Lectures, workshops and mentoring are now available!

The EU Space Academy Learning Platform offers enthusiastic entrepreneurs a free and customisable online development programme tailored to their unique goals.

Motivated to shake up your industry by employing the latest knowledge in space data? You’ve come to the right place.

Our academy brings you:

An introduction
Course
curriculum

Explore the following modules:

  • The Space Economy
  • Access to Space for Founders
  • EU Space Market Insights
  • New Space & Start-up Insights

Explore the following modules:

  • Secure Satellite Communication
  • Space Situational Awareness
  • Earth Observation
  • GNSS
  • Enabling Technologies

This course is coming soon!

Explore the following modules:

  • Copernicus Programme
  • Copernicus for Developers
  • Deep Dive on Remote Sensing Data Use Cases

Explore the following modules:

  • Galileo Programme & EGNOS
  • Galileo for Developers
  • Deep Dive on GNSS Use Cases

Explore the following modules:

  • Business Strategy
  • Business Model
  • Building a Team
  • Minimum Viable Product
  • Concept and Design
  • Marketing
  • Sales

Explore the following modules:

  • Opportunities under CASSINI
  • Public & Private Funding
  • Investor Pitching (Coming Soon)

Explore the following modules:

  • EU Space Policy
  • European Government Procurement (Coming Soon)
  • Regulatory Guidelines

This course is coming soon!

Explore the following modules:

  • Foundational Context
  • Governance and Institutional Cooperation in Space Security
  • Cybersecurity and Digital Resilience in Space Security

Explore the following modules:

  • Strategic and Industrial Dimensions of Space Security
  • Operational Applications of EU Space for Security
  • Frontier Technologies in Space Security
Deepen your knowledge

Our partners offer further learning opportunities across key areas of the space sector, from entrepreneurship and technology to policy and regulation. Explore their resources to continue your learning journey.

ESA Academy helps university students build space expertise through hands-on projects, technical training, and learning opportunities across space science, engineering, mission design, and business.

Lecturers
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Marco Filippi
Marco Filippi

Marco Filippi is Founder and CEO of Volvero, an Italian mobility technology company developing a digital vehicle-sharing platform to make transportation more accessible, efficient and sustainable. With a background in finance, private equity and venture capital, including experience at hedge funds and Autotech Ventures, he was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and pursued entrepreneurship studies at Stanford University. His expertise spans business innovation, AI and emerging technologies, driving the integration of satellite positioning data, blockchain and advanced analytics into next-generation shared mobility solutions.

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Rodolphe Muñoz
Rodolphe Muñoz

Rodolphe Muñoz is Head of Sector for Space Situational Awareness at the European Commission’s DG DEFIS, within the Secure Connectivity and Space Surveillance Unit. With extensive experience in European law and international organisations, including WHO, OSCE and EFTA, he leads the implementation of EU initiatives covering space surveillance and tracking, space weather and near-Earth objects. He also contributed to the EU’s 2022 Space Traffic Management Communication and the development of the EU Space Act, advancing safer and more sustainable space operations across Europe.

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Claudio Gizzi
Claudio Gizzi

Claudio Gizzi is Head of Operations at the Italian Space Situational Awareness Centre (CSSA), part of the Italian Air Force's Aerospace Operations Command, overseeing space surveillance and tracking activities supporting the EU SST programme. With over 25 years of experience in the Italian Air Force and a background in physics from Sapienza University of Rome, he has held operational roles in meteorology, space weather and NATO activities. His expertise spans space domain awareness, orbital object monitoring and space safety, contributing to European cooperation on satellite protection and space sustainability.

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Martin Giese
Martin Giese

Martin Giese is a startup coach and active business angel in leading incubators. He regularly lectures on fundraising negotiations, entrepreneurial leadership and business model incubation in leading academic programs.He is author of two guidebooks for startups on startup fundraising and B2B sales.

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Maria Gross
Maria Gross

Maria Gross is driven by change. She studied non-profit management and started her career at Daimler. Maria worked for different accelerators & incubators. She joined GERMANTECH as the Managing Director where she loves bringing together diverse stakeholders to learn from each other and work on a sustainable future.

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Dushinka
Dushinka Karani

Dushinka Karani is an expert in marketing, communications, innovation, sales, and trade marketing. Dushinka worked as a Marketing Director for multinational companies, and she is now the Global Marketing Director at FundigBox. She helps SMEs and start-ups in shaping and scaling their tech solutions.

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Vera Pinto Picture
Vera Pinto

Vera Pinto Gomes is Policy and Equality Coordinator at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space. With more than 17 years’ experience, she leads policy development on EU space, equality and environmental sustainability, including initiatives supporting sustainable space activities and wider use of EU space data and services.

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Cristina Perez Hernandez
Cristina Pérez Hernández

Cristina Pérez Hernández is Head of the Space Surveillance Area at the Spanish Space Agency (AEE), leading a team responsible for collision avoidance, satellite re-entry and fragmentation analysis services. An aeronautical engineer with extensive experience in space surveillance and tracking, she previously led Spain’s Space Surveillance and Tracking Operations Centre (S3TOC). Her expertise spans space traffic management, orbital safety and international cooperation, contributing to the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) programme and advancing sustainable space operations.

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Kaupo Voormansik
Kaupo Voormansik

Dr. Kaupo Voormansik is Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Kappazeta, an Estonian space technology company developing AI-powered Earth observation solutions for agriculture, forestry and defence. With a PhD in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) applications from the University of Tartu, he previously conducted research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and served as systems engineer for ESTCube-1, Estonia's first satellite. Formerly Kappazeta's CEO, he now leads product development and the company's 3D-SAR satellite mission to advance radar-based environmental monitoring.

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Monika Kuffer Picture
Monika Kuffer

Monika Kuffer is Professor of Sustainability of Rural-Urban Systems at the University of Twente. Her research combines urban remote sensing, geo-information science and planning to address sustainable urban development. She is particularly recognised for using very-high-resolution imagery to map informal settlements and support evidence-based urban policy.

Mentors
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Simon Chambers
Simon Chambers

Managing Director @ AXSYSNAV
Space and defence consultant with over 25 years of experience in strategy, business acceleration and funding. He has helped European space companies raise more than €45 million and supported over 75 firms through EU programmes. His background includes senior engineering at ESA, business development and telecommunications leadership.

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Alexandre Mencik
Alexandre Mencik

CEO @ Space Platform
Entrepreneur, investor and board member with over 30 years of international experience across aerospace, communications and life sciences. He has co-founded several deep-tech ventures, supported start-ups through public funding and angel investment, and mentors emerging space companies through European acceleration programmes and investor networks.

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Lys
Matthieu Lys

Head of Innovation Management @ Airbus Defence and Space
Passionate about aerospace, adaptable and creative programme and team manager. Entrepreneur, startup mentor and astronaut candidate (ESA 2008 and 2021). Experience within Airbus, DGA (French MoD) and Thales - customer qualification, flight and integration tests, design and innovation.
 

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Dr. Barnabás Tomka
Dr. Barnabás Tomka

Founder & CEO @ DANS CEE 
Defence and aerospace consultant with 25 years of experience in procurement, business development and industrial cooperation. He previously led procurement entities at Hungary’s Ministry of Defence and advises global OEMs and Central and Eastern European suppliers. He also coaches SMEs through the European Defence Fund’s EUDIS programme.

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Christos Bolakis
Dr. Christos Bolakis

Assistant Professor @ Hellenic Naval Academy
Defence-systems expert specialising in electro-optical, radar and infrared sensing. His work covers sensor design, integration and performance optimisation for situational-awareness applications. He teaches telecommunications and sensor technologies, and has contributed to EDF and Horizon Europe projects as an evaluator and EUDIS coach.

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Michael Schon
Michael Schön

CEO & Founder @ MeridianVertex
Senior advisor with 30+ years of experience across space, aerospace, automotive, AI, and deep-tech. He worked at ESA/ESTEC on major missions including EarthCARE, CryoSat, Aeolus, GOCE, and ExoMars, later led autonomous driving programmes at Volvo Cars, and worked in deep-tech investment at Volvo Cars Tech Fund. He now advises startups on strategy, commercialisation, and scaling space and dual-use technologies.

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Kadri Tammai
Kadri Tammai

Head of NATO DIANA Accelerator in Estonia, 
And the Head of Tehnopol Startup Incubator, one of the leading accelerators in the New Nordics. She is a seasoned business coach, who has advised over 200 startup companies, organized different kinds of innovation programs for corporates, and evaluated thousands of startups for various competitions and projects. She leads workshops for startups and also contribute to the next-generation startup founders by being a startup lecturer at the Tallinn University of Technology already for the 5th season.

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Gérard Scheitler profile picture
Gérard Scheitler

Bringing over 25 years’ experience in mission-critical IT operations to space-sector resilience, Gérard develops practical approaches to incident management, operational governance and anomaly response for satellite operations and emerging space infrastructure. His work is informed by ESA mission-operations training and experience across high-availability European institutional and defence environments.

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Dr. Barnabás Tomka
Dr. Barnabás Tomka

Founder & CEO @ DANS CEE 
Defence and aerospace consultant with 25 years of experience in procurement, business development and industrial cooperation. He previously led procurement entities at Hungary’s Ministry of Defence and advises global OEMs and Central and Eastern European suppliers. He also coaches SMEs through the European Defence Fund’s EUDIS programme.

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Erika Wolf
Erika Wolf

Founder & President @ Ways Ehead Avocat
Lawyer with 15+ years of experience in aerospace and space sectors, including roles at Airbus in France, Germany, and Spain. Expert in business law, ESG sustainability, and ethics, focused on fundraising, competitiveness, and resilience. She supports startups in integrating sustainability and contributes to EU taxonomy projects with ESA and CNES.

FAQ

Any individual of legal age established in the Member States of European Economic Area, EU candidate countries and Horizon Europe associated countries.

Register anytime during the academy by clicking at the courses on our website. 

No, not at all. We encourage anyone with a passion for entrepreneurship and EU space data and signals to participate in the academy. You can learn about the opportunities of the downstream sector and business practices to create a successful start-up.

Yes, there is no requirement as such for participation in the EU Space Academy Learning Platform. Although the course is aimed at entrepreneurs within the space sector, the lessons are designed so any interested person regardless of their background can find modules of interest.

No, you can register to the online programme anytime! Once you registered, you will gain access to all the available courses that you can watch at your own convenience. 

Each member of your team can individually join and benefit from the academy. 

No, you can watch the lessons in your preferred order.

Yes, you will get a certificate after completing the academy. Additionally, after the completion of each course, you can download a completion badge and share it with your network.

Yes, feel free to join all the courses you like.

You can book up to 4 mentoring sessions in any 365-day period, either with the same mentor or different ones. Note that places are limited and mentor availability cannot be guaranteed