Key Takeaways From the 3rd Disrupt Space Summit 2019
Zhongguancun IC Park, Beijing, China
Space Impulse was one of a handful of startups among dozens of well-established companies from around the world attending a unique forum for envisioning and developing the global “new space” industry. The event was held in the northeast of Beijing at the expansive and well-appointed facilities of Zhongguancun IC Park — created in particular to serve the integrated circuit industry, which of course significantly reciprocates with the space industry.
The Keynote, delivered by EU ambassador to China, Nicolas Chapuis, followed by the leadership of International Space University, Chinese government officials, and IC Park representatives, shared in themes of cooperation and inclusiveness. There was much discussion of the essential and greater good of diversity in the industry. Space Impulse takes profound encouragement from these themes as our fundamental mission is to facilitate business across typical impediments to diversity, whether overcoming differences of language, nationality, and culture, or simply bringing to light new ideas and innovations. Diversity in the industry is key to advancing development beyond the limits imposed by established order and tradition.
Much of the event’s panel discussions built on the theme of diversity with the concept of a “space hub,” an ambition to create a place or platform that constantly fosters networking, business opportunity, and exchange of ideas in the way that the Disrupt Space Summit has, but for more than a few fabulous days in spring. How do we keep Disrupt Space’s exciting level of interactivity going all year round? The discussion of the “space hub” theme provided Space Impulse’s CMO Peter Rolufs ample opportunity to share his ideas. We believe a virtual platform for business-to-business exchange within the space industry can play a tremendous role, and it was not difficult at all to convince others at the event of this basic premise.
Facilitating these discussions extremely well was Darot Dy, of the Space Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He also contributed a very compelling outline of seven essential elements for his idea of what a “space hub” should be. The details of his concept will in fact be published in the coming weeks, so we won’t scoop the story here except to mention the element where Space Impulse fits perfectly: Space Impulse is in Darot Dy’s model a “hub enabler.” Yes! This role strikes us as perfectly essential to establishing a robust and viable “space hub.” It is the exact role that Space Impulse seeks to play in the industry. We’ll publish a link to Dy’s article as soon as it is out.
Toward the end of the discussion panels, Disrupt Space Co-Founder, Magni Johannsson, added an important dimension to the “space hub” concept — the dimension of the client, who stands to benefit from space related innovation and technology, but whose immediate purposes and criteria for success typically have nothing directly to do with space. The person or organization seeking better ways to geolocate, or more reliable telecommunication, or certain advanced qualities in a textile, etc., may not explicitly call for the involvement of space in the solution. It’s up to us to show when and how the best path to a solution happens to be the path from Earth to orbit.
