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The future of air transport is being developed in Portugal and it is a future that includes a new disruptive concept that will transform the aeronautical industry. Visualizing flying cars may be part of our collective imagination, but it is no longer a myth as it is about to become a reality. This innovative flying car has Portuguese know-how and will surprise the beholders with its skate and drone technology that are each autonomous, with a cockpit that is attached to each vehicle, thus creating an intermodal system. The project, that is headed by Portuguese company Caetano Aeronautic, will use Portuguese technology to develop electrical aircraft, with autonomous systems, new materials as well as new processes. The team that will help build a prototype will also develop multi-functional batteries that will store electrochemical energy. A number of Portuguese companies are collaborating to develop this innovative technology, including AED Portugal that is a cluster of companies from the Aeronautical, Space and Defense sectors, INEGI, SETSA, Optimal Structural Solutions, CONTROLAR, Almadesign, TEKEVER II, CEIIA, ISQ, INESC TEC, IPL, ISEP, PIEP, EMPORDEF, Évora University, CODI, FHP and Critical Materials. The FLY.PT project will mobilize Portugal’s aeronautical industry towards the disruption of future urban transport. The disruptive technology that is being developed will support the development of Portugal’s economy towards activities that are knowledge-intensive and that will create value based on innovation. The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under Portugal 2020. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portuguese-fly-pt-electric-flying-cars #FLYPT #Portugueseelectricflyingcars #aeronauticalindustry #INEGI #CaetanoAeronautic #AEDPortugal #SETSA #OptimalStructuralSolutions #CONTROLAR #Almadesign #TEKEVERII #CEIIA #ISQ #INESCTEC #IPL #ISEP #PIEP #EMPORDEF #ÉvoraUniversity #CODI #FHP #CriticalMaterials #EuropeanRegionalDevelopmentFund #Portugal2020 #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

An investment of EUR 7 million in Portugal’s first Center for Creative Technologies (TUMO) will strengthen Coimbra’s position as an Educational Hub. The country’s first TUMO center will open in September and will turn a dream into reality through the vision of a number of patrons that include “Shaken. not stirred”, as well as the founders of Feedzai, Critical Software, Licor Beirão, Altice, Foundations La Caixa and Santander, together with the Coimbra municipality. The project was developed by “Shaken. not stirred” that also developed Lisbon’s Nova university, that is a campus of 70,000 sq. m that was wholly funded through a fundraising campaign that raised EUR 50 million. Portugal’s first TUMO Center for Creative Technologies follows the first one that was created in 2011 in Armenia and was led by Marie Lou Papazian, who graduated in IT in Teaching at Colombia University and in Management at the Harvard Business School. The educational program was so successful that it was reproduced in 14 centers in a number of countries including Germany and France, with a total of 25,000 students. Furthers centers will be opened this year in Germany and in the US. According to Gonçalo Quadros, chairman of Critical Software, the TUMO center is a powerful project that will shape the country’s youth. The TUMO center is a free educational program that is complementary to compulsory education. It is comprised of self-learning activities, workshops and lab projects that are carried-out in a creative technologies center. The Coimbra TUMO center will welcome 1500 youths of 12 to 18 years old who will acquire skills in 8 different thematic technological areas, namely 3D Modeling, Animation, Game Development, Programming, Music, Graphic Design, Film-making and Robotics. The programs are for in-person classes that are held during the students’ free time. The specialized lab projects include international professionals such as Kanye West, Darren Aronofsky, George Clooney, Charles Aznavour and Anne Hidalgo who were involved in projects in other countries. Portugal’s first TUMO center will be in the former CTT building that was donated by Altice Empresas and the building will be renovated by architect Ana Conduto. With an area of 2000 sq. m, the center is comprised of 5 workshops, one robotics classroom, a music studio as well as open-space. The center will welcome over a thousand students at no cost and there are no requirements for admission. It is expected that Portugal’s first center in Coimbra will be followed by more in other cities in the coming years. Even though the first TUMO center is developed with private funding, the developers hope to obtain public funding for sustainability and scalability, as it is the case in Germany where it is a Government initiative. It started there when Angela Merkel, who was then the Chancellor, visited the center and stated that it was an extraordinary project that would transform the future of Germany. According to “Shaken. not stirred”, Portugal’s TUMO center will accomplish its mission that is “to empower future generations.” Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/investment-of-eur-7-m-in-portugal-s-first-center-for-creative-technologies #PortugalCenterforCreativeTechnologies #TUMOPortugal #Coimbraeducation #Shakennotstirred #Feedzai #CriticalSoftware #LicorBeirão #Altice #LaCaixa #Santander #Coimbramunicipality #MarieLouPapazian #GonçaloQuadros #AnaConduto #AlticeEmpresas #educationportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews #TUMO

Following Davos 2023 and the call from Oxfam for a windfall tax on food companies, Portugal is highlighted as an example to be followed by other countries. Towards the end of December 2022, Portugal’s parliament approved a 33% tax on the windfall gains of energy companies as well as food retailers in order to redistribute excess profits in an inflationary context. Under this regime, the share of profits of companies that exceeds 20% of average profits in the previous 4 years will be subject to a windfall tax. This new law enters into force in a context where one of Portugal’s largest retailers, Jerónimo Martins, registered a 29% rise in profits amidst soaring inflation, while the CPI index showed a rise of 9.9% YoY. With this new windfall tax on food companies, Portugal goes beyond what is mandated by the EU as it also includes supermarkets. This is because, according to Prime Minister António Costa, food companies also need to pay for gains that are not justified in this context. This temporary measure will make it possible to channel support towards the most disadvantaged. Portugal’s measures to combat hunger are highlighted by Oxfam while the organization is calling for “an end to this crisis profiteering.” They add that food and energy prices are dominated by a small number of players and the lack of competition allows them to keep prices high. Oxfam made an urgent plea to Davos participants to follow Portugal’s example. They stated that at least one country had already taken action as Portugal’s windfall tax on major food retailers came into effect in January 2023 and is to be in force throughout the year. Oxfam stated that their analysis of 95 major companies showed that 84% of windfall gains were paid to shareholders while higher prices were passed onto consumers. While the WEF was held in Davos, Oxfam reported that at least 1.7 billion workers live in countries where inflation is outpacing their wage growth. This happened in a context when the world’s 1% super-rich gained nearly twice the amount of wealth produced by the 99%. Tax affairs chief at Portugal’s Finance Ministry, Nuno Felix, stated that this temporary tax was approved by the Government because “there has to be social justice.” Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portugal-s-windfall-tax-on-food-companies #PortugalWindfallTaxFood #Oxfamwindfalltax #NunoFelix #socialjustice #foodprices #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews #Oxfam

Researchers from the University of Coimbra in Portugal have joined a team from 14 countries to develop circular bio-based solutions in rural areas, a project funded by the EU. According to João Santos, researcher at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Coimbra: “Rural Europe urgently needs a paradigm shift. With an increasing number of people migrating to urban centers in the last decades, the current demographic distribution is quite uneven. Rural areas are inhabited by 30% of the European population, although they cover more than 80% of the territory.” The BioRural project aims at creating a European Rural Bioeconomy Network to promote small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas and to increase the share of the Bioeconomy. With an estimated duration of three years and a budget of three million euros, the project includes partners from Germany, Denmark, Slovenia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania. From Portugal, besides the University of Coimbra, the Biomass Centre for Energy (CBE) is also part of this consortium. Professor José Baranda Ribeiro from the University of Coimbra explained that “the EU's economic activity is largely dependent on linear production systems and non-renewable resources. Although there have been numerous attempts to reduce this dependency, the fact remains that, for example, in 2018 alone, EU states produced 61.8 million tons of plastic.” The consequences of combining a linear economy with widespread urbanization have worsened some of the problems chronically experienced by people in rural areas, namely the high risk of poverty, limited access to basic services and infrastructure, as well as low levels of education. Hence, Portugal’s involvement in the Circular Bioeconomy project aims at finding solutions for economic, demographic and climate challenges through the adoption of inclusive solutions that will benefit rural areas. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/circular-bioeconomy-project-in-portugal #CircularBioeconomyPortugal #circularbiosolutionsruralareas #JoãoSantos #UniversityofCoimbra #BioRural #EuropeanRuralBioeconomyNetwork #BiomassCentreforEnergy #JoséBarandaRibeiro #greenportugal #sustainableportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Portuguese Venture Capital firm Bright Pixel Capital, the technology investment arm of the multinational group Sonae, invested U$ 15 M in Chord in order to expand its modern commerce infrastructure. “At Bright Pixel Capital, our goal is to identify distinctive and industry-changing opportunities across industries like retail, cyber and digital infrastructure,” said Miguel Bagulho, Investment Director. He added that “Chord’s ability to uplift commerce brands with a unique product, backed by a top-tier management team, were the critical factors which led us to select it as our long-awaited investment in headless commerce.” Chord is a Platform as a Service for modern commerce and the investment round was co-led by Bright Pixel Capital and existing investor Eclipse, with new investors GC1 Ventures, TechNexus Venture Collaborative and Anti Fund VC. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portuguese-vc-bright-pixel-invests-u-15-m-in-chord #retailtechnologies #BrightPixel #Portugalinvestments #Chord #Sonae #MiguelBagulho #ecommerce #Eclipse #GC1Ventures #TechNexusVentureCollaborative #AntiFundVC #portugalnews #portugalinvestmentnews #portugalbusinessnews

"TAP will finish up in BA-IAG,” predicts Michael O'Leary, the CEO of Ryanair. TAP, Portugal’s state-owned flag carrier airline, is targeted for an outright or partial sale by British Airways owner IAG, by Lufthansa and by Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) according to Reuters on January 19th. Bernstein analyst Alex Irving states that TAP is a prime target as: “This may be the next step in European airline consolidation.” Reuters states that the Portuguese government, which owns TAP, has said that it is considering an outright or partial sale of the business. German business daily Handelsblatt has reported that Lufthansa CEO, Carsten Spohr, mentioned at an internal company event that TAP could be an option for more long-haul business with South America. Reuters reports that German airline Lufthansa's (LHAG.DE) bid for a minority stake in Italy's ITA Airways has ignited talk of further potential sector consolidation as the industry seeks to plot a more profitable post-pandemic recovery. However, it could take months before the ITA Airways-Lufthansa deal is finalized, making it unlikely that Lufthansa will move ahead with further deals any time soon, a company source said. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/tap-will-be-bought-by-ba-owner-iag-says-the-ceo-of-ryanair #TAP #TAPsale #TAPIAG #Ryanair #MichaelOLeary #Bernstein #AlexIrving #IAG #Lufthansa #AirFranceKLM #Reuters #Europeanairlineconsolidation #Handelsblatt #CarstenSpohr #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

How Millennials drive E-Commerce sales to French customers is the study published by FEVAD. Online sales between enterprises in France have grown by 19.6% compared to 2021 and generate revenues that are 1.5 times higher than B2C sales. The data confirms the growing trend towards B2B e-commerce in France that nearly doubled within the last five years. This paradigm shift is mostly due to millennials who are today’s B2B online buyers. According to FEVAD, millennials account for 73% of professional buyers and are driving this revolution towards B2B e-commerce. Since these consumers usually buy online, it is natural for them to do this in the professional arena. The study highlights that 50% of online B2B buyers believe that a personalized digital experience is mandatory for finding suppliers. 75% of online B2B buyers prefer to manage their own buying process rather than going through intermediaries and 80% of such buyers just use a smartphone to buy online. Given this new landscape, online players have registered a rapid growth in B2B e-commerce in France, especially for players such as Amazon Business, C-Discount Pro, FNAC Pro, Manutan, Direct Industry, Hello Pro, Manomanopro and Ankorstore. This new trend shows how Portuguese companies can generate higher revenues by targeting millennials on the B2B market through mobile applications. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/how-portuguese-companies-can-target-millennials-to-drive-b2b-sales #Millennials #B2Bsales #FEVAD #ecommerce #onlinesales #AmazonBusiness #CDiscountPro #FNACPro #Manutan #DirectIndustry #HelloPro #Manomanopro #Ankorstore #portugalexports #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Portugal’s Passport Ranks 6th Most Valuable Globally in the Henley Passport Index. Ranked No. 1 most valuable passport globally is Japan with a visa-free score of 193 destinations that the holder can access visa-free. Ranked 2nd, come both Singapore and South Korea with a visa-free score of 192 destinations. Ranked 3rd, come the passports of Germany and Spain with a visa-free score of 190 destinations. In the 4th place, come the passports of Finland, Italy and Luxembourg with a visa-free score of 189 destinations. Ranked 5th, are the passports of Austria, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden with a visa-free score of 188 destinations. At the 6th place, come the passports of France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom with a visa-free score of 187 destinations that the holder can access visa-free. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portugal-s-passport-ranks-6th-most-valuable-globally #portugalpassportranking #HenleyPassportIndex #portugaltravel #portugalresidency #portugalcitizenship #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

The New York Times bets on Portugal’s Hydro Future in an article that describes a dam in rural Portugal being the key to the world’s new alternative future. The New York Times’ Quotation of the Day on January 13th mentions David Rivera Pantoja who describes Portugal’s giant hydro project: “This is my Pyramids.” David Rivera Pantoja is a Project Manager who has spent the last 15 years working on a vast hydro-electric project that is reshaping a rugged river valley in Portugal. In Ribeira de Pena in Portugal, when the electricity system needs a boost, a signal activates a power plant buried deep into a hillside in the country’s scrubby, pine-covered north. Inside the human-made cavern, valves suddenly open, allowing water draining from a reservoir 6.5 km away to begin streaming through four massive turbines. At full power, they generate enough electricity to rival a nuclear reactor. According to The New York Times, this is the heart of a vast hydro-electric project that is reshaping a rugged river valley about 100 km east of Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city after Lisbon. Besides the underground power plant, Iberdrola, the Spanish energy giant, has built three dams in the area that sprawl over nearly 10 square kilometers. But the EUR 1.5 billion complex of tunnels and water is not just massive, but also provides an answer to one of the most vexing questions the world is facing in terms of renewable energy today: “Hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent across the globe on solar energy and wind power. But when the sun goes down, or the breezes become still, where will the electricity come from?” Iberdrola’s giant project, which uses water and gravity to generate power on demand, is part of the solution. Portugal’s Hydro Future is the key to a global renaissance in the energy sector. What has changed in countries such as Portugal is the rapid growth of clean sources of energy such as wind and solar farms. While these technologies churn out electricity free of greenhouse gas emissions, they generate an energy stream that is less steady than a traditional power plant fueled by coal, natural gas, or a nuclear reactor. However, according to Fabian Ronningen, an analyst at Rystad Energy, “You can’t have just solar and wind, you need something to balance.” Tapping a reservoir and using its water to spin underground turbines allows engineers to create renewable energy on demand. A facility such as Portugal’s Tâmega river power-plant stores energy in the form of water when the wind is blowing hard or on sunny days, but lets it flow when other forms of energy are more expensive. Iberdrola executives say plans by governments in Europe and elsewhere to increase wind and solar energy mean more demand for facilities like the one on the Tâmega river. Pumped storage plants can also provide, in essence, energy insurance to install even more sources of clean energy to tackle climate change. Iberdrola is also planning to install a large wind farm in the same region. Because pumped storage plants are so useful for keeping a power grid humming, they are finding favor in many countries, including China, India and Australia. Several proposals are also being implemented in the US. “This was quite an exceptional project,” said Martin Burdett, News Editor of the International Journal on Hydropower and Dams. While construction continues at the facility, the underground power plant is already operating. The turbines are switched on and off from Madrid, where Iberdrola is based. As a system that can reuse water, it is proving more resilient in times of drought than conventional dams. And so it came to be, that after 15 years, Rivera is nearing completion of his Portuguese Pyramids. In the future there may not be many more projects in Europe as huge as this one. Burdett, of the International Journal on Hydropower and Dams, stated that depleted mine shafts and excavations near the sea were now being considered as alternatives to damming up rivers. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/the-new-york-times-bets-on-portugal-s-hydro-future #NewYorkTimesPortugalHydroFuture #NewYorkTimes #DavidRiveraPantoja #RibeiradePenapowerplant #renewableenergyportugal #greenenergyportugal #cleanenergyportugal #Iberdrola #FabianRonningen #RystadEnergy #MartinBurdett #InternationalJournalonHydropowerandDams #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

The predictions for Portugal-China Cross-Border Trade in 2023 according to Alvin Liu, President of Alibaba’s B2C Retail Business Group, take into account what China’s reopening means for cross-border retail. Mr. Liu believes that brands should tell their stories to the Chinese market and cites the example of centuries-old wineries in Portugal’s Porto region that are mostly unknown in China. He underlines that, “because China’s population is enormous, even brands that serve a small category overseas have a potentially huge market here.” Mr. Liu predicts that EU-China Cross-Border Trade will increase in 2023 through the use of new technologies that offer more immersive shopping experiences. He explains that “for example, we are talking with a makeup company that wants to use augmented reality to allow customers to see their products. We can also work with partners selling products from shoes to watches to improve customer experience.” According to Mr. Liu, Alibaba “will definitely take advantage of livestreaming and short videos to help European brands with their content marketing.” Other opportunities that will increase cross-border trade include the Tmall Luxury Pavilion which works with the world’s largest luxury houses, such as British fashion house Burberry that leveraged its data to create a private digital salon focused on luxury coats. Although Chinese consumers could play a vital role in helping international brands weather a challenging 2023, winning them over is becoming harder as many Chinese companies can now offer products that are as good as or sometimes better than foreign ones, at a more competitive price. They are also generally better acquainted with their customers and are often able to react faster to trends in order to make bolder investments. Mr. Liu predicts that, in 2023, global brands with strong Green credentials will do especially well, as will those that can offer a lifestyle upgrade. With China’s reopening, more brands will target Chinese tourists and retaining clients once they return home will be key. Mr. Liu predicts that the return of quarantine-free travel from Jan. 8th will give Chinese travelers a chance to discover a smorgasbord of overseas brands. “When China reopens, Chinese tourists will be back in Europe and they will be exploring more local products,” says Alibaba’s President of B2C Retail Business. Before the pandemic abruptly cut off international travel, Chinese departures topped 154.6 million in 2019, up from 10.5 million in 2000 according to the World Bank as China’s wealthy middle class expanded its horizons. With Chinese borders re-opening, the money at stake for B2C Retail Business is substantial. The value of Chinese outbound tourism spending on shopping in 2019 was $54.7 billion, according to Euromonitor International, a market research provider. As Chinese tourists return, merchants are exploring how to best meld shoppers’ experience from brick-and-mortar stores to buying digitally and some are turning to the metaverse. “We are working with our partners to develop a new kind of customer journey that is both online and offline,” said Mr. Liu, whose portfolio of businesses at Alibaba includes Tmall Global, China’s largest cross-border online marketplace, where retailers without operations in China can build virtual storefronts and ship products into China. Consumer brands have reason to be optimistic as the demand for international products in the vast Chinese market has continued to grow throughout the pandemic, even with China’s borders virtually closed. Imports of consumer goods rose nearly 19% to $248 billion in 2021 and gained a further 11.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2022. China’s consumer e-commerce imports have been buoyed by favorable government policies, including the establishment of comprehensive pilot zones for cross-border e-commerce, through which goods can be imported with lower tariffs and regulatory barriers. There are now 165 such zones across China and the list of imported products continues to expand in response to strong demand from Chinese consumers. There is growing demand for new types of consumer goods such as fresh and dry food products, cosmetics, garments, furniture, white goods as well as electronics. Alibaba’s cross-border import marketplaces Tmall Global and Kaola, which together account for over 60% of cross-border e-commerce retail sales in China, provide insights into what brands around the world can expect from Chinese consumers in 2023. Mr. Liu also predicts continued growth in specific categories in 2023, such as outdoor pursuits and pet care supplies due to the fact that nearly three years of lockdowns have driven millions of Chinese consumers to explore outdoor activities; including camping, picnics, skiing and fishing. As an example, this has led to a more than 700% jump in the value of retail imports of skiing equipment. Chinese consumers are interested in high-end products and they research the brands and products they purchase more thoroughly than in any other market, according to McKinsey. They are tech-savvy buyers who know how to educate themselves through social media and other online channels. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/predictions-for-portugal-china-cross-border-trade-in-2023 #PredictionsPortugalChinaTrade2023 #AlvinLiu #AliBaba #AlibabaB2CRetailBusinessGroup #crossborderretail #immersiveshopping #contentmarketing #TmallLuxuryPavilion #digitalsalon #ecommerce #Chineseconsumers #Kaola #portugalexports #portugaltrade #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

EDP Renewables has started operating its first international hybrid solar and wind energy park on the Iberian Peninsula. This new hybrid park will increase Portugal’s share of renewable energy on the electrical grid. The Mina de Orgueirel Solar Plant in Portugal is located next to the Mosteiro Wind Park and allows for the implementation of a hybrid electricity production complex. The new solar plant has a capacity of 8.4 MW with over 17,000 bifacial solar panels, while the wind park has 8 turbines and a capacity of 11 MW. The hybrid project can reach a capacity of 39.5 GWh yearly, that is enough to produce renewable energy for 30,000 people while reducing CO2 emissions by 18,000 tons yearly. According to Duarte Bello, EDPR executive director for Europe and Latin America, this hybrid renewable energy park strengthens their commitment towards energy transition as EDPR intends to increase investments in hybrid energy parks in Portugal as well as in other regions. The hybrid use of wind, solar and water technologies is a major growth factor in the energy sector as it provides for increased efficiency and cost stability with the use of existing electrical infrastructure, while reducing the environmental impact. EDPR has over 1600 MW hybrid projects in Spain and Portugal that are now in the development phase and that are expected to be operational within a few years. The company has similar projects in all regions world-wide, with hybrid parks being developed in North and South America and in other European countries including Poland, Italy and Greece. The Group has pioneered the development of hybrid renewable energy projects and has also started operating Europe’s largest floating solar park located in a hydro-power plant in Alqueva, Portugal. The energy generated by almost 12,000 photovoltaic panels in Alqueva will supply electricity to more than 30% of the population in southern Portugal. Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/first-hybrid-energy-park-on-iberian-peninsula #hybridenergypark #EDPRenewables #hybridsolarandwindenergypark #renewableenergyportugal #MinadeOrgueirelSolarPlant #MosteiroWindPark #DuarteBello #Europelargestfloatingsolarpark #greenenergyportugal #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews

Portugal, Spain and the UK collaborate towards Open Constellation small satellites that will be launched throughout 2023 and 2024. The Open Cosmos MENUT, that is part of the Open Constellation satellite infrastructure built and managed by Open Cosmos, will be launched during the Transporter rideshare mission. Countries, institutions and companies are able to contribute their own satellites to create the world’s biggest mutualized constellation. Open Cosmos-built SmallSats, contributed by leading space organizations in the UK, Spain and Portugal for OpenConstellation, are already being built and will be launched throughout 2023 and 2024. Portugal’s contribution for individual Earth Observation (EO) constellations towards the global Open Constellation will drive participation from companies, organizations and governments. Open Cosmos provides data-sharing through its platform that was launched in 2022 and is able to draw Earth Observation data from the Open Constellation satellites as well as from other satellites, drones and ground-based sensors. Open Cosmos is a rapidly rising star in both the UK and European space industries as well as in the New-Space industry globally. The MENUT infrastructure includes a launch vehicle that was deployed under a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) by Exolaunch through its EXOpod Nova deployment system that enables a wide array of nanosatellite designs. According to Aleix Megias, VP of Operations at Open Cosmos, the MENUT launch will provide actionable data from space from a revolutionary shared space infrastructure model. Jeanne Allarie, VP Launch at Exolaunch, believes that the goals of Open Cosmos, that are to establish sustainable and easily accessible infrastructure in orbit, are in large part made possible by SpaceX and its ongoing Transporter rideshare missions. Meanwhile, European New-Space companies are planning AI-based space traffic management solutions. There will therefore be no more crash, boom and bang in space! Portuguese company Neuraspace and two other European New-Space companies, Ienai Space and EnduroSat, are collaborating for Europe’s first orbital demonstration of a Collision Avoidance System based on AI. The Space Traffic Management system will provide spacecraft operators with better space traffic data, collision detection algorithms and more efficient propulsion systems. Portuguese Neuraspace and Spanish Ienai Space have signed an MOU to tackle the growing issue of space debris through joint traffic management products. They will provide operators with more effective decision-making for collision avoidance maneuvers for their spacecrafts. In collaboration with EnduroSat, the companies plan to demonstrate their joint collision avoidance capabilities with a mission in 2023. The satellite that is built by EnduroSat will be launched aboard an Isar Aerospace rocket (ISAR 2). Once in orbit, it will be maneuvered by Ienai’s ‘Athena’ thrusters. The warnings and suggestions will be generated by Portuguese Neuraspace’s AI/ML (machine learning) driven Space Traffic Management solution. EnduroSat and Neuraspace are both early adopters of the Space Sustainability Rating which encourages and rewards space actors who enforce sustainable space missions with a unique rating system. The new Portugal-Spain partnership will demonstrate that Space Traffic Management can and should be a regular feature of commercial space, according to Daniel Pérez, CEO of Ienai Space. Chiara Manfletti, director at Portugal’s Neuraspace, commented that “space safety and sustainability require urgent and joint action. Neuraspace has set out to be a European-born global star in space traffic management.” Source: https://www.portugalbusinessesnews.com/post/portugal-s-open-constellation-satellites #openconstellationsatellites #OpenCosmos #MENUT #earthobservationconstellations #newspaceindustry #SpaceX #Neuraspace #IenaiSpace #EnduroSat #collisionavoidancesystem #spacetrafficmanagement #ChiaraManfletti #portugalspace #portugalnews #portugalbusinessnews