Cities Climate Action Summit 2024 – meet the exhibitor: ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS)

Why did you choose to get involved with Cities Climate Action Summit this year?

This is an important opportunity for European Space Agency (ESA) to showcase the potential for space applications in addressing the challenges of smart cities. Many of the innovations and technologies which already improve our daily lives are powered by space technology. As our cities face unprecedented growth and climate challenges, ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme is playing a key role in mitigating the worst effects of these by supporting a wide range of projects across Europe and the rest of the world for sustainable urbanisation. From air quality monitoring, water and waste management and sustainable development support to traffic management, digital education tools and health initiatives, space data and technology is transforming life on earth in our cities and beyond. 

What will you be showing/bringing/demonstrating at this year’s Summit?

ESA’s BASS programme has invested more than €15m in sustainable projects for our urban spaces, carrying out more than 60 projects and studies in the last 10 years. At this year’s Summit we will be showcasing some of these initiatives and talking about the wide range of funding opportunities on offer from our programme. Working with ESA not only provides vital financial support for innovative projects but also gives businesses access to an extensive international network of investors, technology partners and potential customers. Our programme also offers vital expertise and support throughout each project, from inception through to commercialisation. 

BE PART OF CITIES CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT 2024

Do you have an urban climate action story to tell at this year’s Cities Climate Action Summit? Find out how you can become a partner by contacting Carlota Da Veiga Pestana, or request an event information pack here.

What are you hoping to learn from this year’s CCAS Summit?

In 2023, ESA BASS launched the Task Force for Smart and Green Cities, bringing together municipal authorities, legislators, planners and environmental specialists from cities across Europe and worldwide to share challenges and support initiatives aimed at resolving some of the most pressing issues caused by climate change and rapid urbanisation. By attending the Summit, we are looking forward to developing these conversations and identifying further collective and individual challenges that modern day cities are tackling, with a view to harnessing space technology to find more solutions. 

What bold steps should cities make to accelerate climate action and what successful examples have you seen? 

Grave challenges require ambitious solutions, and we are here at the Summit to help cities and businesses embrace space technologies as a vital part of that solution. No longer the preserve of the few, space technologies today are accessible to businesses and organisations of all sizes and can have a transformative effect, offering cost effective and sustainable solutions to some of the cities’ most pressing challenges. Whether it is effective electric charge point siting, sustainable parcel tracking and drone delivery services or digital twin generation to help sustainable development, many of the solutions needed to help our cities move towards net zero can solved by utilising space technologies.