bands. It monitors land, and has applications in agriculture, city planning, drought monitoring, etc. More info.
  • Sentinel-3 monitors Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere and provides essential information in near-real time for ocean and weather forecasting. More info.
  • Sentinel-5P – is the first Copernicus mission dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere. It is the precursor of the Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 missions. These satellites map a multitude of trace gases, which affect the air we breathe and therefore our health and our climate. More info on S-5P, S-4 and S-5.
  • Sentinel-6 will focus on sea-surface height measurements with unprecedented precision. More info.
  • Other ESA Earth Observation missions.

Geolocation (Galileo)

Galileo is Europe’s own global navigation satellite system (GNSS), providing a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. It is more precise in both space and time than GPS (operated by the USA).

Satellite Communications

Today telecommunications satellites are part of our daily lives. Many everyday activities rely on telecommunication satellites that are in orbit, almost 36 000 kilometres above our heads.

Here are some recently launched communications satellites:

There are many ways in which satellites are used, some very specific, such as the communication systems  of retail chains and banks in many parts of the world, remote post offices in small villages, and the control of water, gas or oil pipelines. In most remote and some not-so-remote parts of the world, satellite communications continue to play a fundamental role in the infrastructure of telephone and other services.

Satellite telecommunications can also support the development of less favoured regions to the provision of telecommunications, tele-education or telemedicine services in emergencies or disaster situations.

Some satellite constellations have been developed to provide internet access almost anywhere in the world (SpaceX Starlink, OneWeb, Amazon Project Kuiper, etc.)

Can you use any of these ideas in your business solution?

ESA Patents

Year after year, ESA develops vast array of innovative, highly sophisticated technologies and applications to make Europe’s space endeavours happen. When ESA staff members are involved in devising an innovation or invention, then the Agency is free to apply for a patent, typically patenting between 10-20 inventions per year.

ESA is very interested in seeing these patents applied in other areas of activity. We organised the first ESA Patent Challenge in 2022, which had a prize of €15k.

Technology Transfer is the activity of stimulating effective translation of technologies developed originally for space towards uses in a terrestrial applications. Here are a number of success stories in Technology Transfer.

Pick one of ESA’s Patented technologies to make your business solution possible!

Find the list of all ESA patents here.

Below they are grouped by area of application.

Read more

Artificial Intelligence

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is exploding with various technologies being developed and applied across diverse industries. Some of the main AI technologies and their current applications are listed below.

Pick which AI technology that you need for your business solution.

  1. Machine Learning: This enables computers to learn from data and then make decisions and predictions without explicit programming. Applications include:
    1. Image and speech recognition
    2. Natural language processing (NLP) for chatbots and virtual assistants
    3. Recommendation systems in e-commerce and content platforms
  2. Deep Learning: This is a subset of ML that uses neural networks to model complex patterns and relationships in data. It can be used for:
    1. Computer vision for object detection and autonomous vehicles
    2. Language translation and sentiment analysis
    3. Healthcare for medical image analysis and diagnosis
  3. Natural Language Processing: ChatGPT is the most popular example of NLP. The technology focuses on enabling machines to understand, interpret, and generate human language. Some applications include:
    1. Language translation and interpretation
    2. Sentiment analysis for social media monitoring
    3. Voice assistants and chatbots for customer service
  4. Robotics and Automation: AI-powered robots and automation systems perform tasks autonomously or with minimal human intervention. It can be used in:
    1. Industrial automation in manufacturing and logistics
    2. Service robots in healthcare and hospitality
    3. Drones for surveillance and delivery services
  5. Computer Vision: CV technologies enable machines to interpret visual information from images and videos. Typical applications include:
    1. Facial recognition for security and authentication
    2. Object detection and tracking for surveillance and robotics
    3. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications
  6. Natural Language Generation: NLG systems can generate human-like text from structured data. It can be use for:
    1. Automated report generation in finance and business intelligence
    2. Personalized content generation in marketing and advertising
  7. Expert Systems: these use AI to mimic the decision-making processes of human experts in specific domains. Potential uses:
    1. Diagnostic systems in healthcare for disease identification
    2. Financial planning and risk assessment
  8. Reinforcement Learning: RL algorithms learn by interacting with an environment and receiving feedback through rewards or penalties. Areas of application:
    1. Game playing, e.g., AlphaGo in the game of Go, or Chess
    2. Autonomous vehicles and control systems
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