Hungarian space-related start-ups are currently diving deep into developing their businesses in the framework of ESA BIC Hungary. From time to time we would like to provide insight into these innovations. What are the main fields and solutions? And what would come out of this in the long-run? This time we shine the light on SpaceCrop Technologies.
It has become common knowledge by now that agriculture and farmers can’t really be efficient without space data. No wonder that ESA BIC Hungary’s first round of incubation also has a team which focuses on this topic. We asked Mary Grace Gasco, CEO of SpaceCrop Technologies, about their solution, why they joined the programme and their future plans. SpaceCrop comes with a dashboard and a mobile application to help farmers. It offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution for them to track their water usage and increase crop resiliency. It provides access to weather forecast for resource planning and reduces risks for crop damages and soil erosion through crop monitoring.
“Our team applied to the ESA BIC Hungary because we strongly believe that the programme has a deep focus on space science and technology applications (SSTA), which is beneficial for SpaceCrop in its R&D roadmap. It’s a great opportunity for us to get connected and supported by experts and industry players in the space science domain. With the financing support provided to us during the programme, it surely contributes to the technology and business development of SpaceCrop Technologies.”
The company’s target is to complete its pilot series in Hungary to then scale up in other European countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy by the end of 2022. Also, they are planning to expand their service offerings to non-farming sectors. They believe that one of the most impactful benefits of space science and technology applications is in the environment, as we have been experiencing extreme weather conditions and climatic changes since the past decades. “SSTA hugely helps humankind in mitigating the risks of and adapting to changing climate by monitoring the earth’s surface and atmospheric conditions.”