BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), although online this year, is witnessing an increased interest in space sector collaborations. At least three of the global innovation alliance partner countries — Australia, Israel, and Sweden — have already expressed interest to collaborate on the space front, with the latter looking to participate in Shukrayaan-I, India’s mission to Venus.
Consul General of Israel in Bengaluru, Jonathan Zadka, told The New Indian Express that collaborations at the BTS this year will be besides their regular engagements. “We are looking at collaborations in innovations in non-space technnology that have space applications,” he said.
This includes Aleph Farms, a food tech startup and a global leader in the cultivated meat industry that has already cultivated steaks in 2019 for the International Space Station, using minimal resources.Zadka said the Israel space agency had tasted success when they applied Aleph Farm’s artificial food for space use. “It is sustainable for long space missions,” he added.
‘Venus mission to carry Swedish satellite instrument’
Likewise, two other Israeli companies, Pluristem Therapeutics (that uses placental cells and three-dimensional technology platform to develop cell therapies for conditions such as inflammation, ischemia, exposure to radiation, etc) and an Israeli-American start-up company that develops and manufactures personal protective equipment against ionising radiation, will be participating in this year’s summit.
Avi Blasberger, Director General, Israel Space Agency, will also be present this year for the virtual summit. Israel will hold a session on ‘Pivoting to Space: New Opportunities For Industry and Government of Israel’, on November 19.Also, Dr Fanny von Heland, Counsellor, Innovation and Science, Embassy of Sweden in India, said they are organising a panel discussion on ‘Sweden-India Space Technology Collaboration’ for a sustainable future — for supporting ongoing and future dialogues and partnerships between India and Sweden.
Highlighting one of the important collaborations, Heland said, “The first Indian lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, carried a Swedish instrument which contributed to understanding the lunar environment.”About India’s upcoming Venus mission Shukrayaan-I, Heland said it will carry a Swedish satellite instrument which will study how charged particles of the Sun interact with the atmospherics and exospherics of the planet. Heland exuded confidence in Sweden playing a part in making the Venus mission a success.
Barry O’Farrell, Australia’s High Commissioner to India, said the two countries are forging new bonds — from cyberspace to outer space. Australia will hold a session on November 20 on ‘From Cyberspace to Outer Space: Innovating with Australia in a post-COVID world Australia’.
“Our high-level panel
will provide an overview of Australia’s innovation ecosystem, cyber and critical technology capabilities, and growing space ambitions,” O’Farrell added. Peter Beck, Chief Executive of US-based aerospace manufacturer and smallsat launch service provider Rocket Lab, is also to address the summit.
Other key voices
Sonam Wangchuk, Indian engineer; S Gopalakrishnan (Kris), Co-founder Infosys & Chairman Axilor Ventures; Prof S Sadagopan, Dairector, IIITB; Dr Shekhar C Mande, Secretary, DSIR and Director-General Council of Scientific & Industrial Research; Latha Reddy, Co-Chairman, Global Commission on Stability in Cyberspace; Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group; and Sadhguru Yogi, Founder, Isha Foundation.