Kerala to host 2-day global conclave on Space Tech from Jan 31

Kerala is all set to host a two-day international conclave on space technology from Friday, where global experts and industry leaders will deliberate on significant transformations brought about by new technologies and leveraging them for economic and social advancement.

"New SpaceOpportunities and way forward" is the theme of the event, scheduled to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, an official statement said on Monday.

The programme is organised here under the aegis of the country's first Space Park, being developed by the state government with the co-operation of industry and top institutions including the Indian Space Research Organisation, it said.

The meet would explore the paradigm shift in today's global space industry at a time when large missions are giving way to constellations, big private investments are coming into the domain and innovators and researchers are investing in rapid commercialisation of their ideas.

An array of dignitaries including G Madhavan Nair, former Chairman ISRO, S Somnath, Director, VSSC, M C Dathan, Scientific Adviser to state Chief Minister and Arbinda Mitra, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India are expected to take part in the programme.

Experts from ISRO, Airbus, CNES, LASP and Space Federation of India would be among the delegates, it said.

MOUs with Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Laboratories for Atmospheric Space Physics (LASP), Colorado and Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) , Austria will be exchanged during the event, it said.

M Sivasankar IAS, state Secretary, IT and Electronics, said the space park has been conceived based on the inherent strength the state has in the field of Space Industry.

"The presence of countrys only Space university and nearly 40 per cent of ISRO's scientific pool makes Thiruvananthapuram a very unique place for Space Industry. The Kerala government wants to promote our capital as the Space City of the Country," he said.

Main topics to be covered by the meet include 'Space industriesopportunities ahead,' 'Investment in space' , 'New space legal & regulatory challenges,''Space data-opportunities ahead' and 'Space Tech for Science and Academic missions.'