Ten European companies win an opportunity to internationalise in Brazil
Five Portuguese companies are among 10 European SMEs that will participate in an event promoting the Copernicus Programme and the Eureka Network in Rio de Janeiro. This initiative of the AIR Centre and the Portuguese Space Agency aims to promote the use of Copernicus data and the internationalisation of these companies.
The European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that will have the opportunity to expand their business to Brazil, within the scope of the second competition of its kind promoted by the Portuguese Space Agency – Portugal Space and the AIR Centre have been announced. Ten European SMEs were selected to participate in a face-to-face event in Rio de Janeiro on 29 and 30 March, promoted within the framework of the Partnership Framework Agreement for the Use of Copernicus by Users in the Member States (FPCUP*).
Among the dozen European SMEs are five Portuguese: Spotlite, Agroinsider, Eyecon Group, Bold Robotics and Spin Works. The lot also includes Sentinel Hub (Austria), Gisaïa (France), World From Space (Czech Republic), Lelieur BV (Belgium) and Terradue (Italy).
The initiative will take place in parallel with the third edition of Eureka Meets the Atlantic, organized by AIR Centre in Rio de Janeiro. It is part of the Portuguese presidency of Eureka, the world’s largest network of cooperation in R&D.
By supporting the internationalisation of European companies, Portugal Space and AIR Centre are also helping to bring Africa and South America together to take advantage of the many benefits and possibilities provided by Copernicus.
In the first competition under this programme, six Portuguese SMEs won the opportunity to internationalise in South Africa. One of those companies was COSMOS PICS. For the company’s CEO, Ekaterina Stambolieva, the presence at the event was “invaluable”. “It was a great opportunity to network. As a well-prepared startup, we were able to arrange meetings with potential clients who were not even present at the event. Just mentioning the in-person event gave the necessary credibility that would open even more doors for us later.”
COSMOS PICS is already working “hard to expand into South Africa” and still has meetings “related to opportunities” that have started to develop in Cape Town. “I would say that this event, as well as the others, will give startups the necessary opportunity to expand their business globally,” Ekaterina Stambolieva adds.
The next destinations for the FPCUP action will be Cabo Verde and Nigeria. European companies – to be selected in future competitions – will have an exceptional networking opportunity in these countries, with an objective of increasing their visibility in international markets and leading to the expansion of their activity. The satellite images and products generated by the programme enable value-added services that positively impact various sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, resource optimisation or infrastructure management.
[*This event is supported by the European Union’s Caroline Herschel Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake under grant agreement no. FPA 275 / G / GRO / COPE / 17 /10042, FPCUP project (Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake), Action no. 2020-3-5, “Copernicus SMEs – Atlantic Ocean Interactions (AIR Centre, Portugal Space, SGA contract no. 13].
