With the support of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, the workshop takes place in Sydney, Australia 26 to 28 September 2025, in conjunction with the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2025) at the International Convention Centre, Sydney.
The Workshop is organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), with support from the United Nations SPIDER program and the Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), Maldives.
The call for abstracts is open until 15 June 2025. Deadline for registration as self-funded attendee: 29 June 2025.
For more than thirty years, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and the United Nations have co-organised a technical workshop ahead of each IAC embracing the theme “Space Technology for Socio-Economic Benefits”. In 2025, the workshop will adopt a new dual focus—Space for Oceans and disaster-risk management—reflecting the IAC 2025 theme: “Sustainable Space : Resilient Earth.”
Space for Oceans highlights the critical role of space-based technologies in supporting ocean stewardship, advancing SDG 14, and safeguarding the world’s coasts. By linking the space and marine communities, the theme emphasises how satellite data, Earth observation missions, and capacity-building efforts can empower frontline coastal nations to protect ocean health. Coordinated action among space agencies, research organisations, and Small Island Developing States unlocks actionable information for tackling challenges such as sea-level rise, illegal fishing, and marine pollution.
The three-day event will convene government officials, space-agency and marine-science experts, civil-protection authorities, academia, NGOs and industry to:
- accelerate capacity-building in developing and frontline nations on the use of satellite applications for both ocean stewardship and disaster-risk reduction;
- forge partnerships—particularly for Small Island Developing States—and expand user training through the UN-SPIDER programme and the emerging Space4Ocean Alliance.
Workshop objectives
The workshop will:
- Highlight synergies by showcasing the complementary role of Space for Oceans and disaster/emergency applications, demonstrating how space-derived data can simultaneously strengthen coastal hazard early warning systems, enable marine pollution tracking, and facilitate rapid post-disaster response.
- Increase understanding of the UN-SPIDER programme and share global lessons learned and best practices in space-based ocean and disaster management with decision-makers, especially from Asia-Pacific, Pacific Island countries, and other SIDS/LDCs.
- Present real-world applications of Earth Observation (EO), GeoAI, digital twins, IoT, and cloud platforms for building resilient coastal cities, ensuring sustainable fisheries, and supporting emergency logistics.
- Foster new partnerships that integrate satellite solutions into national disaster risk reduction frameworks and ocean policy instruments, directly contributing to the advancement of SDGs 13 (Climate Action) and 14 (Life Below Water).
Programme
The programme includes five types of formats:
- Keynote presentations given by invited speakers.
- Sessions where speakers present sequentially on a specific topic, followed by Q&A with the audience.
- Panels: roundtables during which speakers make short introductory statements, followed by a moderated discussion between speakers, then Q&A with the audience.
- Pitch presentations during which speakers present their project concisely in three minutes.
- Networking opportunities with a ‘match-making’ interactive activity each day.
The exact topics of sessions and panels will be defined based on the result of the call for abstracts and a detailed programme will be released in August 2025. This call for abstracts covers the following four topics:
- Showcase the complementary role of Space for Oceans and disaster/emergency applications by demonstrating how space-derived data can simultaneously strengthen coastal hazard early warning systems, enable marine pollution tracking, and facilitate rapid post-disaster response.
- Increase understanding of the UN-SPIDER programme and share global lessons learned and best practices in space-based ocean and disaster management with decision-makers, especially from Asia-Pacific, Pacific Island countries, and other SIDS/LDCs.
- Present real-world applications of Earth Observation (EO), GeoAI, digital twins, IoT, and cloud platforms for building resilient coastal cities, ensuring sustainable fisheries, and supporting emergency logistics.
- Highlight new partnerships that integrate satellite solutions into national disaster risk reduction frameworks and ocean policy instruments, directly contributing to the advancement of SDGs 13 (Climate Action) and 14 (Life Below Water).
Invited speakers will also raise awareness of the various initiatives done within the UN-SPIDER program.
For more information on abstracts, sponsorship, expected participants, financial support, Australian visa and insurance, please refer to the Event Website. For additional information on the workshop programme, please contact the IAF at workshop@iafastro.org.
