Two ESA business incubators have been ranked fourth and seventh in the world classification of university-affiliated incubators evaluated in 53 countries.

Another, Sol-ionics, has developed a range of high-quality lubricants and greases for industrial applications, extreme-pressure conditions, off-road vehicles and water-resistance operations.

One is WideFind, a start-up offering a smart system to localise everything, everywhere.

The Wilda company has developed a communication system for areas where cell phone connectivity is far from guaranteed. The approach has gained attention from the Fire and Rescue Service in northern Sweden, who struggle with communications during outdoor incidents.

ESA has 18 centres centres throughout Europe helping entrepreneurs and start-ups to spin-off space technology and to exploit satellite data for new terrestrial applications. More than 550 start-ups have been fostered and each year another 145 are selected.

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