ESA's Φ-week event is being held on 12–16 November at ESA’s Earth observation centre in Frascati, Italy. It brings together emerging space investors, tech leaders, start-ups and entrepreneurs with the space scientists and Earth observation researchers who are developing the potential space business ideas of tomorrow. Josef Aschbacher, ESA's Director of Earth Observation Programmes, explains his concept of Φ and how he hopes this event will further launch new ideas.