The application of space technologies in the logistics and port sector is opening new opportunities to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of maritime and logistics operations. Thanks to programmes such as Copernicus and Galileo, and to the impetus provided by initiatives like the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Business Applications, more and more companies and start-ups are exploring the strategic value of satellite data and equipment to solve real challenges in the maritime-port sector.
In this context, the European Commission’s CASSINI initiative has established itself as a key platform for accelerating the adoption of innovative space-based solutions in the European market, generating economic, social, and environmental impact through the use of European space technologies such as Copernicus, Galileo, and EGNOS. Among its components are the CASSINI Challenges, which reward solutions at different maturity stages (idea, prototype, and product); the Business Accelerator, providing intensive support and funding for commercial growth; the Hackathons & Mentoring, which encourage early-stage innovation; the Investor Network, which mobilises up to one billion euros in investment; and the Space Camps, designed to promote STEM vocations among young people through educational experiences based on space data.
In the 2024 edition of the CASSINI Challenges, results of which were announced a few weeks ago during the CASSINI Entrepreneurship Days 2025 held in Prague, 2 start-ups associated with the open innovation ecosystem of the Algeciras Bay Port Authority (APBA) were among the awardees.
On one hand, Detektia, a spin-off from the Surveying and Geomatics Laboratory of the School of Civil Engineering (ETSI) at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, was awarded in the Prototype category for its project InMOTION: a solution that integrates Sentinel-1 InSAR data with high-resolution LiDAR to link structural deformation signals to specific elements of critical infrastructure. InMOTION was recognised as one of the ten best prototypes, demonstrating technical feasibility and ongoing operational use cases, receiving a grant of 30,000 euros.
On the other hand, Space-Ship, a German start-up founded in 2023 and specialised in developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for the maritime industry, received the Product category award, endowed with 100,000 euros for each of the top seven projects, for ARRIVAL-X: a solution based on predicting vessel arrivals in ports to foster Just-in-Time business models, thereby minimising vessel waiting times, reducing emissions, and improving resource planning and operational efficiency. This system integrates meteorological and ocean data from the Galileo GNSS and the Copernicus Marine Service.
The APBA has maintained a close collaboration with these two companies, providing them with both its physical infrastructure and data for the development and validation of their projects in real environments, thus strengthening the concept of the Port Living Lab.
These awards reinforce the positioning of the Port of Algeciras as an Open & Digital Innovation Hub and its objective to maximise the impact of the Port Authority’s activity in innovation and digital transformation within the logistics-port sector, positioning itself as a meeting point between people, technology, innovation, business, and industry.
Finally, it is worth highlighting that the CASSINI initiative has a budget exceeding one billion euros to finance European space entrepreneurship between 2021 and 2027, providing not only financial resources but also strategic visibility and access to a global network of investors and players in the space ecosystem.
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