Southampton Space Institute host Space Photonics Event in collaboration with the ORC
Hosted at the University of Southampton’s Highfield campus on 23rd June, the Space Photonics event brought together representatives from industry, Space South Central, UK Space Agency and academics to showcase photonics research activities across both groups, and to explore opportunities for collaboration.
The morning session included presentations from colleagues within the Southampton Space Institute and the ORC. Professor David Parker introduced the Space Institute, followed by an overview of the ORC by Professor Austin Taranta. This was followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Dr Andy Sellars (Director of Strategy, CORNERSTONE). Panel speakers included, Professor Sir David Payne, Dr Mike Short CBE, Darren Cadman (Space Forge) Wilmien Visser, (SSTL) featuring an insightful discussion which included, the future of photonic technologies, where the UK stands in the international arena in telecoms/satcoms. There was also a chance for delegates to ask questions and discuss topics further.
A number of academics from both departments delivered short pitches highlighting current work in photonics and space related research. Potential funding routes to support collaborative activity were also presented by Lauren Taylor and Joe Hicks from the UK Space Agency.
Attendees were then given a tour of the ORC’s cleanroom facilities, providing an overview of the capabilities and the infrastructure available to support advanced research and development.
The afternoon session focused on facilitating direct engagement between researchers and industry representatives through a “speed dating” style session. This provided an opportunity to explore potential partnerships and to discuss possible collaborative projects and funding opportunities.
Overall, this was a very productive day with lots of positive feedback from guests, commenting how valuable these types of networking events are to help foster important collaborations between industry and research.