Dominique Waddoup and Christoph Cerny are developing a transparent bird protection film. The aim is to save thousands of birds. The start-up is receiving support from the ESA Business Incubation Center (BIC) in Austria.
The Graz-based start-up BirdShades proves that aerospace expertise can also be used where you wouldn't expect it: founders Dominique Waddoup and Christoph Cerny have developed a transparent bird protection film that is invisible to the human eye but is visible to birds. The duo, who have been working on their idea since 2019, want to prevent feathered creatures from colliding with windows - and are thus addressing a serious problem: it is estimated that hundreds of millions of birds die every year in Europe and North America alone as a result of collisions with glass. This contributes significantly to the decline in bird populations.
“The idea for BirdShades came about during my time at university, when numerous birds had accidents along a glass corridor despite the bird of prey stickers attached. As an enthusiastic biologist, bird conservation was particularly close to my heart, but the products available on the market failed to gain acceptance because they affect the appearance of buildings. This challenge was the start of BirdShades - a solution that offers bird protection without compromising aesthetics,” says Waddoup. In the meantime, the team of six is researching further development potential as part of a large-scale field study.
Major projects in the pipeline
BirdShades is supported by the “ESA Spark Funding Austria” programme and benefits from the extensive know-how of ESA BIC Austria. “We have received valuable food for thought and expertise from ESA, particularly with regard to the durability of the material and the adaptation to different optical conditions. This has catapulted us years ahead in terms of development,” explains founder Waddoup. Addendum: “It's also incredibly helpful to leave familiar perspectives behind when space engineers contribute their view of things.” BirdShades is currently in the process of initiating major projects in the USA: two renowned universities want to test the Graz bird protection film on a large scale.
About ESA Spark Funding Austria
ESA Spark Funding Austria is a funding program implementedin collaboration with ESA and the Austrian Aeronautics and Space Agency (FFG/ALR). Austrian companies received zero-equity funding of € 55,000.00 to integrate space technology or space assets/services into existing product lines or create entirely new products/services. Science Park Graz implemented the first call between 2021-2023, and the second one between 2023-2025.