Workshop Topic 1 – Economic Development & Corporate Strategy

Sponsor: Caelus Partners

Description: As space and space-related business opportunities become more commercially oriented and as technological breakthroughs continue occur, new economic stressors are surfacing globally. The commercialization of new space activities is most likely to become self-sustaining when there is balance between international trade, government collaboration (domestic and foreign), and sovereign control over certain technologies and companies. A lack of balance in these areas has historically led to conflict, famine, and other societal ills, so it is imperative to consider how to avoid those outcomes in the context of space. For the SGAC delegate, this has significant implications as to how nations will build their space capabilities, commercialize them, and grow the talent pool of future leaders in the space industry. Through more than half a century of space exploration and security-related activities, international collaboration has been inconsistent and fractured based on the geopolitical and economic environment. This inconsistency is the essence of why few countries have had continuous presence and success in outer space. In this track, SGAC delegates will explore the economic challenges to the global community with regard to the space domain. The goal is to better articulate the economic factors that impact investments and technology development in order to understand the strategic options available to companies to address those challenges.

Workshop Topic 2 – Space Medicine

Sponsor: Merck

DescriptionThe Space Medicine workshop is focused on both up and downstream medical space research. We will discuss the the applications of medical experiments and research developed on board the ISS, what this has taught us about medicine in space and the open challenges to solve before we can consider long term space travel. This research can also benefit our society on Earth – for this we need to know how the results of space research can be exploited for other purposes, and in particular which useful tools or instruments used in health sector come from technologies already used in space. Particular technologies in discussion will focus on liquid biopsy, and bio-sensing.

Workshop Topic 3 – Space Policy, GNSS and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Supported by: Nottingham Scientific Limited (NSL) and the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA)

Description: A discussion of current and planned space policy in Europe and the wider international setting, to see how we can best apply policy, space technology and application to advance the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, with particular focus on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to facilitate this. 

Workshop Topic 4 – New Space and Constellations

Sponsor: Airbus

Description: A space revolution is underway. With the cost of access to space steadily being reduced and ever more technological automation and miniaturization, new business models and possibilities are made possible. This new wave attracts new people and new capital to the space business where large constellations are the most visible face of it. Which technical, regulatory and social barriers does Europe need to consider in order to be competitive in this new environment? This Working Group addresses those opportunities and challenges.