Over a period of four years, more than thirty young innovative companies in the space sector have been attracted to Turin, Italy and, thanks to the support of the ESA BIC Turin incubation program, have raised a total of more than €24 million in private investment, including from international investors.
The incubation program is managed by I3P, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation.
ESA BIC Turin offers a tailored incubation path based on the technology and development stage of each start-up, providing financial support, strategic advice, and scientific and technological assistance for the development of products and services.
The young space companies
The supported start-ups operate in strategic technologies that tap into important trends in the Space Economy: development of components for satellite systems, technologies for in-orbit servicing, secure satellite telecommunications, new materials for aerospace applications, services for cleantech applications based on satellite data, and even artificial intelligence algorithms for services related to Earth observation.
The admitted companies were selected from over 60 applications from Piedmont, other Italian regions, and, in some cases, even from abroad. A personalized technological and business support plan was defined for each business project.
The incubated start-ups benefited from financial support from Regione Piemonte, and the centres activities were supported by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and the Torino Chamber of Commerce.
The support from the program partners
Over the years, ESA BIC Turin has developed an extensive network of institutional, industrial, scientific, and financial partnerships to support the technological and business development of start-ups.
The financial support provided by the centre's partners has generated a significant multiplier effect on private investment: overall, every euro spent on supporting the centre's activities and the start-ups it incubates has contributed to raising €10 in capital invested in the companies it supports. ESA BIC Turin is part of a network operating throughout Europe, with over 30 centres across the continent - among which 5 in Italy - and prospects for further growth.
Augusto Cramarossa, Head of Strategic Area Coordination at the Italian Space Agency (ASI), said: “The Italian Space Agency considers support for start-ups and incubators to be a key lever for the growth of the national space economy. The results achieved by ESA BIC Turin highlight the strategic value of these tools in generating investment and skilled employment. ASI is proud to support tools that not only stimulate innovation but also have a concrete impact on the national economy and the competitiveness of the Italian space sector."
Luca Del Monte, Head of Commercialisation at the European Space Agency (ESA), commented: "In just four years, ESA BIC Turin has established itself as a strategic gateway for space innovation in Europe. The results achieved demonstrate how the combination of local expertise and ESA support can accelerate the growth of highly promising initiatives and attract international investment. Turin is emerging not only as one of Italy's leading hubs for space technologies, but also as a key driver of competitiveness in the European space ecosystem. We are proud of this achievement and look forward to further expanding our impact together with our partners."
Sustaining international growth
The companies supported in the early stages of development have already created over 120 highly skilled jobs in the aerospace and related technology sectors. Twenty-five percent of the entrepreneurial teams come from outside the region, and in some cases from abroad, choosing to establish their businesses in Turin.
Andrea Tronzano, Regional Councilor for the Development of Productive Activities and SMEs and for the Budget of the Piedmont Region, stated: "The results achieved by ESA BIC Turin confirm Piedmont's central role in the aerospace innovation landscape. Its appeal to Italian and foreign start-ups demonstrates the strength of our scientific, industrial, and institutional ecosystem. As the Piedmont Region, we have believed in the strategic value of this incubator from the outset and will continue to support its evolution, including in the internationalization phase of companies. Turin is increasingly a reference point for European aerospace and a driver of high-tech development for the entire region."
The first four years of activity have laid the foundations for further growth in the portfolio of supported start-ups. In the coming years, an additional internationalization support program will be launched for companies that have completed the incubation process and are in the pre-scaleup phase.
The internationalization program will be geared towards facilitating access to European and non-European aerospace clusters, increasing opportunities for raising capital and integrating into international value chains in the sector. These objectives for the centre's growth and development will be achievable thanks to the support and joint collaboration with ESA BIC Turin's institutional partners.
Paolo Mulassano, Head of Obiettivo Pianeta and Learning Management at Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, said: "Considering the solid academic and industrial foundations in the Space Economy, for Turin, investing in this sector means looking to the future without losing sight of its roots. With this in mind, in its first four years of activity, ESA BIC Turin has been a valuable driving force in attracting high-potential start-ups, which have successfully integrated into a rapidly evolving ecosystem. It is therefore with enthusiasm that, in line with the 2025-2028 Multi-Year Program Document, the Company renews its support for this program, which is a fundamental part of our Foundation's strategy to position Turin on the global map of innovation ecosystems."
Massimiliano Cipolletta, President of the Turin Chamber of Commerce, concluded: “The Turin Chamber of Commerce has supported the ESA BIC Turin centre since its inception and will continue to do so, both to encourage the creation and development of local start-ups, which are the best expression of the region's innovative and technological capabilities, and to attract new talent from Italy and abroad, thus confirming Turin's strategic role as an international aerospace hub.”
