by silvia | Jan 29, 2019 | Corporates, Featured, Startups, Uncategorized
BlueTech Accelerator is opening up this Wednesday, 30th January. It’s an open innovation program connecting talented startups with key players in the sector to create a pioneering ecosystem of innovation and business acceleration for the Blue Economy sector. The first edition will focus on Ports and Shipping 4.0.
What is the Blue Economy?
Blue Economy relates to the exploitation and preservation of the marine environment – it aims for sustainable use of the ocean’s resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and the health of the maritime ecosystem.
The Blue Economy is reflected in several different activities: renewable energy, marine transport, fisheries, waste management, climate change, and tourism.
BlueTech aims to leverage new technologies to help impact positively in these activities, with new technology or new models.
Who’s behind the programme?
The BlueTech accelerator is an initiative by Ministério do Mar (the accelerator is part of its Ocean Portugal Programme) and FLAD – Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento and is powered by Direção Geral de Politíca do Mar and Beta-i.
Main Partners:
Powered by:
Blue Tech Pioneers:
Technologies Focus
The first edition of the programme is focussed on Ports and Shipping 4.0, and looks for technologies that can be applied for solutions in the following areas:
- Smart Shipping
- E-navigation
- Artificial Intelligence
- Undersea Cloud Computing
- Nanotech
- Sea Traffic Management
- IT for Green shipping
- Ocean IoT & Sensors
- IT for Energy Efficiency
- Ports Automation & Robotization
- Autonomous Ships
- IT for Propulsion and Power Generation
- AI/Machine Learning
- Robotics
- Scuba Droids
- Big Data & Analytics
- IT for Green Ports
- Autonomous Systems
- Drones
- Self-cleaning and Self-repairing Materials
Why should you apply?
A challenging industry
The maritime industry is a big and old one, which means that there are plenty of opportunities for innovation and digitization in all its activities. The focus of this edition in ports and shipping is also an opportunity: integrating the ocean and land logistics is a huge challenge and one that is relevant around the world.
An impact in the future
The ocean is a valuable resource for humanity and has invaluable importance to our ecosystem. Coming up and establishing new, more sustainable, ways of exploring our oceans can be your contribution towards a life-long positive impact on protecting our environment.
Opportunity to work with industry players
Portugal’s economy and history have always been intrinsically connected to the ocean: it’s a country with vast maritime resources, where the maritime economy has always been a political priority. Through BlueTech accelerator, startups will have the opportunity to work in a government-backed programme, and with the key players of the port industry.
Get to know more about the programme and the partners here.
by silvia | Jan 22, 2019 | Startups
Applications are open for Free Electrons – the first truly global acceleration program, that connects the most promising startups with leading utilities in the energy sector. The program seeks to find solutions in the mobility, clean energy, smart grids, and digitalization.
On March 13th, the startups selected for the bootcamp (happening in Dublin) will be announced.
Just like the last edition, the program will have 3 modules: the first in Columbus, in the North-American state of Ohio, in May; the second in Hong Kong, China, in June; and the last module will happen in Lisbon, in September, when a winner will be announced – winning a $200.000 prize.
In its 3rd edition, Free Electrons already has a successful history: several pilots began business partnerships between the startups and the utilities and last edition’s winner, SOLshare, is revolutionizing the energy market in Bangladesh, where over 50 million people still can’t access the electrical grid.
Partnering up
The founders of Free Electrons are Ausnet Services (Austrália), DEWA (Dubai), EDP (Portugal), ESB (Irlanda), Innogy (Alemanha), Origin Energy (Austrália), SP Group (Singapura) e Tokyo Electric Power (Japão). In 2018, the American Electric Power (USA) and CLP (Hong Kong) also joined the program, with the program being powered by Beta-i.
These 10 utilities of the energy sector have, together, around 80 million clients and are located in more than 40 countries – which gives mature energy startups the chance to go global by accessing these partners.
Applications are now open until the 22nd of February.
by Carolina Santos | Jan 22, 2018 | Startups
This Friday marks the beginning of the Re-Think Sessions. Meaning, the beginning of a space for open discussion made for entrepreneurs, future entrepreneurs who wish to know more about the ecosystem and what’s in this world for them or just curious people.
Every last Friday of the month – except if it’s a holiday, then it will be on Thursday – we will have key speakers to talk with the community about a specific topic. The subject of this first session will be: Acceleration Programs and their impacts on a startup and the ecosystem. It is open to everyone, whether you’ve participated on an acceleration program or you want but still have doubts on how it is going to help you.
In the future feel free to suggest any topic you’d like to know more about and we’ll find the right speakers to enlighten you. The discussion will take 45 minutes, from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. and then there will be time for Q&A.
Our speakers (or panelists, if you prefer) this week will be: Marta Baptista, Innovation Manager at Beta-i; José Damião, Director of Incubadora de Empresas; Marta Miraldes from Startup Lisboa and Gianluca Pereyra, Co-founder of Visor.ai.
If for some reason you can’t join us you can always follow us on Facebook because the session will be live streamed and ask your questions there when the Q&A starts. Unfortunately it’s not possible to send you a beer via Facebook – yes, TGIF will be happening at the same time – but you can always come another Friday.
The session is taking place in Beta-i and entrance is free as well as the beer. Check out more information here.
