Members from the Department of Aerospace Engineering of Ateneo de Davao University attended the Space Industry Federation for Asia (SIFA) Meeting and the SPACETIDE 2023 Conference on 03-08 July 2023, held at Toranomon Hill Forum, Tokyo, Japan. The delegation was composed of aerospace engineering alumni and students, led by Dr. Rogel Mari D. Sese, Chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department.
The SPACETIDE has been East Asia’s premier space technology industry conference for the past five years. Previous events were a venue where the top talents in the space sector from the Japanese and international academic, government, and industry sectors converge to discuss current and future issues affecting the field in the context of the Asia-Pacific region. This year is the first opportunity to have an in-person convention after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two years. It was also the first time that ADDU will be represented in the event, which paves the way for collaborations for our faculty and students, such as research cooperations, OJT for our students, and employment opportunities for our graduates.
During the SIFA Meeting, delegates from various Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries discussed the issues and challenges of space industry development in the region. Despite the diversity of the APAC region, common issues such as talent development and retention, government support, and ecosystem development emerged as some of the key issues in APAC. Each member country committed to addressing these issues in cooperation with SIFA members.
In SPACETIDE 2023, Dr. Sese served as one of the panelists for the session on “APAC Satellite Applications for Solving Socio-Economic Problems and Creating New Market Opportunities,” wherein he discussed the experience and impact of the ACCESS Mindanao program in bridging the digital divide in remote communities of Mindanao using satellite technology. Together with him in the panel were Frederik Gisle of the Swedish Space Corporation, Hiroaki Miyoshi of NEC Corporation, Parthsarathi Trivedi of Skylo Technology, and Krystal Azelton of Secure World Foundation, who served as the session moderator.
In addition to attending the SPACETIDE, the delegation scheduled a visit to the Center for Computational Sciences of the University of Tsukuba, wherein they saw cutting-edge supercomputers used in computational research in astrophysics, material sciences, and medicine. Dr. Hidenobu Yajima, Associate Professor of the Center, guided the delegation and discussed possible opportunities for research collaboration. Lastly, the delegation visited the Tsukuba Space Center of the Japa Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), where Mr. Yusuke Muraki provided a guided tour and discussed the various developments that JAXA achieved in aerospace technology over the past five decades. These institutions are leaders in aerospace research and education, and collaborative research and activities can greatly enhance ADDU’s capabilities in the future.
Article and Photos by Dr. Rogel Mari D. Sese – Aerospace Engineering Department
