By Chris Newlands
I was genuinely honoured to be invited to speak at The Economist Impact’s 2nd Space Economy Summit this week, generously hosted by the Portuguese Space Agency, in the historic city of Lisbon. Having attended hundreds of summits, conferences, and exhibitions over the decades, I can honestly say this one was stellar! The quality of the speakers, their stories and insights were top drawer. What stood out was the diverse representation of sectors, including telecoms, utilities, FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) brands, along with a smattering of astronauts. Major players were well-represented: SpaceX, Blue Origin, US Space Force, US Government Agencies, NASA, and the European Space Agency.
Investors, innovators, and insurers were interviewed by The Economist’s most experienced space journalists. This was no place for the shy or ill-prepared! The result? Deeply intimate and informative insights, rarely seen or heard in my experience. Of course, there were the obligatory messages from the sponsors; however, they were refreshingly, but respectfully, managed.
This event was designed with a blue-chip audience in mind. It was obvious that a huge effort had been made by the organisers to ensure the content offered relatable and useful solutions to current and future boardroom challenges here on Earth.
I was invited to focus on the current and future use cases of real-time satellite imagery merged with Internet of Things (IoT) data, highlighting that Artificial Intelligence can only classify or count people or assets in satellite imagery, whereas Space Aye uniquely identifies, compliantly of course. The ability to identify wildfire responders, protect wildlife, or monitor illegal activity in real-time, not to mention a new tool to help brands comply with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, has enormous potential.
The mass market adoption of real-time satellite imagery, personalised with IoT data, will have hugely positive implications for humanity, commerce, defence, and security. History tells us that all technology reduces in cost as soon as it is adopted by the masses, creating an entirely new commercial model for Earth Observation constellations, delighting investors, boardrooms, and Non-Governmental Organisations.
I reconnected with philanthropist, X-Prize founder, and astronaut Anousheh Ansari (pictured below). She is returning to Scotland in June 2025 to share her inspirational story with the next generation of space explorers. I shook hands, exchanged views, and business cards with Buzz Aldrin’s son, Andrew, which was a personal highlight. His deep knowledge of the entire space sector was impressive; he really does have space dust in his blood… to be continued.
The only other Scottish accent belonged to fellow Scot, National Grid Director and veteran Ryan Ciesielski. His geospatial background is impeccable! During his presentation, he described several terrestrial use cases of geospatial data and satellite imagery, which were efficient, commercial, and ensured health and safety measures were adhered to in a naturally dangerous and often isolated environment. Keeping directors on the right side of investors and corporate manslaughter legislation is a real win-win.
The talk that blew my mind was delivered by SpaceX’s Kathryn Lueders, General Manager of Elon’s new Texas Starbase. The scale of this spaceport is breathtaking—they ingest rolls of steel at one end and produce rocket segments at the other, connect them, then launch them. It is so much more than a one-stop rocket shop; it’s a self-contained and self-reliant community of pioneers… just wow!
The payloads are increasing, and launch prices per kilogram are reducing. They are almost single-handedly creating the foundations for a genuinely competitive commercial space sector. He may be divisive, but there is no denying his genius and ability to get things done! I narrowly missed a selfie moment with him last year, as a space conference we were both invited to speak at was cancelled… next time!
Looking forward to next year’s event already!
Written by:
Chris Newlands | CEO & Founder
Space Aye
