THE 32ND IAF WORKSHOP WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS
With the support of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
Sydney, Australia 26 to 28 September 2025, in conjunction with the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2025)
Venue: International Convention Centre, Sydney
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 open. Deadline for registration is 31 August 2025. Register here: https://forms.office.com/e/0mCJmqyehL
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 18 August 2025)
Theme: Resilient Coasts, Resilient Earth: Innovative Space Solutions for Coastal Resilience and Emergency Management
Day 1 — Friday, 26 September 2025
09:00–10:00 — Registration and refreshments
10:00–10:15 — Opening ceremony
Speakers: Clay Mowry — President, IAF; Aarti Holla-Maini — Director, UNOOSA10:15–10:40 — Opening Remarks
Speakers: Christian Feichtinger — Executive Director, IAF; Peter 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)10:40–11:00 — Group photo
11:00–11:10 — 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)11:10–12:10 — 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 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: Tom Gardner — Partnerships Lead, Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO)
Speakers: Mohamed Basheer — President, Noonu Atoll Council, Maldives; Lizwe Wandile Mdakane — Principal Researcher, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa; Dr Rajasekhar Meka — Scientist-SG / Chief Meteorologist, Indian Space Research Organisation, India12:10–13:00 — Lunch Break
13:00–13:45 — Networking Slot 1 — Thematic Tables
13:45–15:15 — Panel Discussion 1: Re-Rooting Disaster Management — The Role of Space Technology in Strengthening Nature-Based Solutions
How users are harnessing space technology to preserve critical nature-based solutions and defend coastal environments. Translating satellite data into actionable policy, balancing economic development with environmental stewardship, and building climate resilience from the ground up.
Moderator: TBA
Speakers: Rosso Kane Dieng — Director of Planning, Partnership, and Development, Senegalese Space Studies Agency (ASES), Senegal; Richard Ngugi Mwangi — Chief Geo-database Administrator and GIS Developer, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya; Anja Nakarada Pecujlic — Head of Business for the DACH region, EnduroSat, Germany; Michael John Wellington — Senior Earth Observation Scientist, Digital Earth Africa, Australia15:15–15:30 — Coffee Break
15:30–17:00 — Panel Discussion 2: SIDS, Satellites, and Sovereignty — Transforming Ocean Resource Stewardship from Space
How space-based technologies empower Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to enhance monitoring capabilities and support equitable, sustainable, and sovereign stewardship of ocean resources.
Moderator: Raushan Ali Firaq — Director, Maldives Space Research Organisation
Speakers: Felix Xavier Estico — CEO, Seychelles Centre for Innovation and Sustainable Development, Seychelles17:00–17:30 — Academic Pitches 1: Risk, Response, Residue — The Disaster Lifecycle from Orbit
Speakers: Alba Rebeca Gutierrez Melendez — Founder & CTO, Dynamic Genesis, Mexico–Sweden; Sackdavong Mangkhauseum — Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos; Unis Musu Lebbie — Remote Sensing Research Technician, University of Southampton; Hanadi Abdalla — Researcher, Electrical and Space Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech)17:30–18:00 — Networking Slot 2
Day 2 — Saturday, 27 September 2025
09:00–10:00 — Registration and refreshments
10:00–10:15 — Keynote: Koji, Ocean Solutions Technology
10:15–11:45 — Presentation Session 3: A Spectrum of Resilience — The Role of Communities in Space-Based Disaster Risk Management
Ensuring that space-based solutions effectively serve people on the front lines, with approaches to translate satellite data into actionable local knowledge across the full disaster management cycle.
Chair/Moderator: UN-SPIDER
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; Rachita Agrawal — Doctorate Candidate, GGS Indraprastha University, Delhi, India12:00–13:00 — Lunch Break
13:00–14:30 — Panel Discussion 4: Pilot to Planet — Scaling Innovative Missions into Operational Services
What it takes to scale pilot projects into sustainable services: data continuity, long-term funding, and bridging the gap between prototypes and large-scale implementation.
Speakers: Hoda Awny Abdelsalam Aboelkhir — System Design Engineer, Egyptian Space Agency, Egypt; Fama Jallow — Founder, Hisia, The Gambia; Ahmed Nashwaan Abdul Matheen — Research Coordinator for EO, Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), Maldives14:30–16:00 — Panel Discussion 5: Digital Oceans, Resilient Cities — EO, GeoAI, and Digital Twins in Action
How EO, GeoAI, and Digital Twins model coastal dynamics, predict risks, and support resilient infrastructure planning across the ocean-urban interface.
Moderator: Valrie Grant — Strategic Advisor on Geospatial Matters; Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); Caribbean Lead, Fugro — Climate and Nature
Speakers: Dr. Ahmed Nashwaan Abdul Matheen — Research Coordinator for EO, Maldives Space Research Organisation (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, Tunisia16:00–16:45 — Coffee Break
16:45–17:45 — Presentation Session 2: Better Data for Timely Action — The Building Blocks of Satellite-Enabled Early Warning
Essential components of effective, satellite-enabled early warning systems, from foundational global datasets to tailored national applications.
Chair: Pieter Willem van Beekhuizen — Chairman, IAF CLIODN Committee
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, Germany18:00 — Networking Reception organized by IAF
Day 3 — Sunday, 28 September 2025
09:00–10:00 — Registration and refreshments
10:00–10:15 — Keynote: Spacedata
10:15–11:45 — Panel Discussion 6: Resilience Reimagined — Forging Partnerships Across Technology, Culture, and Policy
A high-level exploration of innovative alliances for advancing ocean health and climate action under the UN SDGs, moving from theory to practical application.
Moderator: Ulpia Elena- Botezatu — Romanian Space Agency, Romania
Speakers: Rosso Kane Dieng — Director of Planning, Partnership, and Development, Senegalese Space Studies Agency (ASES), Senegal; Dr. Priyanka Das Rajkakati — Head of Special Projects, vorteX-io11:45–12:15 — Fireside Chat: From surviving to thriving — How space technology, modern tools and innovative partnerships unlock new possibilities in Disaster Risk Resilience
NDMOs from Maldives, China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Tonga discuss leveraging Earth observation, satcoms, and early warning systems to address coastal inundation, extreme weather, and environmental degradation. Opportunities for cross-border coordination and capacity-building.
Moderator: TBA12:15–12:30 — Wrap-up
12:30–12:45 — Closing ceremony
Speakers: Aarti Holla-Maini — Director, UNOOSA; Anil Kumar — IAF Vice President for Relations with International Organizations; Pilar Zamora Acevedo — IAF Vice President for Developing Countries and Emerging Communities
Final Group Photo12:45–13:00 — 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.