[Satnews] The space industry is currently undergoing a transitional phase. Increasing digitalization, complex and connected production processes, new global stakeholders with novel business ideas, and trends towards commercialization are presenting established space equipment manufacturers with major challenges—particularly with regard to satellite technology. The advancements of the new space economy, however, also have the potential to revolutionize the technologies and processes involved in both components and subsystems and entire value chains.
As part of the cross-industry symposium "Spaceflight, Production Technology, and New Materials - Innovation Through Cooperation" in Bochum, Germany, INNOspace Masters will be inaugurated as a new competition designed to promote innovative ideas for the next space generation. It seeks new concepts that propose creative solutions to the current issues in satellite manufacturing under the theme "Satellite 4.0". In particular, experiences that have already been gained in non-aerospace sectors in connection with Industry 4.0 can open up new perspectives in spaceflight. From September 16, 2015 to January 31, 2016, interested entrepreneurs are invited to submit their innovative ideas and solutions for the next space generation in the very first INNOspace Masters competition.
INNOspace Masters is especially interested in forward-thinking ideas, research projects, demonstrators, prototypes, and innovative (but ready-to-implement) business concepts in the following subject areas: generative manufacturing, increased modularization of production, flexible platforms, intelligent components, cyber-physical systems for complex production and logistics processes, and innovations along the entire value chain in satellite manufacturing.
The competition is geared towards start-ups, larger companies, universities, non-university research institutions, and consortia or individuals whose plans involve transferring technology and expertise from other industries into the aerospace sector.
The partners of INNOspace Masters—the Space Administration department of the German Aerospace Center, Airbus Defence & Space, and Germany's two ESA Business Incubation Centers in Bavaria and Darmstadt—will be awarding prizes in three categories that require submissions to meet different levels of innovative maturity and sophistication. Along with extensive marketing and communication activities and a global network of contacts, the winners will receive technological and business-related support services from first-rate partners capable of providing the best possible assistance as they turn their concepts into reality.
Those interested can submit their ideas to the online database from September 16, 2015 to January 31, 2016. All complete entries will then be evaluated by a jury of experts. The overall winner and those from each category will eventually be recognized at an awards ceremony on a date soon to be announced in 2016.
The INNOspace Masters competition is being organized by the Space Administration department of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as an embedded component of the INNOspace® initiative. Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen, an experienced specialist in overseeing idea competitions, will be carrying out INNOspace Masters 2015 on behalf of DLR. Partners of the competition are Airbus Defence and Space, and the ESA Business Incubation Centres Bavaria and Darmstadt.
To learn more about the competition, please visit.