Pioneering SMEs in the use of satellite-derived information and satellite applications in their business activities shared their feedback on the economic challenges they faced in agriculture, construction, renewable energy production, manufacturing and tourism and how innovative solutions enabled them to make their business processes more efficient, to take better informed management decisions or to tap into new markets.
The conference provided SMEs with leads on where to find appropriate support mechanisms to accompany them in the implementation of innovative technologies, through access to public funds, the benchmarking of innovation management strategies or closer cooperation between entrepreneurs, universities and research centres.
SMEs and their representatives were very interested in learning about the successful business cases behind the good practices presented by entrepreneurs, while policy makers and representatives of the space community learned about SMEs’ needs as end-users and potential avenues for better targeted support. All participants agreed that more awareness raising about the benefits of satellite information and services for SMEs is needed.