Meet the BSGN.

The Business in Space Growth Network (BSGN) is an ESA initiative designed to accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative, industry-driven solutions enabled by space.

BSGN supports companies and organisations exploring microgravity-driven opportunities in two main domains: research and production in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and the emerging lunar resources value chain enabled by in‑situ resource utilisation (ISRU).

Our goal is to help turn promising ideas into credible commercial opportunities, from early technical validation through to market-oriented demonstration and growth.

Stimulating New Markets

BSGN exists to stimulate new markets by helping both supply-side and demand-side actors work together across the value chain.

On the supply side, we support the development of capabilities, platforms, services and enabling technologies that make commercial activity in space possible.

On the demand side, we help companies, researchers and industry users identify where the space environment can unlock new R&D pathways, product innovation, manufacturing opportunities or operational advantages.

By connecting these actors, BSGN helps transform space from a specialist domain into a practical environment for industrial innovation and commercial development.

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In-Orbit and Beyond

BSGN focuses on opportunities enabled by two major areas of space activity.

Microgravity-enabled and in-orbit markets – In Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the space environment provides conditions that are difficult or impossible to reproduce on Earth. These include long-duration microgravity and access to in-orbit experimentation and testing platforms. These conditions can provide new possibilities for research, product development, validation and manufacturing in space.

Lunar exploration and space resources markets – BSGN also supports capabilities linked to the emerging lunar economy, with a particular focus on the use of space resources, such as lunar regolith and water ice. These capabilities are fundamental to enable a sustainable lunar exploration and for the development of new services, infrastructure and industrial activities beyond Earth.

BSGN Industry Accelerators

BSGN currently focuses on four key market segments through its Industry Accelerators.

Health Applications – Supporting Life Sciences commercial innovation in health, pharmaceuticals, biotech and medtech, including research, product development, bioprocessing and related platform technologies enabled by microgravity and in-orbit access.

Advanced Materials & In-Space Manufacturing – Supporting the development of new materials, manufacturing processes, in-orbit testing, engineering solutions and industrial applications enabled by microgravity and in-space production environments.

Agriculture & Food – Supporting commercial R&D and product innovation related to plant health, crop systems, food behaviour, processing, packaging and sustainability, where microgravity and the wider space environment can help unlock new insights and solutions.

Space Resources – Supporting the realisation of the wider lunar space resources value chain by developing commercially relevant capabilities based on technologies, products and services related to in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU).

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How BSGN Helps Companies Move Forward

  • Industry Accelerators focused on defined market segments
  • Technical and commercial maturation support
  • ESA co-funding to execute in-orbit and terrestrial experiments and validations
  • Matchmaking between commercial customers and suppliers across the in-orbit and lunar value chains
  • Engagement with service providers, end users, investors and institutional stakeholders
  • Community-building and visibility through events and communications

This support is intended to help projects become more mature technically, stronger commercially, and better connected to the partners required for implementation.

Comprehensive Support for New Space Markets

A core feature of BSGN is that it does not only support companies already operating in the space sector.

BSGN also works to engage new entrants and non-space industries that may benefit from the space environment but do not yet know how to access it. At the same time, it supports service providers and enabling actors developing the infrastructure, platforms and services needed to meet this demand.

This comprehensive approach supporting both demand and supply in new space markets helps create the conditions for market growth: more users with commercially relevant needs, more service providers able to meet those needs, and more collaboration across the full value chain.

A Growing Space Commercial Ecosystem

Through its accelerators, funding opportunities, events and outreach activities, BSGN brings together:

  • Companies from space and non-space sectors
  • Commercial service providers
  • Researchers and academic teams
  • Investors
  • Industrial partners
  • Public institutions

By creating these connections, BSGN helps build a stronger ecosystem in ESA Member States countries around in-space R&D, in-orbit services, and lunar resource-enabled markets.

A Market-driven ESA Initiative

BSGN is part of ESA’s broader effort to support the commercialisation of space exploration and to help create the conditions for sustainable economic activity enabled by space.

By supporting industry-driven projects, fostering partnerships and reducing barriers to access, BSGN aims to help promising concepts progress towards use case demonstrations, commercial applications development and long-term commercial value creation.

It is part of the Terrae Novae programme known as the European Space Exploration Envelope Programme (E3P). The programme is implemented by the Directorate for Human and Robotic Exploration (HRE).

In parallel, the BSGN works closely with the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality, the Directorate of Space Transportation and the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Procurement to identify suitable funding opportunities.

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