IPN and Técnico selected by ESA to run the new ESA BIC centres in Portugal

The ESA Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC), the European Space Agency (ESA) incubation programme, is entering a new phase in Portugal for the 2026-2028 cycle, now operating through two hubs: Instituto Pedro Nunes will coordinate ESA BIC Centro+, while Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) will coordinate ESA BIC Tagus+.

The parallel implementation of two contracts, delivered by the two institutions, strengthens the national programme, which is part of ESA’s ACCESS Programme and focuses on commercialisation in the space sector. During 2014-2024, the Portuguese programme was coordinated by IPN with a network of incubators across the country. During this period, ESA BIC Portugal supported more than 60 companies.

As ESA’s national delegation, the Portuguese Space Agency set the high-level objectives for ESA BIC in Portugal and authorised the funding required for the procurement process. ESA selected the two consortia. “Implementing ESA BIC Portugal through two consortia in parallel strengthens national incubation capacity and supports a more distributed approach, engaging additional incubation centres and regional partners,” said Ricardo Conde, President of the Portuguese Space Agency. “Governance through an Advisory Board and the existence of selection panels ensure coherence with national priorities and with the ambition to strengthen Portugal’s competitiveness in ESA value chains.”

Within ESA BIC Tagus+, ADIST – Associação para o Desenvolvimento do Instituto Superior Técnico will lead the consortium, working with the Taguspark Incubator and the Técnico Venture Lab, both based in Oeiras, as well as the Azores Sea School Incubator in Horta (Azores). Implementation will also involve partners such as the Municipality of Oeiras, CEiiA and Vieira de Almeida & Associados, strengthening the programme’s capacity to provide technical support, market connectivity and legal guidance to the incubated start-ups.

Joana Mendonça, Vice President of Instituto Superior Técnico for the Oeiras Campus, underlined the strategic relevance of the new centre for the institution and for Portugal’s positioning in the space sector: “The creation of ESA BIC Tagus+ marks a strategic step by Instituto Superior Técnico in strengthening Portugal’s role in the space sector. By bringing together scientific excellence, entrepreneurship and a strong network of national and international partners, we are creating the conditions to turn knowledge into economic and societal impact, positioning Oeiras and Técnico as a leading hub in Europe’s new space economy”.

Under ESA BIC Centro+, Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) will lead the consortium, bringing together IPN (Coimbra), the Pampilhosa da Serra Business Center and Incuba+ Santa Maria (Santa Maria, Azores) as incubation partners. The consortium also includes the  Municipality of Coimbra, CIM Região de Coimbra and CCDRC, ensuring alignment with regional priorities and strong territorial coverage.

With ESA BIC Centro+, Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) highlighted the consolidation of the space sector as a priority within the Centre Region’s smart specialisation strategy, underpinned by scientific knowledge generation, technology development and the training of highly qualified talent. “Beyond funding, it will provide start-ups with specialised technical support grounded in more than 30 years of incubation experience, strengthened through access to laboratories and a dedicated network of incubators in the Centre Region, as well as national and international partners, creating the conditions to accelerate entrepreneurs’ talent in developing solutions based on space technology and data”, states Jorge Pimenta, Innovation Director at IPN.

“After more than ten years of ESA BIC activity, the initiative continues to leverage Portugal’s growing efforts in space through entrepreneurship, building ventures that address pressing challenges in the space domain and in our daily lives. With two ESA BICs now operating in parallel, we are not only reinforcing a sustained growth path for new startups – supporting their acceleration, internationalisation, and integration into ESA value streams –but also reaffirming Portugal’s increasing role within Europe’s space innovation ecosystem,” said Cornelis Eldering, Head of the Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Office at ESA.

Each contract provides for the selection and funding of up to six start-ups per year, funded through Portugal’s ESA subscription and by local partners: the Coimbra and Oeiras City Halls, CIM Coimbra Region, and the Portuguese Space Agency. A budget envelope of around €2.8 million is foreseen, primarily allocated to direct financial incentives for start-ups, to accelerate technology maturity, access specialised mentoring, and consolidate business models.

The first start-up selection calls for ESA BIC Centro+ and ESA BIC Tagus+ are expected to open in the first half of 2026.