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Actions in support of an innovative and competitive Union space sector

1. The Programme shall promote capacity building across the Union, by supporting:

(a) innovation activities for making best use of space technologies, infrastructure or services and measures to facilitate the uptake of innovative solutions resulting from research and innovation activities and to support the development of the downstream sector, in particular through synergies with other Union programmes and financial instruments, including the InvestEU Programme;

(b) activities aiming to foster public demand and public sector innovation, to realise the full potential of public services for citizens and businesses;

(c) entrepreneurship, including from early stage to scaling-up, in accordance with Article 21, by relying on other provisions on access to finance as referred to in Article 18 and Chapter I of Title III, and by using a first contract approach;

(d) the emergence of a business-friendly space ecosystem through cooperation amongst undertakings in the form of a network of space hubs which:

(i) bring together, at national and regional levels, actors from the space, digital and other sectors, as well as users; and (ii) aim to provide support, facilities and services to citizens and companies to foster entrepreneurship and skills, to enhance synergies in the downstream sector and to foster cooperation with the digital innovation hubs established under the Digital Europe Programme established by Regulation (EU) 2021/694 of the European Parliament and of the Council ;

(e) the provision of education and training activities, in particular for professionals, entrepreneurs, graduates and students, notably through synergies with initiatives at national and regional levels, for the development of advanced skills;

(f) access to processing and testing facilities for private and public sector professionals, students and entrepreneurs;

(g) certification and standardisation activities;

(h) the reinforcement of European supply chains across the Union through wide participation of enterprises, in particular SMEs and start-ups, in all the Programme’s components, particularly through Article 14, and of measures to underpin their competitiveness at global level.

2. When implementing activities referred to in paragraph 1, the need to develop capacity in Member States with an emerging space industry shall be supported, in order to provide an equal opportunity to all Member States to participate in the Programme.