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The ESA Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) Harwell supports entrepreneurs and high tech start-up companies to translate space technologies, applications and services into viable non-space business ideas.

Located at Harwell Oxford, one of the UK's national science and innovation campuses, the ESA BIC Harwell is part of a rich environment which is home to over 4,500 researchers, engineers and innovators from more than 150 different high-tech organisations.

Managed by STFC Innovations Limited, the technology transfer office of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the ESA BIC Harwell has specialist capabilities in innovation, exploration and instrumentation, as well as expertise in areas such as earth observation, astronomy, operations, data management, advanced electronics, detectors, optics and robotics.

The Centre, as part of the ESA Technology Transfer Programme Office's Business Incubation initiative, gives entrepreneurs and start-ups the space they need to get their ideas off of the ground.

The ESA BIC Harwell has specialist capabilities in innovation, exploration and instrumentation, as well as expertise in areas such as earth observation, astronomy, operations, data management, advanced electronics, detectors, optics and robotics.

ESA BIC Harwell c/o Nicola Musgrove
Atlas Building
Harwell Oxford
Didcot
Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX
United Kingdom
Email: enquries@esa-bic.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1235 446075

The Electrospinning Company was the ESA BIC Harwell's first tenant. The company is a leading provider of electrospun nanofibre innovations, developing solutions to industrial challenges. They also work closely with academic research groups to develop novel nano-scale fibres and coatings for scientific research.

Sci-Tech Systems Ltd is developing a person-over-board (POB) system which aims to exploit a recognised gap in the commercial and marine leisure markets, by combining a crew overboard alarm and a real-time tracking and retrieval system.

Radius Health was launched to develop and exploit microemitter array X-ray technology. They have developed a pyroelectric emitter that utilises Field Emission technologies.

Teratech Components Ltd is a spin-out from STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Teratech’s dedicated fabrication laboratory is able to respond very quickly to its customers’ requirements for Terahertz Schottky diodes and components worldwide.

GeoCento provides innovative web-based technologies and services for selecting, planning and accessing satellite imagery, including archive and near real time imagery. Their goal is to improve the experience for the wide range of users who make use of satellite imagery in their businesses and operations.

e-canal Ltd specialises in the development of location-based services for the inland waterways. e-canal is committed to providing excellence of service and support to waterway visitors and associated commercial organisations and aims to be the pre-eminent provider of location-based information in this sector.

Bennamann is currently working with the cryogenics group in RAL Space to install an anaerobic digester as part of the STFC Energy Research Unit. This will use all of the vegetation from the Harwell site as feedstock.

Travel AI is creating a Smartphone app designed to produce an accurate understanding of our travel movement. This app will benefit transport providers in providing more accurate services.

Oxford nanoSystems aim to facilitate the improvement of heat transfer modern day systems. They are using STFC facilities to develop technology that will provide financial benefits for household users and will overall help extend the lifespan expectancy of household boilers.

DriveHub is a big data broker service for the transport sector. Their aim is to empower drivers to drive safely and reduce costs through the intelligent use of relevant information. DriveHub combines Big Data techniques in their cloud platform as a service with smart analytics to deliver real time information to drivers via a smartphone app. They are able reduce costs by up to 50% for young drivers, and provide real time information such as accurate speed limits and accident black spot warnings.

Chilton Tech are developing microneedle arrays for use in vaccinations, so that a significantly smaller volume of liquid will be needed.

Interasight is a newly-formed business based in Harwell, focussed on adapting sensing technologies developed in the space industry for terrestrial use, particularly imaging for industrial inspection.

ESA BIC Harwell has an open call for proposals, which means that you can submit an application to us at any time. The deadline for the next selection campaign is the 21st May 2013.

The main requirement for acceptance in ESA's Business Incubation scheme is that your product or service is based on a transfer of space technology, and/or the utilisation of a space system in a non-space environment.

All of the documents you need to make your application to us are below. The complete proposal, together with all supporting documents, should be submitted electronically and by post to us at the contact address.