Four winners have been revealed of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) startup competition, using space to solve problems on Earth.

ESA announces winners of its Startup CompetitionThey are: Cosmic (helping to conserve water), Hawa Dawa (reducing air pollution), Orbital EOS (better detection of oils spills) and ConstellR (increase crop yields).

Cosmic Srl, in Italy, was the overall winner. They aim to develop their neutron detector-based concept to make a low-cost device that is easy to install on any vehicle. It would measure the water content of the ground around pipelines and identify leaks.

The technology works on the premise that cosmic rays that constantly shower Earth are absorbed by hydrogen, a component of water. The idea is based on measurements with a detector that counts cosmic rays in a certain energy band. The count will decrease if the rays are absorbed by a body of water. Data collected are cross-referenced with GPS positioning provided by satellite navigation and continuously sent to a server for realtime data analysis based on artificial intelligence to detect water leaks.

Over two months, says ESA, the entrants were judged on the team, business model, societal impact of the project and usefulness, and quality of the proposal.

“Each proposal makes sound business sense and will have a very positive societal or environmental impact,” said Eric Morel de Westgaver, ESA Director of Industry, Procurement and Legal Services. “The people behind these ideas are experts in their fields who have spotted opportunities in the market. Their dedication and commitment teamed with ESA’s recognition and support gives them the boost needed to bring these ideas to fruition.”

The winners will receive advice and mentoring grant tailored to their specific needs with ESA also inviting the winners to present at the 2021 Global Space Congress in Abu Dhabi.

The process involved Member State Business Incubation Centres, ESA scientific, business and legal experts, and ESA’s Inspector General, with all 22 Member State delegates voting unanimously on the final winners.

You can learn more about the winners at the virtual ESA Industry Space Days, which will be held on Wednesday 16 September 2020.