Space Sustainability: Industry Ratings and Incentives 

Monday, May 6, 2019, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room 147

Dr. Minoo Rathnasabapathy will present as a panelist.

With the fast pace of innovation in space systems, space sustainability remains a growing concern. In an attempt to address the topic, the World Economic Forum’s Council for Space Technology is developing a Space Sustainability Rating whereby actors can volunteer to undergo an evaluation of their mission through a questionnaire to establish a rating. A positive rating would showcase the level of sustainability a given actor is willing to adopt to minimize the creation of orbital debris linked to its mission. By sharing its rating, the actor would provide a single point of reference externally for their mission, thereby increasing transparency and placing emphasis on its debris mitigation approach, without disclosing any mission-sensitive or proprietary information. This session will explore how the Space Sustainability Rating can add value for the sector and attract actors to participate.

Entrepreneurship in Africa:  Emerging Market Trends

Monday, May 6, 2019, 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Room 145

Dr. Minoo Rathnasabapathy will present.

As Africa maintains its position as the world’s second largest mobile market and access to education becomes increasingly widespread, entrepreneurship within the African continent at a local and national level is rapidly growing. Armed with the expertise in local contextual factors and the understanding of end user needs, innovators across Africa are harnessing satellite technology to drive a social-tech movement aimed at improving economic and environmental challenges in their respective cities, countries and regions. The focus of this talk will be identifying three trending vertical sectors within African entrepreneurial firms that have the potential to optimize their use of satellite applications. The identification of trends also enables countries to evaluate how investment in space and supporting infrastructure can bring long-term benefits to society.

End-user needs: More Than Just Satellite Data

Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 2:15 PM - 2:45 PM
Room 145

Professor Danielle Wood will present.

 Satellite technology already contributes to the achievement and monitoring of Earth's complex challenges, including satellite-based earth observation, satellite communication and satellite positioning. Although there have been many examples of benefits from applying these technologies, there are still gaps in the available technology and barriers that increase the challenge for many classes of users. This presentation analyzes the unique barriers that increase the difficulty for end users to apply satellite technology. For example, in the area satellite-based earth observation, a key challenge is to ensure that large, specialized datasets are transformed into visually intuitive maps that support decision making by end users who manage aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals. In the area of satellite communications, a key challenge is to identify the combination of private sector business models, government regulation and public sector services that will provide access to phone, internet, radio and television services for isolated or low-income communities. The barriers are different for each type of satellite technology and for various types of end users. The presentation considers end users at the multilateral, national, subnational and local level, and provides recommendations on how to reduce barriers for end users of space technology at each level. The recommendations are based on a decade of research and professional experience by the presenter who has studied and worked to advance the use of satellite technology for development in the academic, government and non-profit sectors. The presentation will include findings from this long term research program, including trends in the use of satellite-based technology within African countries and management approaches among emerging space programs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.