Industry Relations Committee (2024-2027)

Committee Members  

Objective/scope of the committee

The Industry Relations Committee (IRC) is established in agreement with the general terms of reference for administrative committees of the IAF Bylaws.
The IRC provides specialized advice and recommendations to the IAF on all matters related to the space industry sector. In particular, the IRC represents:

• A platform to discuss global space market growth and opportunities,
• A working group to promote technology development and applications in civil, commercial and global security,
• A forum to exchange on international industrial space policy interests.

Committee rules for membership

In compliance with the IAF Constitution and Bylaws, membership to the Industry Relations Committee is open to any candidate from an IAF industrial member organization, who has distinguished himself/herself as an active participant in its business. There is no limit to the number of members; nevertheless, the Committee shall reflect a well-balanced generational, gender and geographical representation, avoiding an overrepresentation of certain regions and a fair representation of members who belong to large, medium or small companies.
Application to membership should be submitted to the IRC Chair who will nominate the candidate for appointment at the next meeting of the Committee. Each company is represented by one, official, member that has voting rights.

Activities

The IRC main activities are:

• To organize the Industry Day during the IAC, with dedicated Plenaries, GNFs and networking opportunities.
• To keep relations with all the stakeholders of the industry space sector,
• To promote and share the space industry needs for short, medium and long-term activities in order to support new ideas and contribute to the economic growth of this sector,
• To organize events aimed at supporting industrial development,
• To coordinate, select and deliver the annual IAF Excellence in Industry Awards
• To issue position papers and assist the IAF in industrial outreach outside the IAC
• To organizes an Industry breakfast and an Industry lunch at the Congress venue, with the contribution of IAF, the LOC and sponsors.

IAF Excellence in Industry Award

The IAF Excellence in Industry Award is intended to distinguish commercial industry organizations, members or non-members of the IAF, worldwide for introducing innovative space technologies to the global marketplace and is recognized throughout space industry for successfully executing a landmark space mission.

IAF Excellence in Industry Award

IAC Career Opportunity Forum

In 2024, the IAF Industry Relations Committee (IRC) proposed a new event during Industry Day: the IAC 2024 Career Opportunity Forum, designed to connect jobseekers directly with prospective employers. The initiative was anticipated to be a valuable opportunity for companies, students, and young professionals to network at the IAC. The event exceeded expectations, with 18 IAF member industries participating and approximately 400 students and young professionals applying for face-to-face meetings with these companies. The event also included presentations, allowing company representatives to outline their recruitment opportunities, profiles, application processes, regulations, and constraints.

IRC White Paper

During the year 2023, the IAF Industry Relations Committee worked on a white paper titled “On the scarcity of workforce in aerospace industries. Roadmap to better attract tomorrow’s talents”. This paper undertakes a comprehensive review of the current state of affairs in the aerospace industry. It analyzes the potential factors contributing to a widespread workforce shortage, assesses the measures already in place to mitigate this issue, and presents a set of recommendations aimed at guiding the industry on how to best support talent recruitment and retention in the future. The white paper has been approved by the IAF Bureau during the IAC 2023, in Baku.

In 2024, the IRC has been working on the white paper ”Space Sustainability: A View from the Global Space Industry” and it looks at the many aspects of sustainability in space, exploring its definition, terrestrial, on-orbit, and environmental implications, as well as the unique role played by industry in addressing sustainability challenges.

In 2025, following the white paper on Space Sustainability, the IRC focused on Financial Sustainability. Environmental goals (for, from and to Earth) cannot be separated from financial realities. Achieving environmental goals in space requires significant investment. Without stable, long-term financial planning and investment, many of these green innovations remain out of reach. The white paper “Financial Sustainability: an Essential Element for Industry to Meet Environmental Progress in the Space Sector” aims to analyze the current landscape, highlight critical issues, and propose recommendations for governments and regulators to support the space industry through the transition to sustainable operations.