IMPORTANT! The call for abstracts is closed on 15 June 2025!
The registration of the speakers is closed on 18 July 2025!

The registration to participate in the IAF Workshop as an attendee is closed on 31 August 2025.

INTRODUCTION

For more than thirty years, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the United Nations have co-organized a technical workshop ahead of each IAC embracing the theme “Space Technology for Socio-Economic Benefits”. In 2025, the workshop will adopt a new dual focus—Space for Oceans and disaster-risk management—reflecting the IAC 2025 theme: “Sustainable Space : Resilient Earth.”

Space for Oceans highlights the critical role of space-based technologies in supporting ocean stewardship, advancing SDG 14, and safeguarding the world’s coasts. By linking the space and marine communities, the theme emphasizes how satellite data, Earth observation missions, and capacity-building efforts can empower frontline coastal nations to protect ocean health. Coordinated action among space agencies, research organizations, and Small Island Developing States unlocks actionable information for tackling challenges such as sea-level rise, illegal fishing, and marine pollution.

The three-day event will convene government officials, space-agency and marine-science experts, civil-protection authorities, academia, NGOs and industry to:

• accelerate capacity-building in developing and frontline nations on the use of satellite applications for both ocean stewardship and disaster-risk reduction;
• forge partnerships—particularly for Small Island Developing States—and expand user training through the UN-SPIDER programme and the emerging Space4Ocean Alliance.

Organized by the International Astronautical Federation with the support of the United Nations through UN SPIDER program and Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), the Workshop takes place from 26 to 28 September 2025.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

The Workshop will:

• Highlight synergies by showcasing the complementary role of Space for Oceans and disaster/emergency applications, demonstrating how space-derived data can simultaneously strengthen coastal hazard early warning systems, enable marine pollution tracking, and facilitate rapid post-disaster response.
• Increase understanding of the UN-SPIDER programme and share global lessons learned and best practices in space-based ocean and disaster management with decision-makers, especially from Asia-Pacific, Pacific Island countries, and other SIDS/LDCs.
• Present real-world applications of Earth Observation (EO), GeoAI, digital twins, IoT, and cloud platforms for building resilient coastal cities, ensuring sustainable fisheries, and supporting emergency logistics.
• Foster new partnerships that integrate satellite solutions into national disaster risk reduction frameworks and ocean policy instruments, directly contributing to the advancement of SDGs 13 (Climate Action) and 14 (Life Below Water).

Programme

32nd IAF Workshop with the Support of the United Nations

Programme (as of 27 August 2025)

Theme: Resilient Coasts, Resilient Earth: Innovative Space Solutions for Coastal Resilience and Emergency Management

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Day 1 - Friday, 26 September 2025

09:00-10:00 - Registration and refreshments

10:00-10:15 - Opening ceremony

Speakers:

• Clay Mowry - President, IAF
• Recorded message by Aarti Holla-Maini - Director, UNOOSA

10:15-10:40 - Opening Remarks

Speakers:

• Christian Feichtinger - Executive Director, IAF
• Pieter van Beekhuizen - Chair, IAF Committee for Liaison with International Organizations and Developing Nations (CLIODN)
• Alejandro J. Román Molinas - Chair, IAF Committee on Connecting Emerging Space Ecosystems (ACCESS)

10:40-10:50 - Group photo

10:50-11:00 - Setting the scene

Speakers:

• Hamid Mehmood - Scientific Affairs Officer, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
• Madin Maseeh - President, Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO)

11:00-12:00 - Presentation Session 1: From Atolls to Continents: Scaling Space Solutions for Coastal Resilience
This session dives into the practical application of space technology for coastal resilience, showcasing a powerful spectrum of solutions from the community level to regional governance and cutting-edge sensor technology. Participants will gain insight into operational tools and strategies through diverse, real-world case studies.

Chair:

• Antonio Stark, Global Alliance Lead, iSpace, Japan

Speakers:

• Mohamed Basheer - President, Noonu Atoll Council, Maldives
• Lizwe Wandile Mdakane - Principal Researcher, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa
• Meka Rajasekhar - Scientist-SG / Manager, Indian Space Research Organisation, India

12:00-13:00 - Lunch Break

13:00-13:45 - Networking
Dedicated introductions and thematic tables (Plenary Room C3.2, Room C3.4 and C3.5)

13:45-15:15 - Panel Discussion 1: Re-Rooting Disaster Management: The Role of Space Technology in Strengthening Nature-Based Solutions
This panel will explore how users are harnessing space technology to both preserve critical nature-based solutions and defend coastal environments. The discussion will focus on translating satellite data into actionable policy, balancing economic development with environmental stewardship, and building climate resilience from the ground up.

Moderator:

• Pieter van Beekhuizen- Chairman, IAF CLIODN Committee

Speakers:

• Richard Ngugi Mwangi - Chief Geo-database Administrator and GIS Developer, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya
• Anja Nakarada Pecujlic - Head of Business DACH, EnduroSat, Germany
• Michael John Wellington - Senior Earth Observation Scientist, Digital Earth Africa, Australia
• Abdulla Hafiz - Meteorologist, Maldives Meteorological Service, Maldives

15:15-15:30 - Coffee Break

15:30-17:00 - Panel Discussion 2: SIDS, Satellites, and Sovereignty: Transforming Ocean Resource Stewardship from Space
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) oversee vast ocean territories rich in resources but face growing challenges in managing them sustainably. This panel explores how space-based technologies are empowering SIDS to enhance monitoring capabilities while also supporting equitable, sustainable, and sovereign stewardship of ocean resources—placing SIDS at the forefront of a new era in ocean governance.

Moderator:

• Raushan Ali Firaq - Director, Maldives Space Research Organisation

Speakers:

• Thongwane Lerato Namane - Director: Commercial, SCS Aerospace Group, South Africa
• Rémi Andreoli - CEO, Quintesens, Australia
• Felix Xavier Estico - CEO, Seychelles Centre for Innovation and Sustainable Development, Seychelles
• George Joseph Carter - Senior Fellow and Deputy Head, Department of Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, Australia
• Dominique Tilmans - Chair, Eurisy, Belgium

17:00-17:30 - Academic Pitches 1: Risk, Response, Residue: The Disaster Lifecycle from Orbit

Chair:

• Jumpei Takami - Associate Expert in Remote Sensing for Disaster Management, UN-SPIDER, UNOOSA

Speakers:

• Alba Rebeca Gutierrez Melendez - Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Dynamic Genesis, Mexico-Sweden
• Sackdavong Mangkhauseum - Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos, Laos
• Unis Musu Lebbie - Remote Sensing Research Technician, University of Southampton, Sierra Leone
• Hanadi Abdalla - Researcher, Electrical and Space Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Sudan

17:30-18:00 - Networking
Dedicated introductions and thematic tables

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Day 2 - Saturday, 27 September 2025

09:00-10:00 - Registration and refreshments

10:00-10:15 - Technology Presentation

Speaker:

• Go Ozawa - Manager of Public & Enterprise Unit, Public & Enterprise Unit, Business dept, Synspective Inc, Japan

10:15-10:30 - Keynote Speech

Speaker:

• Christian Hauglie-Hanssen, Director General, Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA)

10:30-11:45 - Panel Discussion 3: A Spectrum of Resilience: The role of Communities in Space-Based Disaster Risk Management
The session will focus on strategies for building inclusive and effective models of resilience, highlighting how to bridge the gap between advanced technological capabilities and the real-world needs of at-risk communities.

Chair/Moderator:

• Hamid Mehmood, Scientific Affairs Officer, UNOOSA

Speakers:

• Teresa Gabriela Montoya Mejía, National Coordinator of the Sectoral Technical Commissions, National Civil Protection System in El Salvador, El Salvador
• Roxy Williams - Software engineer, science communicator, and space advocate, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), Nicaragua
• Go Ozawa - Manager of Public & Enterprise Unit, Public & Enterprise Unit, Business dept, Synspective Inc, Japan
• Priyanka Das Rajkakati - Head of Special Projects at vorteX-io, France

12:00-13:00 - Lunch Break

13:00-14:30 - Panel Discussion 4: Pilot to Planet: Scaling Innovative Missions into Operational Services
Many innovative space missions show great potential but never achieve widespread operational use. What does it take to successfully scale a pilot project into a sustainable service that supports global resilience? This forward-looking panel will bring together experts from government, the private sector, and research organizations to discuss the complete innovation pipeline. Panellists will explore strategies for ensuring data continuity, securing long-term funding, and bridging the critical gap between promising prototypes and their successful, large-scale implementation.

Moderator:

• Tom Gardner - Strategic Partnerships Lead, MSRO

Speakers:

• Hoda Awny Abdelsalam Aboelkhir - System Design Engineer, Egyptian Space Agency, Egypt
• Fama Jallow - Founder, Hisia, The Gambia
• Nashwan Matheen - Research Coordinator for EO, Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), Maldives
• Farid Gamgami - Head of Department at the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice Director of Key Laboratory for Satellite Digitalization Technology (CAS), China

14:30-16:00 - Panel Discussion 5: Digital Oceans, Resilient Cities: EO, GeoAI, and Digital Twins in Action
This panel will delve into how cutting-edge technologies like Earth Observation (EO), geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI), and Digital Twins are being harnessed to model coastal dynamics, predict risks, and support resilient infrastructure planning. The session will showcase examples of digital innovation that bridge the ocean-urban interface, supporting both environmental protection and disaster risk reduction.

Moderator:

• Valrie Grant - Strategic Advisor on Geospatial Matters; Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); Caribbean Lead, Fugro - Climate and Nature

Speakers:

• Ahmed Nashwaan Abdul Matheen - Research Coordinator for EO, MSRO, Maldives
• Andiswa Mlisa - Digital Earth Pacific Programme Manager, The Pacific Community (SPC), New Caledonia
• Mohamed Rajhi - Project Manager and Remote Sensing Scientist, UDENE project / Tunisian Space Association, Tunisia

16:00-16:45 - Coffee Break

16:45-17:45 - Presentation Session 2: Better Data for Timely Action: The Building Blocks of Satellite-Enabled Early Warning
This session explores the essential components of effective, satellite-enabled early warning systems, from foundational global datasets to tailored national applications. Experts from national space programs and the private sector will demonstrate how different technologies serve as the building blocks for timely action.

Chair:

• Jumpei Takami - Associate Expert in Remote Sensing for Disaster Management, UN-SPIDER, UNOOSA

Speakers:

• Thanya Tamara Idoyaga Irala - GIS Analyst, Paraguayan Space Agency, Paraguay
• Farah Diya Yasmine - Legislative Drafter, Secretariat General for the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, Indonesia
• Matteo Emanuelli - Program Manager and Earth Observation Expert, Airbus, Germany
• Daniel Sors Raurell - Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC), Spain

18:00-19:00 - Networking Reception hosted by IAF

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Day 3 - Sunday, 28 September 2025

09:00-10:00 - Registration and Refreshments

10:00-10:15 - Technology Presentation

Speaker:

• Waku Hatakeyama - Executive Officer of Satellite Data Analysis AI Business Development, Custom AI Solution Div. Principal Engineer, Ridge-i , Japan

10:15-11:00 - Space Law Networking Session

Speaker:

• Rosanna Margarita Hoffman - Associate Legal Officer, UNOOSA 11:00 - 11:15 – Keynote Session

Speaker:

• Izumi Mikami - Corporate Advisor, Oceans Solutions Technology, Japan

11:15 - 12:15 - Fireside Chat: From surviving to thriving: How space technology, modern tools and innovative partnerships unlock new possibilities in Disaster Risk Resilience
The Asia-Pacific region faces an evolving mix of climate and human-induced disaster risks. This diverse panel brings together National Disaster Management Organizations (NDMOs) from coastal nations to discuss how countries are leveraging new developments in space-based technologies and AI to enhance preparedness, response, and recovery.
They will share insights on using Earth observation, satellite communications, and early warning systems to address threats such as coastal inundation, extreme weather, and environmental degradation. The session will explore opportunities for cross-border coordination and capacity-building, highlighting regional leadership in adapting to the challenges of a changing world.

Moderator:

• Hamid Mehmood - Scientific Affairs Officer, UNOOSA

Speakers:

• Abdulllah Rafeeu - Emergency Operations Manager, National Disaster Management Authority, Maldives
• John Strickland - Director, Emergency Management Cook Islands, Cook Islands
• Farid Gamgami - Head of Department at the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vice Director of Key Laboratory for Satellite Digitalization Technology (CAS), China
• Telesia Sila - Principal Geospatial Officer, Ministry of Lands and Survey, Government of Samoa, Samoa
• Ofa Masiwawa - Senior Geospatial Officer, National Disaster Risk Management Office, Tonga

12:15-12:30 - Wrap-up

12:30-12:45 - Closing ceremony

Speakers:

• Aarti Holla-Maini - Director, UNOOSA
• Anil Kumar - IAF Vice President for Relations with International Organizations
• Dr. Ayhan Incirci - Turkish Space Agency (TUA) / APSCO

12:45-13:00 - Group photo - End of the workshop

13:00-13:30 - Lunch

Call for Abstracts

Abstracts shall be submitted via the registration form, no later than 15 June 2025. Late submissions will not be considered.
When submitting abstracts for this workshop, please note that presentation of concrete case studies, pilot projects and lessons learnt is strongly encouraged. Abstracts reporting on activities that have already taken place will be given preference over those primarily focused on theories, concepts and plans for the future.

Selected speakers will be informed by the end of June 2025.

WORKING LANGUAGE

The working language of the Workshop will be English. All participants are required to have good English language skills.

SPONSORSHIP

Sponsorship of the workshop is open to interested entities who may contact the IAF at workshop@iafastro.org.

EXPECTED PARTICIPANTS

The Workshop is being planned for a total of 150 participants. They include technical experts, innovators, educators, policy- and decision-makers from international, regional, national and local institutions, United Nations agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, research and development institutions, and also from industry.
Participants will be selected up to the maximum capacity of the room, based on relevant professional and/or academic experience.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Within the limited financial resources available, the IAF and the UN-SPIDER program may provide support to a few individuals selected as a speaker and whose nationality is classified as a developing country. They will be selected on a competitive basis, depending on their place of origin and relevant professional or educational background. For the list of developing countries, please refer to the annex of the "World Economic Situation and Prospects 2025" report, available at https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/publication/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-2025/
This support could include (1) a round trip air-ticket - most economic fare - between the airport of international departure in their home country and Sydney; and/or (2) accommodation and meals for the duration of the workshop; and/or (3) a free registration to the International Astronautical Congress held immediately after the workshop.

Please note that this support will only be considered for applicants who submit an abstract that is retained for a presentation in the workshop programme.

AUSTRALIAN VISA

Please check what type of Australian visa you will need here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing# Applicants who need a visa should choose between the eVisitor (Subclass 651) or the Visitor Visa (Subclass 600 – Business Visa Stream), depending on their eligibility for each.

LIFE AND HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance for each of the selected participants is necessary and is the responsibility of the person or his/her institution or Government. The IAF will not assume any responsibility for life and health insurance, nor for expenses related to medical treatment or accidents.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For additional information on the Workshop programme, please contact the IAF at workshop@iafastro.org.