Innovation in space technology

Switzerland is home to one of 16 European Space Agency Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs). Launched in November 2016, the Swiss-based ESA BIC seeks to inspire entrepreneurs to develop earthly applications of space-related technologies and turn them into commercial enterprises that address challenges in industries such as energy and communications.

The potential of technologies in what the ESA calls "Space 4.0 – The Next Era of Space" – from higher data transmission (and thus faster Internet connections) to improved solar energy production, weather forecasting and natural disaster monitoring – is both huge and indisputably relevant to the insurance and reinsurance industry.

The Swiss Re Foundation supports ETH Zurich, which leads the ESA BIC Switzerland in cooperation with partners.