The European Space Agency ESA is extending its successful cooperation with the AZO Application Center GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen for its ESA BIC Bavaria for another four years. ESA Director General Prof. Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner and AZO Managing Director Thorsten Rudolph signed the corresponding agreement on Friday, May 4, 2018. By the end of 2021, the ESA BIC Bavaria will support a further 60, bringing the total number of space technology startups to over 200, together with its partners ESA, DLR, Airbus, Fraunhofer, Kreissparkasse, and the Free State of Bavaria.
ESA Director General Prof. Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner signed the ESA BIC Bavaria contract extension for a further four years in the presence of Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Franz Josef Pschierer. ESA is providing a total of €1.5 million for this purpose. This will enable Europe's most successful ESA BIC to continue and expand its work.
“Over 1,800 jobs created in the high-tech sector”
This first European space incubator was founded in 2003 by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with support from the Free State of Bavaria. AZO has operated this incubator since 2005, and it was renamed ESA BIC Bavaria in 2009. With the goal of promoting market development for aerospace applications and creating high-tech jobs in the region, ESA BIC Bavaria has been pursuing this program for more than 15 years in close collaboration with ESA and its partners DLR, Airbus, Fraunhofer, Kreissparkasse München Starnberg Ebersberg, and the Free State of Bavaria.
Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs Franz Josef Pschierer:
"Since its founding, the ESA BIC Bavaria Incubator, with significant financial support from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, has created over 1,800 jobs in the high-tech sector and nurtured pioneering companies with innovative ideas. This is where visions become reality."
Follow up on successes, promote new startups
“I am very pleased that we have been able to establish such a successful start-up center through cooperation with ESA, the State of Bavaria and our partners,”
explained Thorsten Rudolph, Managing Director of AZO.
"Now we need to continue pursuing these successes together. This means further expanding our locations and supporting new startups that develop new ideas and products based on space technologies that make our lives on Earth easier, more convenient, and safer!"
Rudolph continued.
ESA Director General Prof. Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner:
"By supporting startups that develop new business ideas based on space technologies, we drive progress and economic growth. With our technology transfer programs and the ESA BICs, we support bright minds who have an idea and develop it to market maturity."
