{"id":17058,"date":"2026-07-29T16:47:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T14:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/commercialisation.esa.int\/?p=17058"},"modified":"2026-09-04T16:48:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T14:48:32","slug":"esa-bic-greece-celebrates-five-years-of-supporting-space-innovation-at-gstf26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commercialisation.esa.int\/?p=17058","title":{"rendered":"ESA BIC Greece celebrates five years of supporting space innovation at GSTF26"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Greek Space Tech Forum 2026<\/strong> (GSTF26)<\/strong> took place in Athens, Greece, on 7\u20138 July 2026 and provided the setting for the celebration of the 5th<\/sup> anniversary of ESA Business Incubation Centre in Greece (ESA BIC Greece)<\/strong>, bringing together representatives from the Greek Government, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission, industry, investors, research organisations and startups to discuss the future of the Greek space economy.<\/p>\n

Celebrating five years of ESA BIC Greece<\/span><\/h2>\n

The anniversary celebration highlighted the progress achieved since the establishment of ESA BIC Greece in 2021 and its contribution to building a vibrant national space innovation ecosystem as part of the wider ESA BIC network<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

During its first five years of operation, ESA BIC Greece<\/strong> has established itself as a cornerstone of Greece’s space innovation ecosystem, supporting the commercialisation of space technologies and the creation of innovative startups in Greece.<\/p>\n

Operated by Corallia<\/strong><\/a>, a Unit of the Athena Research Centre, the programme has supported 32 space-related startups<\/strong>, helping entrepreneurs transform innovative ideas into commercial ventures through business coaching, technical expertise, mentoring, networking opportunities and access to national and European innovation networks. Over the same period, ESA BIC Greece has attracted interest from more than 40 000 individuals<\/strong>, received 85 complete applications<\/strong>, supported the creation of 13 new companies<\/strong> established as a direct result of the programme, contributed to the development of 7 university spin-offs<\/strong>, encouraged brain regain<\/strong> through three startup teams reconnecting with Greece, supported the creation of more than 90 highly skilled jobs, <\/strong>and contributed to more than \u20ac8 million in business activity and funding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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These results demonstrate the growing maturity of Greece’s space entrepreneurship ecosystem and the increasing role of space technologies in driving innovation, competitiveness and economic growth. Commenting on the programme’s first five years, Dr. Jorge-A. Sanchez-P.<\/strong>, Director of ESA BIC Greece, said: “The first five years of ESA BIC Greece demonstrate that Greece is no longer simply participating in Europe’s space activities. The country is building its own capabilities, its own companies, its own technologies and its own place within the New Space Economy. ESA BIC Greece has evolved from an incubation programme into a catalyst for company creation, job creation, technology maturation and international growth. The programme’s greatest success, however, is the founders, researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of Greece’s space economy.”<\/p>\n

From incubation to competitiveness: ESA support across ACCESS<\/span><\/h2>\n

The achievements of ESA BIC Greece reflect the broader objectives of ESA’s ACCESS programme<\/strong>, which supports the commercialisation of space through complementary elements addressing different stages of company growth. Through its ScaleUp element<\/strong>, ACCESS supports entrepreneurship and business creation through initiatives such as the ESA Business Incubation Centres, while the Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) element<\/strong> helps companies develop and deploy space-enabled services addressing market and societal needs.<\/p>\n

This progression from incubation to market adoption was reflected throughout the Forum and in contributions from ESA representatives, including Nick Appleyard<\/strong>, Head of the Commercialisation Acceleration Department, and Asimina Syriou<\/strong>, Energy Lead for ESA BASS, who highlighted the importance of supporting companies throughout their growth journey while strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and commercial space ecosystem.<\/p>\n