How this space-tech competition and accelerator spurs the next frontier of entrepreneurship
Thorsten Rudolph, of the AZO competition hub in Germany, shows how space is the ultimate frontier for new navigation technologies and data-centric applications. In this interview, he invites space-tech startups to take part in the Galileo Masters competition, and win a chance for funding and acceleration.
- Programme.]Thorsten Rudolph, Managing Director, AZOThorsten Rudolph is the Managing Director at AZO (German acronym for Anwendungszentrum Oberpfaffenhofen), a hub for innovation competitions in aerospace exploration.
- AZO's Masters Series comprises four leading European innovation competitions in the fields of satellite navigation, Earth observation, new space economy, and Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the moon, Mars and beyond.
- One of the competitions is the Galileo Masters; Galileo is the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) created by the European Union (EU) through the European GNSS Agency (GSA).
- YourStory: What was the founding vision of the Galileo Masters competition, and how is it supported?Thorsten Rudolph: When we started the Galileo Masters in 2004, we had a vision to spur the commercial use of satellite navigation signals and services in everyday life.
- I am proud to say that this vision is now a reality: the Galileo Masters has demonstrated its potential to provide key solutions for Europe's Global Satellite Navigation Systems (E-GNSS).
- What would you say are the top three opportunities for entrepreneurs in thespace-tech domain?TR: Currently, the space-tech domain offers many opportunities.