ESA BIC: Now Lund has a space incubator!
Now it is clear that Sweden's fourth ESA BIC (European Space Agency Business Incubaton Centre Sweden) will be located at Ideon Science Park in Lund. The announcement is welcomed by both Rymdstyrelsen and Lund Municipality. “It is very fun that Lund complements ESA BIC Sweden as one of a total of four space incubators in the national network. Southern Sweden is now also getting a space incubator and this is an important step to be able to support and highlight companies with space connectivity throughout Sweden. I see Lund and the other space incubators as a strength for Sweden's future development in space,” said Anna Rathsman, Director General of the Space Agency in Lund Municipality's press release.
Finanisär
Incubator Ideon Innovation, part of Ideon Science Park, has well-established collaborations with industry, Lund University, Lund Municipality and other innovation actors in the region and therefore Lund has been chosen as an obvious location for the space incubator ESA BIC.
“The placement of the fourth incubator in Sweden at Ideon means that we will be involved in a European collaboration and that with companies from Lund and the surrounding area we can deliver on a national and European space agenda, which is incredibly exciting,” says Maria Lindblom, Head of Operations at ESA BIC Sweden Ideon Innovation and continues:
“Start-ups with space connections or companies that are curious about the venture are welcome to contact me. The next round of applications for the program is already on September 13.
The municipality of Lund has for a long period worked to establish Lund as an obvious place for the space industry.
“We welcome ESA BIC to Lund and we are pleased that the innovation environment in Lund and Skåne attracts the space industry to Ideon. Together with other fast-growing companies, a rich community life, one of the world's best universities and a municipality at the forefront, we make Lund the most creative city in Europe,” says Philip Sandberg (L), Chairman of the Municipal Board of Lund Municipality.
“With the establishment of the space incubator ESA BIC at Ideon, Lund's important role in both the Swedish and global innovation structures has been consolidated once again. Here there are great opportunities to develop new technologies and new solutions, now also in materials engineering thanks to the presence of ESS and Max IV,” says Anders Almgren (S), second vice chairman of the municipal board.
More projects focusing on space technology are currently being discussed in collaboration between, among others, Lund Municipality, the Swedish Space Agency, academia and the business community. The hope is that in the future we will be able to establish a joint Space Node South, with the aim of creating socially beneficial solutions, increasing employment and contributing to sustainable growth.
More facts
The initiative for the first Swedish space incubator was taken by the Swedish Space Agency and ESA, the European Space Agency and today there are a total of four space incubators in Sweden. In addition to the one in Lund at Ideon, the other three are in Uppsala at UIC, in Trollhättan at Innovatum and in Luleå where the entire ESA BIC Sweden is also operated by Arctic Business. ESA BIC Sweden with all four sites has the mission to help early-stage companies that have space connectivity with networks, support and funding to reach into space or reach new areas of application on Earth.
The full text comes from Lund Municipality's press release.
Pictured: ESA BIC Lund started with a live broadcast from Studio Stadshuset. The space incubator will be led by Maria Lindblom, Ideon Innovation. In the picture together with Anders Bengtsson, Municipality of Lund/Future by Lund and Stefan Gustafsson, ESA.
