UCL hosting ESA Business Applications Workshop

We are excited to be co-hosting this upcoming workshop facilitated by the European Space Agency (ESA) focussed on ESA's Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, here at UCL next month. 

The day’s workshop will be led by Asimina (Mina) Syriou, Business Applications & Partnerships Engineer and Antonios Maillis, Satellite Applications Engineer; both industry experts at ESA. Delegates will also get to hear from Space start-ups about their business journey and have the chance to network with industry experts and UCL entrepreneurs.

Postgraduate students, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and Early Career Researchers from across UCL will join us for the day to experience the key aspects that go into making a successful proposal for funding from the BASS programme. Attendees will be coming from a range of departments at UCL and are studying or researching in a broad array of areas including but not limited to Earth Sciences, Geography, Mechanical Engineering, Natural Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Space Science Engineering, Systems Engineering, Technology Management. However, they share an interest in the development of business ideas making use of data and services from space.  

Speaker Bios

https://www.linkedin.com/in/asimina-mina-syriou-34601118/

Mina is an enthusiastic advocate for Earth observation with a wealth of experience in business development, project management, and leadership across NGOs, academia, government, the UN and the space sector. With a global perspective cultivated through work in four countries, she brings a diverse skill set and deep knowledge base to her roles.

Currently, Mina holds a key position at ESA’s Business Applications – Space Solutions (BASS) department within the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness (D/CIC). She focuses on developing and promoting space-based applications, with a sharp focus on sustainability. Mina is adept at building strategic partnerships with stakeholders and supporting SMEs and start-ups in navigating the complexities of space technology.

Within BASS, Mina leads the Energy & Utilities Working Group, exploring how space technology can address challenges in the energy sector. Beyond ESA, she actively contributes to the geospatial community as a Fellow and Chartered Geographer at the Royal Geographical Society. Mina also serves as a STEM Ambassador, offering mentorship to professionals and entrepreneurs through accelerator programs, and actively participates in professional networks such as Women in Geospatial+ to promote diversity and inclusiveness.

Mina has also delivered guest lectures at the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton. She has been a dedicated supporter of UCL's Space Systems course for five years, sharing her insights with students.

Antonios is an experienced Satellite Applications Engineer holding a MSc in Satellite Communications and Space Systems and a BEng in Electronic Engineering.  He has extensive knowledge in Systems level analysis and design, while able to approach downstream space solutions from an end-to-end perspective. 

Antonios is a certified Six Sigma and MoR professional. He is an expert in DMAIC, Waterfall and Agile methodologies.

Antonios’ projects portfolio involves activities in the domains of IoT, Hybrid communications, energy, agriculture, commodities, aquaculture, maritime, aviation, connectivity (emergency services, rural regions, offshore), e-health and structural monitoring.

In his current role at ESA, Antonios leads ESA funding initiatives addressing diverse market verticals. He’s the lead of the inter-directorate’s working group on ‘energy assets operations and maintenance’ aiming to leverage space applications in innovative, sustainable services to support the energy sector. Prior to joining ESA, Antonios was a Satellite Communication Engineer at the Satellite Applications Catapult while earlier in his career, he was licensing and managing Spectrum as a Spectrum Delivery Manager for the London 2012 Olympic Games.