si-Cluster
Greek Space Technologies and Applications Cluster
Greece: Attica
Jorge Sanchez
Profile:
90% completed
Overview
About us
Vision and Mission
The Hellenic Space Technologies and Applications Cluster (si-Cluster) is an emerging, industrially-led and user-driven innovation cluster in Greece with the vision to become a world class cluster in the challenging and fast-growing sector of space technologies and applications.
The si-Cluster is expanding rapidly not only its industrial base but also its cooperation ties with all the innovation ecosystem actors, bringing together the majority of the stakeholders of the space sector in Greece, including academia, research institutes, European, regional and central governmental and other stakeholders involved in this demanding technological field, aiming to fulfill its mission of placing Greece amid the countries which currently develop cutting edge space technologies and applications with a high international visibility, capable of developing and attracting high impact research, development and innovation and business activities.
Thematic focus/competences of the cluster
The si-Cluster members participated jointly and/or independently in research, development and commercial projects through which they gained the necessary know-how on space procedures, qualifications, products and services, standards and development of tangible products and services. Based on the cartography of the si-Cluster members, they can be roughly grouped in the following areas of specialisation and expertise: Specialised microelectronics and embedded systems, Advanced materials and structures, Satellite and ground segment Operations, Earth Observation Applications, Robotics.
Long-Term Strategic Goals
- Integrate the whole Greek space ecosystems into the si-Cluster
- Establish a National Space Program
- Achieve 100% geo-return from ESA programs
- Increase Greek participation in the Horizon 2020 Programme
- Increase National Programmes addressed to space
- Enhance Bilateral space Programmes
- Support the creation of a significant number of new space companies
- Create the conditions in Greece for multinationals to develop a local branch
- Support National “champions” (internationally recognized companies) in space technologies and applications
- 2/3 of the si-Cluster companies’ turnover originating from commercial contracts
- si-Cluster products qualified as Space Approved Products
- Recognition of the members’ products (value chains) in the international markets
- Greek products become part of space missions
- Transfer technology from other markets to space and vise versa
- Development of an Integrated human resource development programme from the primary education to the industry
- Create a proper framework for a Greek Astronaut to take part in a space mission
- Create a sustainable Assembly, Integration & Testing facility in Greece
- Develop a facility in Greece to become #1 Remote Testing Site in Europe
- Create a Data Evaluation/Curation service in Greece for space data
- Create a cloud-technologies based facility in Greece that will give the opportunity to third parties to develop and provide remote sensing services and applications
Established - 22 September 2008
Staff in the management team - 1-5
Support services for upskilling and reskilling of companies workforce
- Vocational training
- Mentoring
- Talent Attraction
- Involvement in a local skills strategy
Cluster composition
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62Cluster Members
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36SME's
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10Number of start-ups among SME's
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3Large Companies
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19Research Organisations, Universities, Technology Centers
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2Number of civil society members
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2Other Ecosystem Actors
- Total exports of cluster members increased +154% from 2011 to 2013 and ratio of Exports vs. Revenues increased from 20% to 40%. Increase of turnover came from exports building on common cluster branding and marketing strategy, common cluster participation in trade fairs, roadshows, conferences, etc, strategic alliances with global domain leaders, Develop of communication and collaboration channels among the members, and with similar actors within the European and the international space marketplace, enhancement of innovation capacity/edge through partnerships, acquisitions and/or outsourcing to innovative cluster members.
- Globalization has increased the need to combine strong internal dynamics within a cluster with solid linkages to clusters and markets located elsewhere. The si-Cluster had little cooperation with similar or complementary clusters at national and international level. Those linkages were established and in this respect the following was implemented: Linkages and strategic alliances with other clusters worldwide that provide complimentary capabilities are created, Collaboration and strategic alliance opportunities with other thematic clusters in Greece was established in order to achieve technology spill-overs and innovation-multipliers.
- The European Space Agency has recently announced, in the framework of its Industrial Policy Committee (ESA IPC), the current status of its Member-States’ geographical return coefficient/GRC. The GRC value is deemed as particularly important at this instance, as 2015 marks the start of new statistics measuring period. The relevant documentation shows a considerable improvement, in terms of contracts awarded to Greek entities under the various ESA Programmes, thus contributing to an unprecedented value of the GRC of over 1 (1.06). At the level of net contract value this corresponds to 2.5 M € above the target level of 41 M € that signifies a GRC equal to 1. It should be underlined that this outcome has been achieved within the very competitive ESA environment and during a financial crisis which has caused considerable difficulties for the Greek industry. It is worthwhile to note that the evolution of the GRC value over the last 5 years is as follows: 0.54 (2009), 0.51 (2010), 0.77 (2011), 0.99 (2012), 0.90 (2013), 1.06 (2014). This extraordinary achievement is due to the continuous cooperation between the Greek delegation to ESA (General Secretariat for Research & Technology/GSRT), the ESA executive, delegations from other Member-States and the Large System Integrators (LSIs) of the European Space sector. Moreover, this result can be attributed: a) to the existing capabilities of the Greek Space sector (Space Cluster/Industry, Universities, Research Institutes), contributing to Greek entities being selected as contractors, and b) to ESA issuing a number of calls/tendering procedures “Restricted to Greece”, thus reserving specific activities/ contracts in favour of our country. It should be mentioned that this common effort received significant support by the two Member-States which are ESA’s biggest contributors, namely France and Germany. These two countries offered not only their strategic support and technical expertise but also the funding of jointly designated activities within specific ESA Programmes, ultimately aiming at a broader and long-term bilateral cooperation in the Space sector.
- Alma Technologies JPEG Encoder IP Core compresses images aboard NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover.
Legal form of the cluster organisation
No Legal Form
Languages spoken
English
French
German
Greek
Spanish
Link to the team description on the cluster organisation website
Other label
National Mature Cluster, ISO 9001:2008, EBN EUBIC
Cumulated employment of cluster members
3000
Cumulated exports of cluster members
€
100000000
Cumulated turnover of cluster members
€
200000000
Management team
Jorge
Sanchez
Cluster Manager
Jorge
Sanchez
ECCP Responsible Person
Nikos
Vogiatzis
Internationalisation Responsible
Sectorial and industrial focus
Sectoral industries
Manufacturing:C26 Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products -
Information and communication:J61 Telecommunications -
Information and communication:J62 Computer programming, consultancy and related activities
Sectoral Industries (NACE 4 digit)
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products:C2611 Manufacture of electronic components -
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products:C2612 Manufacture of loaded electronic boards -
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products:C2630 Manufacture of communication equipment -
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products:C2651 Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, testing and navigation -
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products:C2670 Manufacture of optical instruments and photographic equipment -
Manufacture of electrical equipment:C2732 Manufacture of other electronic and electric wires and cables -
Manufacture of other transport equipment:C3030 Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery -
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment:C3313 Repair of electronic and optical equipment -
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment:C3316 Repair and maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft -
Air transport:H5122 Space transport -
Telecommunications:J6130 Satellite telecommunications activities -
Computer programming, consultancy and related activities:J6201 Computer programming activities -
Computer programming, consultancy and related activities:J6209 Other information technology and computer service activities -
Information service activities:J6311 Data processing, hosting and related activities -
Information service activities:J6399 Other information service activities n.e.c. -
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security:O8422 Defence activities
Cross-sectoral industries
Mobility Technologies
Industrial Alliances and Ecosystems
Ecosystems:Aerospace & Defence
Technology fields
B\: Performing operations; transporting:Physical or chemical processes or apparatus in general -
B\: Performing operations; transporting:Aircraft; aviation; cosmonautics -
B\: Performing operations; transporting:Nanotechnology -
G\: Physics:Measuring; testing -
Y\: General tagging of new technological developments:Y04 - Information or communication technologies having an impact on other technology areas
S3 EU priority areas
Aeronautics & space:Aeronautics -
Aeronautics & space:Aeronautics & environment -
Aeronautics & space:Safety & security -
Aeronautics & space:Space -
Digital transformation:Artificial intelligence, cognitive systems, augmented and virtual reality, visualisation, simulation, gamification & interaction technologies -
Digital transformation:Big data, data mining, database management -
Digital transformation:Cloud computing and software as a service and service architectures -
Digital transformation:ICT trust, cyber security & network security -
Digital transformation:Internet of Things (e.g. connected devices, sensors and actuators networks) -
Digital transformation:Location based technologies (e.g. GPS, GIS, in-house localization) -
Digital transformation:Robotics, autonomous and cyber physical systems (e.g. vehicles, embedded systems) -
KETs:Advanced materials -
KETs:Micro/Nano-electronics -
KETs:Nanotechnology -
KETs:Photonics -
Public health & security:Dual use -
Public health & security:Public safety & pandemics -
Sustainable innovation:Climate change
Key members
| Profile name | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Corallia |
Greece
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| Adveos |
Greece
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| LEO Space Photonics |
Greece
|
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| HTR |
Greece
|
|
| Raymetrics |
Greece
|
|
| SPARC |
Greece
|
|
| Thales Group |
Greece
|
|
| ISD |
Greece
|
|
| Applied Mechanics and Vibrations Laboratory - UPATRAS |
Greece
|
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| Control Systems Laboratory - NTUA |
Greece
|
Services
Support services provided
Internationalisation Support (access to third countries markets)
Access to finance: Public funding
Access to finance: Private funding
Facilitation of collaboration between members (within the cluster)
Support of Research, Development and Innovation
Further information
An integrated portfolio of services addressed to members offers even greater value to their daily operation, covering a wide range of actions with special focus on synergies within the ecosystem, enhancing innovation and extroversion with benefit packages and supporting actions:
- Research & Networking: Showcasing the profile of cluster members and the identity of the cluster overall, placing the ecosystem dynamically on the international market, through targeted publicity, networking and through the design and implementation of data collection.
- Cluster Expansion: Advisory support on specific operational and business development issues, with many opportunities for cooperation with experienced partners and benefits of involvement within a collaborative environment of innovation incubators.
- Education & Training: Business acceleration opportunities and the training of scientific and management staff of cluster members through their participation in high quality educational programs and specialized seminars organized with widely acknowledged associates.
- Commercial Cooperation: Strengthening of the value chain and the partnerships between members, international presence, expansion into new markets and developing strategic partnerships both at home and abroad through participation in well-organised exhibitions, roadshows to target markets and business meetings.
- Innovation & Technology: Improving innovation processes and developing technological achievements, monitoring and shaping trends and international high technology standards with the enhancement of applied research by linking industry and academic research community and by organising scientific events.
- Policy Action: Exploring partnerships, shaping policy proposals and developing action plans on issues for supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and competitiveness at regional and national level aiming to improve the macroeconomic environment.
Support services for upskilling and reskilling of companies workforce
Vocational training -
Mentoring -
Talent Attraction -
Involvement in a local skills strategy
Support programmes
EU Programmes
European Programmes
H2020
CIP/COSME
INTERREG
European Social Fund (ESF)
Name & description
We currently run a a project under the national programme for cluster development co-financed by National Funds and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Hellenic National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF):
- Development and Operation of Innovation Cluster in Space Technologies and Applications
Project name
We implement a number of projects that underpin the development of innovative products or services in new value chains by SMEs or support the development of new support schemes for startups/SMEs. Some of the currently running projects are:
- UFO (Emerging indUstries new value chains boosted by small Flying Objects): will finance collaborative projects from European SMEs in order to stimulate the development of new innovative products and services by integrating new technological solutions and expertise provided by the combination of innovative Small Flying Objects, embedded nano and digital technologies, Key Enabling Technologies (KETs), data analysis and exploitation solutions.
- GALATEA (Grow and accelerate your smart projects in new value chains of the European Blue Economy): aims at promoting collaborations between SMEs in 4 key domains of Blue Growth with immense potential of development and uptake of innovative solutions by businesses: Smart port, Smart ship, Smart shipyard, maritime surveillance.
- GALACTICA (Smart Industrial innovation as enabler to drive new value chains for textiles and aerospace): will support the creation of new industrial value chains around textile and aerospace based on advanced manufacturing across the EU to accelerate growth and employment of the future by the development of long-term internationally competitive goods and services that require combining different competences and innovative solutions.
- PSAMIDES (Ports small and medium alliance for sustainable development): aims at linking two critical blue growth sectors: Ports and coastal & maritime tourism, which combined represent 51% of GVA, 69% of jobs and 61% of profits of the total EU blue economy, strongly concentrated in MED area.
- S3FOOD (Smart Sensor System for Food Safety, Quality Control and Resource Efficiency in the Food Processing Industry): will facilitate the implementation of smart sensor systems in the food processing industry, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the objective to improve quality control, resource efficiency and the follow-up of food safety in the course of the food production process.
- Innorbit (Empowering innovation intermediaries to generate sustainable initiatives to incentivise and accelerate the commercialisation of space innovation): This H2020-SPACE project will support 50 startups and scale-ups to grow and commercialise their space solutions via 20 sustainable and effective initiatives.
We also implement a number of projects and initiatives that underpin the expansion in international markets:
- SPACE2WAVES (Clusters in action for the internationalization of European SMEs taking advantage of the cross-sectoral dimension of Earth observation for Blue Growth market): The project aims at accelerating the global deployment of earth observation technologies in blue growth and at supporting European SMEs to export in Australia, Canada, South Africa, and United Arab Emirates.
We are also tasked with the establishment and operation of the ESA BIC Greece and run CASSINI and ActInSpace Hackathons.
Cooperation activities
International cooperation
Targeted countries
Egypt
Indonesia
Israel
Taiwan
United States
Transnational cooperation
Targeted countries
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
Transnational support activites
Promotional Activities -
Participation at missions/events/study visits/fairs -
Support to collaborative activities/etc.
International support activites
Participation at missions/events/study visits/fairsFurther information
Striving for international outreach, the si-Cluster has set extroversion and international collaborations as a key strategic goal; this goals is promoted through the signing of international collaboration agreements, cluster ambassadors, roadshows, hosting of international delegations, helpdesk support, training activities. A structured, strategic approach is followed for the international collaboration activities, from the signing of collaboration agreements to the resulting international project proposals. Focal countries up to date include France, Israel, Italy, Cyprus, Germany, the UK and China.
Connection to cluster organisation(s)
| Profile name | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Valley |
France
|
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| gi-Cluster |
Greece
|
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| gi-Cluster |
Greece
|
Membership in cluster networks, meta clusters and national associations of clusters
Membership in Cluster Partnerships or initiatives
Upcoming events
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