Polish scientists took 2nd place in prestigious competition. They are working on space technologies
The space sector is developing dynamically, creating opportunities for young engineers. The ERC competition is a key opportunity to test future technologies and gain contacts in the industry.
Last year, global spending on the space industry reached $117 billion, an increase of 176 percent over the past 10 years. Despite the rapid development of technology, the challenges in this industry concern not only technical progress, but also human resources. The space sector is associated with numerous opportunities, both in terms of space flights and work on innovations on Earth. There is an increasing talk of the need to recruit new specialists, and competitions such as the European Rover Challenge (ERC) are an opportunity to select future leaders.
Łukasz Wilczyński, co-founder of the European Space Foundation, emphasizes the importance of space technologies in various sectors of the economy. He mentions the key technology transfer programs that NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) run, bringing innovations tested in orbit back to Earth. These technologies are widely used in many industries, from satellite navigation, which is crucial for defense, to agriculture, where the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites allow monitoring the condition of crops.
The introduction of technologies developed for space missions into everyday life is one of the key effects of the development of the sector. Technologies such as laser vision correction, kidney dialysis, artificial heart or computed tomography have their roots in research related to space exploration. Even such commonly used items as thermal foil or shape memory foam have their origins in the space sector.
The growing spending on the space industry is driven by the need for further technology transfer. A report by the Polish Economic Institute, prepared in cooperation with POLSA, shows that the total value of the space economy in 2022 was approximately $464 billion. Although technology allows us to explore almost the entire Solar System, the limitation remains the human, whose physical and mental capabilities are a challenge.
ERC competition as a test for future leaders
The European Rover Challenge is an event that brings together young engineers and scientists from all over the world. This year’s tenth edition took place in Krakow at the AGH University of Science and Technology, where 24 teams from different countries competed, including five from Poland. Janet Ivey-Duensing, CEO of Janet’s Planet, emphasized the importance of this competition for the development of future leaders in the space sector. The tasks that the participants faced reflected real missions, such as those carried out by NASA on Mars or the Moon.
The teams had to face difficult conditions on a surface simulating Mars, including a newly designed Mars Yard, which referred to the largest canyon in the Solar System, Valles Marineris. The FHNW Rover Team from Switzerland did best, while the Polish team AGH Space Systems took second place.
ERC is not only a prestigious competition, but also a chance to establish contacts with representatives of the space industry. Young engineers have the opportunity to present their skills to investors and entrepreneurs who are looking for innovations in this developing sector. Wilczyński emphasizes that many participants of the competition will establish their own start-ups or take up jobs in space companies in the future.
The future of the European space sector
The European Rover Challenge attracts not only young scientists, but also experts from the space industry, such as Dr. Swati Mohan from NASA or Simon Jenner from Axiom Space. Each edition of the competition brings new opportunities for both the Polish and global space sector. Thanks to events such as the ERC, Polish companies and institutions can establish cooperation with foreign partners and introduce new technologies to the market.
The Polish space industry, although still relatively young, is developing dynamically. According to POLSA data, there are over 400 companies and institutes related to the space sector in the country, of which over 200 cooperate with ESA on a daily basis. Polish companies specialize in fields such as robotics, mechatronics, optics, and satellite software.
The ERC 2024 competition was also an opportunity to establish business contacts within the Cassini Matchmaking initiative, supporting European start-ups and small businesses. Cooperation with EUSPA allowed participants to benefit from individual mentoring consultations with representatives of European organizations.
