Join First Edition

Starting on March 24, 2026

If you are a student at UPM or MIT, sign up for the first edition

What to expect

The program will guide you through a structured innovation process, from identifying and defining real-world, high-impact societal and economic problems that can be addressed using spatial data and technology.

No prior experience in the aerospace sector is required! The program is open to students from all academic backgrounds and disciplines, and diversity of perspectives is actively encouraged.

Registration is individual; teams will be formed progressively among the fellows throughout the program, following the Catalyst methodology.

The program combines teamwork, research tools, and iterative feedback to build evidence-based Need Statements and targeted interventions.

By the end of the program, teams will present their validated projects to an Independent Advisory Panel for expert review and discussion.

Participants will have the opportunity to present their results in Boston, to MIT faculty, and at the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard.

Dedication

12 weeks program: from March 24 to June 26.
Average weekly dedication of 4 hours (Mondays and Wednesdays)
The program is conducted mostly with online meetings with 2 in-person intensifications of 3 days in Madrid (March) and Boston (June) and one 2 days online intensification (May).
All selected participants will have the opportunity to present their results at MIT and at the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard.

Rewards

All participants will receive a certificate of participation.
Travel expenses will be covered, with booking support provided; travel is to Madrid for U.S.-based participants and to Boston for Madrid-based participants, with a maximum of $1,000 per participant.
Participants will take part in a session of the MIT Idea² program, where they will receive masterclasses from Idea² faculty, attend presentations by the participating groups, and take part in visits to MIT.nano laboratory and assist to a Thursday Gathering at Venture Café (CIC).
Participants will have the opportunity to present the results of their projects at the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard.
For participants from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), the possibility of using the project developed during the activity as their Final Degree Project (TFG) or Master’s Thesis (TFM), as well as the award of ECTS credits for the activity, will be considered upon request.
At the end of the activity, groups that so request will be recommended for inclusion in the next year edition of ACTÚAUPM.

Dates and hours:

In-person start in Madrid (School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering): March 25–27, schedule to be confirmed.

Mondays: Team Meeting. From March 30 to June 22.
- 9:00 am – 10:00 am (Boston).
- 15:00 – 16:00 (Madrid).

Wednesdays: Faculty Meeting. From March 30 to June 22.
- 8:30 am – 11:30 am (Boston).
- 14:30 – 17:30 (Madrid).

Two days online intensification: 12 and 13 May
- 8:00 am – 12:00 pm (Boston).
- 14:00 – 18:00 (Madrid).

In-person final intensification in Boston (MIT and Harvard):
June 24–26, schedule to be confirmed.

Participants

10-12 Fellows: Degree, Master or Ph.D. students from UPM and MIT with mixed backgrounds! not only aerospace
8-10 Faculty: from UPM, MIT, companies, start-ups, business universities…
1-2 assistants for coordination

Join

“Catalyst:
From insight to impact”