Asia’s most important space and technology convention, the Global Space and Technology Convention (GSTC), kicks off today as the region’s first space-focused meeting of minds in a new decade. Led by Singapore Space and Technology Limited (SSTL), the convention is the cornerstone of the space industry, held annually since 2008 to bring together national space agencies, the private sector and investors.
Appropriately themed ‘Future World. Endless Possibilities.’, GSTC 2021 sees strong participation from close to 30 countries and regions. Recognising the growing influence of the space sector and how the world needs to be thinking ‘space-first’ for new ideas, industry players from the cybersecurity, oil and gas, sustainability, agritech, TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) and logistics sectors have come together this year to set the growth agenda and innovation priorities for the space industry in the next decade.
“Space has never been more central to our everyday lives – from monitoring climate change and environmental degradation, to weather prediction and the provision of telecommunications and navigation. Space-based applications have also helped us to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19, for example by enabling telemedicine, remote learning and working, and regular communications with families and friends. Governments, companies, research institutes and universities everywhere should work together to increase our collective knowledge, push the boundaries of “New Space” developments, and create new opportunities for all. The GSTC provides an excellent platform for this,” said Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security.
Sustainability, the Smart Nation agenda, cybersecurity and next-generation computing are the key technology focus areas for GSTC 2021, as these will be the fastest-growing segments in the next decade, driven by a sharp rise in global demand.
Topping off the agenda is a dialogue on how Asia as a region must collaborate to take its place on the global space landscape. One of the discussion points will centre around how the region can unlock the value of an industry that is potentially worth US$1.4 trillion in the next decade[1].
“The space industry has a tremendous potential to impact the world and become the region’s next growth engine because of the far-reaching applications of space tech and space-based innovations. Connecting the right cross-section of stakeholders, and accelerating adoption and commercialisation of space technologies are most critical for the next decade,” said Jonathan Hung, Executive Chairman, SSTL.
To this end, some of the space industry’s biggest names from diverse sectors and regions will be leading discussions and presenting papers at GSTC 2021, including:
- Mr Ravinder Singh, Group COO (Technology & Innovation) & President, Defence & Public Security, ST Engineering Ltd
- Mr. Hugues PAVIE, Head of Connected Intelligence APAC, Airbus
- Mr Colin Low, Chief Executive, Singapore Land Authority
- Mr Francis Ghesquiere, Head, Secretariat for the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction, World Bank
- Ms Esti Peshin, General Manager, Cyber Division, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
- Mr Ishii Yasuo, Vice President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
GSTC 2021 will also discuss some of the most disruptive space technologies in the pipeline, their global impact and their growth trajectory in the next decade. Some of these include space and its impact on sustainability and edge computing.
“GSTC 2021 puts a spotlight on the space industry growth for Asia for close to 15 years. The space industry has matured tremendously, fuelled by platforms like GSTC. Beyond garnering deep government support, there is now broad participation from the private sector and a healthy innovation pipeline set by a thriving start-up community. In SSTL we can think ‘space first’ for innovation and solutions for many sectors. There is now a critical mass and depth in the space industry which SSTL leverages to impact people, enterprise and the planet as a whole,” said Lynette Tan, CEO, Singapore Space and Technology Limited.
For more information, please contact:
Ms Yvonne Lin
Media Relations
Singapore Space and Technology Limited
Email: [email protected] Tel: (65) 9741 0497
Ms Michelle Tham
Media Relations
Motley Crew Consulting
[email protected]
(65) 96384209
