INESC TEC will organise Earth, Space and Ocean Exploration workshop

There is much in common between Earth, Ocean and Space. However, research in these areas still has a long way to go. The SOE – Space, Ocean and Earth Insights – is an event dedicated to Space and Ocean research, and it stems from the need to address said gaps. In 2023, SOE will take place on June 15, in the Azores, as part of the international GLEX event.

The second edition of the event will focus on international cooperation in Space-Earth-Ocean interaction. Under the theme “The Quest to Inspire a Universe of Extreme Explorers”, SOE aims to promote a discussion around science and technology in Earth, Space and Ocean research, bringing together a series of experts from around the world – including scientists, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, etc. The goal is to promote the debate around the work developed to improve knowledge on space, and how it can address challenges posed by the different elements that make up the universe.

Ana Pires, scientific coordinator of the event and researcher at INESC TEC, said that “although Portugal is historically connected to maritime exploration, ambition force us to travel further: to Space! Hence, we are committed to creating a meeting point where we can discuss the analogous nature of Earth, Space and Ocean exploration missions”. The first Portuguese woman acknowledged as astronaut-scientist, and co-chair of the Space for All Nations initiative, also mentioned that “Portugal’s role in space exploration as an Emerging Space Nation shows great potential, and there are vast possibilities for our science, technology and innovation community in the future”. The institutions, universities, industries, and scientific actors in Portugal are accelerating and boosting the global space ecosystem, within the scope of an endeavour that involves all nations.

Organised by INESC TEC – through the Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CRAS) – the SOE23 session takes place on the afternoon of June 15, in Terceira Island (Azores). This initiative is part of the program of GLEX – Global Exploration Summit, an event that aims to boost the future of space exploration by bringing together elite explorers – which takes place between June 14 and 16. Throughout the GLEX Summit, and during SOE itself, CRAS will also have the opportunity to showcase some of its robotics technologies, as part of an exhibition area dedicated to the event’s topics.

The first edition of SOE was held in July 2022, in Porto, and it focused on exploring current and future challenges. With the support of the UT Austin Portugal Program, it was possible to promote a comprehensive discussion on space exploration, highlighting the importance of Portugal-U.S.A. scientific and technological cooperation to fully explore the potential of the sector.

This year’s edition is once again moderated by Yvette Gonzalez (Head of Strategic Partnerships, Senior Researcher, International Institute for Astronautical Sciences – IIAS) and Ricardo Conde (President, Portuguese Space Agency).

SOE23 is co-organised by the UT Austin Portugal Program, the TEC4SEA infrastructure, the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences, the Space for all Nations initiative and the GLEX Summit, with the support of several sponsors – including the Portuguese Space Agency (Portugal Space).

Registration for SOE23 is free, but mandatory – through the following link.

For more information, please visit the event’s website.

The INESC TEC researcher mentioned in this news piece is associated with P.Porto.