9 October 2024

Switch to Space 2024: Space for a Safer World

Initiated in 2018 by Ms Dominique Tilmans, Switch to Space is an event dedicated to bridging the gap between the Space sector and students, facilitating exchanges, helping students fine tune their career paths, and providing unique networking opportunities. Highlighting the contributions of the Belgian industry, research and universities, the event elevated the ambitions of the future generation through panels discussions dedicated to detailing the European space sector, its vision, challenges, and solutions, while focusing on the theme ‘Space for a Safer World’.

Key Takeaways from the Panels: A Safer World Requires a Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Space

During the morning sessions, the speakers, European and national representatives, engaged in critical conversations to inspire the participants, identify the needs of the sector and stimulate new vocations. By a show of hands, it was quickly established that most of the participants came from a technical background, which did not stop the speakers from emphasising the importance of social sciences in space, especially as the sector is evolving rapidly. With the New Space era and the benefits start-ups bring to the sector, such as innovative and alternative ideas and flexibility, speakers emphasized the importance of adaptability and openness to various disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences. As Heriberto Saldivar, Head of Foresight, Strategy and Coordination at the European Space Agency (ESA) pointed out, engineers should also be salespeople in tomorrow’s industry. In a constantly changing environment, participants were reminded of the need to be open-minded and to seize opportunities, as Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA from 2003 to 2015, delightedly commented: “I wanted to be an astronaut, and I became a director-general!”.

While emphasizing the increasing multi-disciplinarity of the space sector, speakers also pointed out the importance of bringing closer space and defence, which will lead to new career opportunities in the space sector and will encourage professionals and students from humanities or social sciences backgrounds to pursue space-related careers. To reinforce the impact of space in security, and of security in space, new prospects and jobs will emerge, particularly in relation to cybersecurity, intelligence, diplomacy and defence, further expanding the scope of the space sector, at national, regional and international levels.

Talking about Space for a Safer World, climate change was a central topic for speakers and a recurrent question from participants. Throughout the various panels, the role that space can play in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change was repeatedly presented, from the data collected on our planet’s air quality and temperatures, to the continuous reflection and innovative solutions that space actors are pursuing to ensure the sustainability of the space industry. Taking a step back and an objective view on the industry, the panel discussions led to the conclusion that while space is part of the problem, it is also part of the solution, and long-term solutions should consider the future of humanity and not be limited to the lifespan of the next generations for a truly sustainable space. Some food for thought for those attending.

The holistic approach to space presented by the speakers was also reflected in the diversity of topics covered in the afternoon sessions. Discussions ranged from the management of space debris, the Artemis Accords and Europe’s legal standpoint, to cybersecurity and planetary defence, the role space can play in sustainable adaptation to climate change, and the analysis of space weather. Students, young professionals and experts were able to satisfy their curiosity and discover new topics or delve deeper into their most familiar ones!

A Day Tailored to Students’ Needs to Bridge the Gap Between Senior Professionals And Newcomers

While it might be difficult for students – especially non-STEM students – to navigate and find their way in the space sector, events such as Switch to Space enables them to put one step forward and gain a better and broader understanding of their opportunities. It is worth mentioning the Space Career Launchpad, an initiative by European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) presented during the morning session and complementing adequately outreach events. The Space Career Launchpad is a unique online platform dedicated to supporting students and young professionals interested in working in space, or in furthering their skills. It provides insights on study courses, job and internships offers, on methods to successfully pass a job interview, and many other necessary steps, in a single website.

Faithful to its core objective of facilitating interactions between key actors from the Space sector and future generations of students, the fourth edition of Switch to Space was a perfect opportunity for students and young professionals to network and engage with experimented professionals from the space sector.

The strength of the event was to create a variety of exchange spaces to ease conversations among the different participants, and to be as tailored as possible to their different needs. During the morning discussions, dedicated interactive moments were organised at the end of each panel to ease back-and-forth interactions between participants and speakers. Complementarily, for participants aiming to broaden their horizons and explore new opportunities, the all-day exhibition booths from both industry and universities provided an ideal setting for information gathering. For determined participants looking for their next job opportunities and most suitable paths, the speed-dating organised during the lunch break was a chance for them to directly exchange with company representatives, gaining a better understanding of the recruitment criteria, and trying their luck to find a job. Accordingly, the CV wall enabled recruiting entities to share job applications, and prospective applicants to showcase their competences. Concluding the day on a less formal tone, the cocktail enabled attendees to meet each other and exchange, sharing conclusions on the day and providing a more approachable setting for networking and insights gathering.

Seeing the attendees excitedly engage with each other and with the professionals present was a great sign of the success of the event, achieving its aim of bringing together students and young professionals, industry representatives and space professionals.