Call issued for EDA Defence Innovation Prize 2022
EDA today issued a call for applications from parties interested in participating in the ‘EDA Defence Innovation Prize 2022’ which, in close cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), is dedicated this year to the following topic:Space-based surveillance and reconnaissance defence technologies (space domain) focusing on debris and artificial orbiting objects.
Applicants are called to submit stimulating innovative solutions & technologies on Space-based surveillance and reconnaissance defence technologies (space domain) focusing on debris, artificial orbiting objects, and man-made objects with unexpected behaviour. The topic was chosen against the background of an increasingly crowded space environment which makes it necessary for military users to address the issue of identifying and tracking debris and man-made objects in all orbital regions. In this context, satellite operators – including military ones – are urgently looking for collision avoidance tools and solutions to support their decision-making for dedicated manoeuvres.
The proposed technologies and innovative solutions are thus expected to focus on:
- Enhanced Space Traffic Management (STM) capabilities for military purposes and dual-use, for instance: tracking in all orbital regions for orbit refinement; safe deorbiting and rapid manoeuvring of military satellites; predicting and avoiding potential collisions, among others.
- Awareness and tracking of debris and artificial objects, for instance: tracking in all orbit regions for natural and artificial objects; tracking and identifying of objects and threats in space; enhanced ability to maintain real-time awareness of the space domain; space debris detection and tracking through satellite grids; detection of very small LEO debris; space-based telescopes and radars, among others.
The winning idea/concept will be awarded 30,000€.
For the evaluation of ideas, ESA’s Space Debris Office will provide its expertise on space debris environment modelling, technologies for observation and mitigating space debris, as well as from its experience in collision avoidance for ESA’s missions.
How to apply?
The deadline for submitting applications is 9 September 2022.
The contest rules and application criteria/details can be found here, (plus the annexes to the call for applications here).
The prize will be handed over during the 2022 EDA Annual Conference in Brussels later this year.
Submitted innovations must be the applicants’ own intellectual property. However, submissions may include improvements of already existing ideas, new combinations or adaptations of them applicable in a different context. The applicants must demonstrate the innovative added value of their ideas, compared to what exists already. Proposals must be innovative, implementable through a collaborative project and financially affordable in terms of future development and exploitation.
Who can apply?
The contest is especially (but not exclusively) aimed at non-traditional defence industries (civil or dual-use producers) and researchers as they play a growing role in inventing and creating the disruptive capabilities that Member States’ Armed Forces will need tomorrow. The contest also provides a good opportunity for small and medium sized enterprises, research organisations and universities involved in defence R&D activities to demonstrate their know-how, maximize dual-use synergies and create partnerships with key players in the defence field.
Background
Since 2018, the Agency organises the ‘EDA Defence Innovation Prize’ which rewards companies and research entities who come up with ground-breaking technologies, products, processes, or services applicable in the defence domain. The contest aims to stimulate defence innovation in Europe and provide non-traditional defence stakeholders (civil industries, SMEs, research organisations, universities, etc.) with an opportunity to showcase their know-how in domains relevant for defence.