On November 5, 2024, SCE participated in the INNOspace Annual Conference in Bonn, showcasing their initiatives at an informational booth. Dr. Peter Gräf, Director at DLR, highlighted the importance of INNOspace networks in facilitating collaboration between DLR and industry. Dr. Franziska Zeitler, from DLR Innovation & New Markets, presented the accomplishments of the three INNOspace industry networks: space2motion, space2agriculture, and space2health.
In his keynote, Dr. Christof Horn from Accenture Services GmbH discussed the transformations in the automotive and space industries. He compared German OEMs and Tesla’s planning approaches, emphasizing how iterative methods can accelerate time-to-market and reduce costs, a strategy known as the “fastest of second-best solution.”
Constantin Marquardt of Bayer AG presented on the digitalization of agriculture, emphasizing the importance of data processing alongside traditional crop harvest. He underscored the need for a sustainable transformation in agriculture, focused on the “value chain & sustainability.”
A notable development came from Intelligent Healthcare Systems (Prof. Dr. Elsa Kirchner from the University of Duisburg-Essen), which introduced an exoskeleton designed for astronaut support that is also applied successfully in elderly care therapy. Franziska Zeitler, Maximilian Wilk and Uwe Jansen discussed how space exploration acts as a catalyst for industrial transformation, with real-world examples from the INNOspace networks.
Our member, Daniel Lanz, presented the CoCuRA project, which utilizes satellite data and AI to identify organic cotton cultivation areas in India. Marple GmbH plans to expand this business area for additional applications in collaboration with new partners.
SCE CEO Markus Häuser, Dr. Judith-Irina Buchheim/LMU, SCE member Daniel Lanz of Marple GmbH, Johannes Schmidt/ INNOSpace
The conference featured cross-industry workshops and inspiring talks. Alexander Choukér from LMU discussed his research on astronaut stress, resilience, and the applications of space science in enhancing human adaptation.
In her closing remarks, Dr. Franziska Zeitler announced an upcoming Innovation Hub to foster collaboration with startups, inviting attendees to “stay tuned.”
The event provided valuable insights, collaboration opportunities with speakers and participating SMEs/startups, and inspired ideas for new projects. SCE looks forward to strengthening its partnership with the INNOspace networks, reflecting Prof. Dr. Stefanie Bröring’s advice that long-term cooperation in networks yields the most benefits for members.
