Toulouse Space Show 2018 - Enterprise Greece

A Greek business delegation has successfully concluded its participation in the Toulouse Space Show 2018, Europe’s leading exhibition focusing on space infrastructure, technology and applications, showcasing the country’s innovative products and services in the areas of space and technology.

The Greek delegation was jointly organized by si-Cluster, the Gold Labeled Greek aerospace technology and applications cluster, and Enterprise Greece, under the coordination of Corallia, Greece’s umbrella body for the development of the country’s technology and innovation clusters, and in collaboration with the Hellenic Association of Space Industry (EBIDITE). Further support was provided by the Hellenic Information Technology and Communications Association (SEPE), the Association of Information Technology Companies of Northern Greece (SEPVE) and the Association of Mobile Application Companies (HAMAC).

The Greek delegation included Alma Technologies, Planetek Hellas, Prisma Electronics SA, Teletel, Terra Spatium and the Digital Systems and Computer Architecture Laboratory (DSCAL) of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The Toulouse Space Show 2018, held June 26-28 in Toulouse, France was attended by more than 3,000 exhibition visitors from nearly 50 countries. Through their presence at the Greek national pavilion — located at a central point in the exhibition hall – and their participation in B2B meetings, the Greek exhibitors were able to present their innovative products and services to a global network of industry professionals.

In the context of the exhibition, CNES, the National Space Organization (ELDO), the Aerospace Valley, and the si-Cluster organized a French networking event with the participation of various agencies and organizations from Greece and France.

The purpose of the coordinated Greek presence was to explore partnership opportunities between business and research institutions by showcasing the high level of space technologies and applications produced in Greece. The promotion of exports, efforts to attract investment, and enhancing the outward orientation of Greek companies constitute a strategic priority of the si-Cluster.

Dr. Jorge Sanchez, CSFO of Corallia and Chairman of the si-Cluster said: “The si-Cluster offers high-growth opportunities and potential, which are being showcased at major, long-standing events like the Toulouse Space Show. Our strategic goal is to continue our presence at international shows, targeting new, overseas opportunities as the basic focus of our activities.”

Enterprise Greece CEO Mr. Elias Athanasiou said: “The successful Greek participation, organized by the si-Cluster, under the coordination of Corallia, in collaboration with Enterprise Greece, and with the support of almost all of the country’s technology associations, confirms the success of our strategy of taking a unified and comprehensive approach to promoting our entrepreneurial ecosystem in international markets. Our common goal is to strengthen research, employment and entrepreneurship, while keeping our valuable scientific personnel in Greece.”

Also attending the Toulouse Space Show 2018 was the Greek team The Space is not the limit, which won first place in the Greek national competition of the international ActInSpace 2018 competition. The Space is not the limit team participated in the international final, presenting its “Ηelix Drone“ application, which aims to help visually impaired individuals navigate city streets more easily with the assistance of a drone.

Georgios Katoufas, a member of the team, spoke about the team’s participation in the final international ActInSpace competition saying: “It has been a special experience for all the members of our team. Having seen many beautiful places, lived many beautiful moments, and enlarged our technological horizons, we return to Athens ready for new successes. For all this, we would like to thank Corallia, si-Cluster, Fabspace 2.0, the French Embassy and the French Institute, for their help and guidance in experiencing this unforgettable weekend.”

First prize in the international competition — a flight in zero gravity — was awarded to the Wright Team Incorporated from Australia, which presented a secure registration and identification system for drone operators utilizing technologies based on a patent of CNES and the global satellite navigation system Galileo. The Women’s Entrepreneur Prize was awarded to the Firefly team from Portugal, which presented a fire fighting system that utilizes satellite data and machine learning. Finally, the FabSpace award was given to the Vindo team from the Netherlands, for developing an application that helps people who want to move find the city that best suits their needs with the use of data from Copernicus.