On February 19th, 2021, 1-2 PM UTC, we will have Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). Her presentation, titled “#buildbackbetter: Space technology for economic development”, will dive into how space data, technology and applications can be a transformative force for economy, based on the initial findings of the Space Economy Initiative. The moderator will be Miguel Belló Mora, CEO of the AIR Centre.

2020 saw the launch of the Space Economy Initiative, a new UN platform under the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) tasked to bring emerging and non-space faring countries together to strengthen their space economies. The Initiative leverages in-house expertise and peer-to-peer exchange with established space-faring nations to share insights, casestudies, and good practices on how to grow strong, dynamic, and sustainable space economies.

The Space Economy Initiative is tailored to support public and private space sector stakeholders. By providing a global platform for practitioners from established and emerging space economies at the UN level, the Space Economy Initiative is the first of its kind. This webinar will dive into how space data, technology and applications can be a transformative force for economy, based on the initial findings of the Space Economy Initiative.

Speaker

Simonetta Di Pippo

Simonetta Di Pippo is Director of UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), a position which sees her lead the Office’s strategic, policy and programmatic activities and advising the UN Secretary-General on space affairs. Prior to joining UNOOSA, she served as Director of Human Spaceflight at the European Space Agency, and previously also as Director of the Observation of the Universe at the Italian National Space Agency, ASI. She is an Academician of IAA and a member of WEF Global Future Council on Space Technologies since 2016 and its co-chair since 2020. She co-founded Women in Aerospace Europe in 2009 and in 2017 became a UN International Gender Champion.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics and Space Physics from University “La Sapienza”, and Honoris Causa Degree in Environmental Studies, and an Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor in International Affairs. Ms. Di Pippo was knighted by the President of the Italian Republic in 2006 and, in 2008, the International Astronomical Union assigned the name “dipippo” to asteroid 21887 in recognition of her efforts in space exploration. She was also featured in a publication HERstory: A Celebration of Leading Women in the United Nations, a tribute to women’s participation in the development of the UN. Among other awards, she was awarded the Hubert Curien Award in 2018 as the first woman laureate.

Moderator

Miguel Belló Mora

Miguel Belló Mora is the CEO of the AIR Centre. He is an entrepreneur in the European space sector and he has been involved in the management of international space programs and institutions for more than 37 years. Miguel was the main promoter of the DEIMOS 1 (launch 2009) and DEIMOS 2 (launch 2014) Earth Observation satellites and he was the responsible for its operations and downstream applications. He was the founder and CEO of all companies in DEIMOS Group: DEIMOS SPACE, based Madrid (2001), DEIMOS Engenharia, located in Lisbon (2003), DEIMOS Aplicaciones Tecnológicas (DAT) in Valladolid, Spain (2005), DEIMOS Imaging, Spain (2005), DEIMOS Castilla la Mancha, Spain (2009), DEIMOS UK in Harwell (2013), DEIMOS Romania in Bucharest (2013) and DEIMOS Italy (2017). He is an expert in Space Systems Operations, Space System Engineering, Earth Observation systems and applications, Mission Analysis, Flight Dynamics, Interplanetary Mission Design, Launcher Trajectory Optimization and Space Software Engineering: project management, design, development, validation and operation of space systems.

Miguel has M.S. Degree in Aeronautical Engineering form the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (1983), specialised in Aircraft, Missiles and Propulsion with end of Studies Honour Award and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, from the Flugmechanik Institut, Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany (1993). He also completed a General Management Programme (MBA) at IESE, Madrid (2000-2001).

We will continue with the Networking Fridays during the next months. More information about future sessions as well as presentations and videos from previous sessions can be found here. Twitter Hashtag: #netfridays. Expect some very exciting afternoons, or mornings or evenings, depending on where you are…

If you need any additional information please send an email to Jose Luiz Moutinho.