Space industry game changers!

Space industry explained by experts for technicians and space enthusiasts

Meet the Speakers

No clue about space industry? Or already there and looking for a new connections?

Our speakers would cover various topics in the language understandable by everyone. For more technical discussions you can poke them during the breat.

Keynote speaker

David Whitehouse

Astronomer and science writer | DW

  • Dr David Whitehouse is an internationally known writer and broadcaster. He has written eight acclaimed books, including Apollo 11:The Inside  Story, The Alien Perspective and Space 2069: Beyond the Moon, To Mars and Beyond.

    He has a doctorate from Jodrell Bank Radio Observatory and has worked for NASA and ESA including on Space Shuttle Missions. He is a former BBC Science Correspondent and has won many awards including European Internet Journalist of the Year.

    He is a member of the University of St Andrews Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence Post-detection Hub. Asteroid 4036 which orbits between Mars and Jupiter is named Asteroid Whitehouse for his services to science. 

Head of the Software and AI Team | ESA

Lionel Ferra

  • Leading the Software and AI Team at ESA-HRE, Lionel is a pioneer in AI, XR, and software development. As the AI lead for HRE, EAC XR-lab founder, and ESA ODF Manager, Lionel drives innovative projects like LUNA.

    With a background as an astronaut instructor and system engineer, he has contributed to ISS & ATV programs, Mars missions, re-entry vehicles, and Ariane launcher. Skilled in managing complex projects, Lionel fosters collaboration and implements cutting-edge solutions to advance space exploration.

  • The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe's gateway to space, dedicated to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space for the benefit of all humanity. Founded in 1975, ESA's mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

    With 23 member states, ESA conducts a wide range of activities, including Earth observation, human spaceflight, planetary exploration, telecommunications, and technology development.

Onė Mikulskytė

Researcher | Delta Biosciences

  • Onė Mikulskytė is a young space professional passionate about making long-duration human spaceflight possible. With 5+ years of space industry experience, Onė is working at Delta Biosciences supporting the development of chemical solutions for space medicine and improving human survival in space.

    Previously, she co-led the development of a wind-driven Mars rover mission seeking to make space exploration more accessible. Onė is an ISU SSP graduate and she is currently completing her MSc in Astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam.

  • Delta Biosciences is a chemistry company pioneering next-generation pharmaceuticals and materials for extreme environments. Built on a strong foundation in life sciences, the company integrates computational modelling, advanced synthesis techniques, and high-throughput screening to design stable chemical solutions for both medicinal and space chemistry applications.

    In collaboration with the European Space Agency, Delta Biosciences will launch a drug stability experiment to the International Space Station in 2026.

Senior Space Coordinator, Defence Investment Division, International Staff, NATO HQ | NATO

Daniel Hilgert

  • Senior Space Coordinator at NATO HQ in Brussels since September 2023, focusing on transforming NATO’s engagement with the commercial space sector and exploring investment opportunities through multinational cooperation projects.

    He leads NATO's first Commercial Space Strategy, aimed at easing the integration of commercial solutions and lowering barriers for space companies working with NATO. Daniel previously led political negotiations on NATO’s Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) program. He has been with NATO since March 2016, working on investments in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities.

  • The Defence Investment Division at NATO HQ focuses on developing military capabilities and overseeing investments in NATO common-funded assets. It ensures that forces are properly equipped and interoperable for a range of missions.

    The division provides policy, technical, financial, and procedural expertise in armaments and aerospace capabilities. It also fosters cooperation with partner countries through initiatives like the Partnership for Peace.

Thomas Parry

CEO, Spherical | Spherical

  • Thomas Parry started his career at Clyde Space designing electronics for small satellites used by missions for NASA, ESA and startups such as Spire Global, Kepler Communications.

    He moved to the microchip design world by working with SystematIC designing chips for Broadcomm, Google and innovative startups. He also emerged as a global leader in the open-source microchip design ecosystem.

    Combining these experiences he founded SPHERICAL where he serves as CEO.

  • SPHERICAL develops and delivers highly advanced electronic systems for the aerospace industry. Our strength lies in the microchips we design ourselves specifically for our products.

    Our primary focus is on space. Our chip design enables the creation of smaller, radiation-hardened and software-configurable systems, reducing satellite development risks and advancing the next generation of space technology.

Tatiana Komorna

Operations Officer | Space Generation Advisory Council

  • Tatiana Komorná serves as an Operations Officer at the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), overseeing daily operations, including team management, recruitment, training, and administrative functions.

    She plays a pivotal role in the organisation and execution of global, regional, and local events, including the Space Generation Congress in Australia and the Space Generation Fusion Forum in Colorado Springs. Tatiana’s work ensures the seamless delivery of SGAC programs, empowering the next generation of space professionals worldwide.

  • The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) is a global, non-profit organisation that represents students and young professionals within the space sector.

    Established during the 3rd United Nations Conference, SGAC facilitates international collaboration and provides opportunities through events, scholarships, mentorship programs, and professional development initiatives. The organisation empowers the next generation of space leaders to influence the future of space exploration and the broader industry.

Stavri Nikolov

Co-founder and CEO | LLcloud

  • Dr Stavri Nikolov is a co-founder and CEO of LLcloud - The multi-sensor cloud (https://llcloud.eu/). LLcloud is a novel cloud software platform for automated multi-sensor data gathering, analysis and visualisation. A unique tool for Earth Observation at different scales - using space, aerial, and ground multi-sensor data.

    He is also the Founding Director of Digital Spaces Living Lab (https://digitalspaces.info/) - one of the most experienced Living Labs in Europe, which develops and tests new technologies, services and apps for smart cities, smart agriculture, Earth Observation, location-based services, wearables, IoT, lifelogging, and museums.

    In the last 14 years DSLL has provided technology and business support and incubated more than 25 startups from across Europe and beyond and conducted over 45 large-scale technology trials of novel products and services.

  • LLcloud® the multi-sensor cloud, helps developers reduce the time and money they spend to bring multi-sensor data into one common data space and in compatible formats, for joint visualisation, analysis and fusion, and making better decisions based on all available information.

    It is one of the few platforms in the world that allows multi-scale multi-sensor Earth Observation, enabling seamless integration and joint analysis of Earth Observation, IoT, and wearable sensor data.

    The platform offers automated data uploaders from smartphone sensors (via the Phyphox and Strava apps), smartwatches, geo-tagged photos (via the photoSpot app, fully integrated with LLcloud), GoPro cameras, Air Quality (AQ) and other IoT sensors, drones (images, video and telemetry), Copernicus and other commercial satellites and drones, etc.

    LLcloud has been used by clients in applications ranging from monitoring city infrastructure for planning and insurance services, air quality control and predictions in cities, placemaking and city tour creation, analysing street names in cities, lifelogging, location tracking in the mountains and in GNSS denied areas, terrain mapping, smart agriculture, photo gathering for training ML models, etc. LLcloud Ltd was selected as one of the companies in Batch 2 of the prestigious CASSINI Business Accelerator.

Simon Drake

Co-founder and CEO | Space Ventures Investors

  • CEO & Co-Founder of Space Ventures Investors Ltd, Lunar Resources Registry, and Space Commodities Exchange, specializing in space start-ups, lunar mining, and space resource trading. Experienced in deal sourcing, due diligence, and investor relations. Led projects in lunar mapping, AI-driven resource analysis, and space commodities trading.

    Former Earth Observation Consultant for the European Commission’s Copernicus Program. Passionate about advancing commercial space exploration and investment.

  • Space Ventures Investors Ltd (SVI) offers a unique approach to investing strategically in space, from providing pre-seed capital to start-ups to investing in space stocks. They provide research, development, and funding of space-focused businesses.

    SVI is a shareholder-driven company, investors have direct contact with management. They are also active in advocating for increased government investment in space exploration and the CisLunar economy.

Dr. Egbert Edelbroek

  • Dr. Egbert Edelbroek is CEO of SpaceBorn United, researching and enabling stages of human reproduction in space.

    Egbert is passionate about accelerating space life science research. Egbert’s interest in space exploration accelerated after becoming a sperm donor and learning about assisted reproductive technology. This inspired him to explore re-engineering existing IVF technology for application in space, helping humanity achieve independent settlements in space and become a multi planetary species.  Egbert earned his PhD in Courage development in organisations.

  • SpaceBorn United is an innovative space-biotech start-up focusing on developing missions and technology that enable safe stages of mammalian and human reproduction in space.

    This is also  improving fertility and IVF on Earth. SpaceBorn is now focusing on maturing their ARTIS space-minilab (ARTIS: assisted reproductive technology in space). This minilab is currently being tested in space, as it was launched April 20th with Space-X. Meanwhile SpaceBorn is preparing expert symposia, resulting in a multi-decade research roadmap for the full 9 month cycle of human reproduction in space.

Ilaria Cinelli

Space Healthcare Expert and Institutional Business Developer | Aiko Space

  • Ilaria Cinelli, PhD, FAsMA, FAsHFA, is a senior engineer and global leader in space exploration and healthcare. She is Senior Institutional Business Developer at AIKO and co-chairs an educational initiative on Space & Global Health with UNOOSA and WHO.

    A Fellow of AsMA and AsHFA, she has led analogue missions, won multiple awards, and was named one of the 50 Voices in Tech by the European Patent Office in 2023. She collaborates on policy affairs with the Leonardo Foundation and the European Commission.

  • AIKO, a leading European company in AI for the space industry, specializes in Artificial Intelligence and Automation solutions for both ground and in-orbit space operations. Founded in 2017 with offices in Italy and France, AIKO focuses on autonomous decision-making, payload management, failure detection, and mission planning.

    As the first European company to demonstrate Deep Learning in orbit, AIKO enables greater mission autonomy, efficiency, and profitability, helping operators optimize resources and enhance mission success. 

Tibor Pacher

Founder & CEO | Puli Space Technologies

  • Trained as a PhD physicist (Budapest, Heidelberg), Tibor has a 10-year academic career, with numerous publications on General Relativity, Cosmology, and Quantum Chemistry topics. He has also a solid background in management and financial accounting consultancy (15+ years), and conducted many projects in 18 countries on 4 continents.

    Tibor is also a member of the XPRIZE Space & Exploration Brain Trust and a dedicated advocate for a coordinated international lunar resource prospecting campaign. Since the founding of Puli Space, he has been relentlessly working on the first Hungarian Moon missions.

  • Founded in 2010 with the aim to become part of the fast-growing private lunar economy, Puli Space develops a range of lunar exploration technologies.

    These include the NASA award-winning Puli Lunar Water Snooper (PLWS), a rugged, micro-sized, lightweight neutron spectrometer instrument for exploring lunar water resources in support of In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) and, building on Puli's Google Lunar XPRIZE heritage, a low cost, lightweight planetary rover platform with unique high mobility capabilities.