AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen has established a global network for innovation and entrepreneurship. It supports product innovation and company foundations in the field of commercial space applications along the entire value chain – from the idea all the way to market entry. AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen has extensive experience in organising innovation competitions such as the European Satellite Navigation Competition, the Copernicus Masters (Earth observation), the StartupWorld Awards (laser photonics and robotics), as well as the INNOspace Masters (New Space Economy), app developer camps and conferences, and manages ESA BIC Bavaria.

Over the past decade, AZO has set up the leading global space innovation and expertise network, including research facilities, institutions, and industry, as well as start-ups and award-winning entrepreneurs. The close collaboration with its associated partners enables AZO to promote innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit along the entire value chain for the benefit of the citizens of Europe and beyond.

AZO is an international networking and branding company for European space programmes, supporting entrepreneurship with more than 700 company foundations in Europe.

Since 2004, AZO has established the leading European space cluster innovation network for the satellite downstream market, while providing the necessary marketing and promotion platform, incubation, and expert network, as well as regional funding programmes with the objective to increase the uptake of business cases.

AZO organises its “Innovation Masters Series”, the most important space-related innovation competitions: Galileo Masters, Copernicus Masters, INNOspace Masters, as well as the Copernicus Hackathons in close cooperation with the European Commission (EC), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology Germany (BMVI), German Aerospace Center (DLR), as well as a number of major industrial partners such as Airbus, BayWa, Planet, Astrosat and many others. In all competitions, AZO awards product innovations with well-known partners and established associated accelerator programmes in almost all competitions.

In addition, AZO manages our ESA Business Incubation Centres (BICs) Bavaria and Northern Germany. This incubation programme has supported more than 165 company foundations to date.