The work performed in the frame of InnORBIT project is summarised as follows:
Setting the stage - Studies and co-creation:
- A study about the latest trends of New Space entrepreneurship landscape in Eastern Europe complemented by an in-depth analysis of the Greek, Romanian, Croatian and Slovenian ecosystems.
- A study that assesses the knowledge, skills and training needs of innovation intermediaries and innovators to engage in space entrepreneurship, using a novel skills framework.
- A preliminary design of InnORBIT’s support programmes, services and training topics stemming from a co-creation workshop with 25 market actors in Eastern Europe.
Design and initial development of InnORBIT programmes, services and digital toolbox:
- Capacity Building Programme (CBP) for innovation intermediaries that guides the design and operation of local space initiatives, using 5 concepts including space incubators, accelerators, hackathons, coffees, and sprints.
- Business Support Programme (BSP) for space entrepreneurs that includes training topics and services for start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, entrepreneurs and students willing to develop commercial space products/services and grow their business. The BSP is offered by innovation intermediaries and the InnORBIT Digital Toolbox.
- The InnORBIT Digital Toolbox was developed to support the delivery of the InnORBIT programmes, comprising 8 online tools, including the e-learning platform hosting the training content.
Pilot activities and validation
- 1st pilot round: Corallia (GR), Algebra University College (HR) and ROMSPACE (RO) were the first intermediaries to receive training and deploy “Space Coffee" initiatives in their region, that continue beyond the end of the project.
- 2nd pilot round: 26 innovation intermediaries (22 external) received training and initiated 28 initiatives in 13 countries. Initiatives, such as hackathons, coffees, space challenges, and more, reached out to more than 2000 innovators in Eastern Europe.
- InnORBIT Space Tracks: 18 promising companies were introduced and pitched their business to high-profile investors during 2 pitching events.
- Validation and improvement of InnORBIT’s services: InnORBIT’s programmes and services were updated twice, after each pilot round based on feedback and validation from end-users and market experts.
Awareness raising, exploitation and commercialisation:
- InnORBIT’s dissemination strategy supported the development of engaged communities and international collaboration through a mix of promotional and awareness campaigns, publications and synergies that culminated in InnORBIT’s Final Conference in the frame of PODIM 2023.
- The InnORBIT Replication Guide supports innovation intermediaries to follow InnORBIT’s approach and set up local space entrepreneurship initiatives.
- InnORBIT’s Policy Recommendations transpose the consortium experience into policy insights for the development of conducive ecosystems that support space entrepreneurship in the EU.
- InnORBIT’s Key Exploitable Results are open to the whole consortium and the public for further advancement of InnORBIT concepts and further spread its impact.
- Business plans were developed for the sustainable commercialisation of the Greek, Romanian and Croatian “Space Coffee” initiatives by their creators, as well as for the InnORBIT Digital Toolbox.
