Event Reports
NOVA 25 Symposium
The NOVA 25 Symposium, celebrating 25 years of the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA), took place on 12-13 December 2024 at the World Forum in The Hague. The two-day event highlighted NOVA’s achievements in astronomy, including science breakthroughs, advanced instrumentation, and industry collaborations. Modern day astronomy is all about collaboration, within The Netherlands (NOVA), within Europe (European Southern Observatory ESO, with the Very Large Telescope and Extremely Large Telescope), and globally (NASA-ESA Space Observatories like James Webb and Habitable Worlds Observatory). The Netherlands is a champion in such collaborations.
Space Tech Expo Bremen
The Space Tech Expo Europe, taking place in Bremen from 19-21 November 2024, is Europe’s largest B2B space industry event, bringing together over 700 exhibitors and 8000 industry professionals. Alongside a dynamic program of conferences and pre-arranged B2B meetings, it offers a platform for showcasing innovations in satellite technology, launch systems, and cutting-edge in-orbit solutions.
Precision Fair 2024
The yearly Precision Fair, organised by Mikrocentrum, brought many people to the Brabanthallen in Den Bosch. The BigScience.NL stand was prominently located near the entrance and attracted many visitors together with the neighbouring stand focused on the Einstein Telescope. The Dutch industrial liaison officers showed examples of technologies used at CERN, ITER and in space. They visited many stands to meet companies , understand their compentences and connect them with their respective Big Science Organisation for future contracts or collaboration.
ICSO conference
The 15th International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO 2024) took place from 21-25 October 2024 in Antibes, France, bringing together experts from around the world to explore advancements in optical, optoelectronic, and photonic technologies for space applications. Co-organized by ESA and CNES, the conference provided a dynamic platform for exchanging knowledge on research, development, qualification, and flight experience of optical technologies used in space missions.
General Industry meeting BigScience.NL
General Industry meeting BigScience.NL
14 October 2024 at the MECC in Maastricht
This general industry meeting at the MECC in Maastricht was focused on getting companies informed about the developments at the various Big Science organisations. Organised specifically in Maastricht to connect with companies in the region. We met quite a few new companies due to the effort of the local business developers spreading the news about this event in their network.
DutchPhotonicsEvent 2024
DutchPhotonicsEvent 2024
Date and Location: 19 September 2024, De Haagse Hoogeschool, Den Haag.
Advancements in Photonics and Optics took centre stage at the Dutch Photonics Event. Everyone in optics and photonics enjoyed this intensive day, regardless of their field within photonics. The primary focus was on innovation, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments. The keynote presentation set the stage: 'Putting light into practice: optical sensing technology for real-life applications'
Industry Space days
September 18th and 19th, a number of BigScience.NL network members visited the Industry Space Days at the European Space Agency ESA/ESTEC. Jan Geralt bij de Vaate (SRON), Ramon Navarro (NOVA) and Robbelien Kooistra (NWO-I office) were able to attend sessions on current trends in the space sector. Through the extensive exhibition and B2B/one-on-one meetings, there was ample opportunity to explore potential collaborations with private parties and with the ESA.
EPIC Technology Meeting on Photonics for NewSpace – Optical communication
EPIC Technology Meeting on Photonics for NewSpace – Optical communication
When & Where: 16 & 17 September 2024, Noordwijk
Adjacent to the ESA Industry Space Days (ISD), EPIC (European Photonics Industry Consortium) organized a Technology Meeting on Photonics for NewSpace: Optical communication. This exclusive event focused on the forefront of NewSpace, with a dedicated emphasis on optical communication. The event started with a pre-event networking dinner, an excellent way to discuss matters in a relaxed environment. Several companies from The Netherlands were present: Bright Photonics, Demcon Focal, Lionix, Molenaar Optics, Single Quantum, Tiny Telescope and TNO. The event itself contains two sessions.
SPIE Astronomical Telescopes & Instrumentation
SPIE Astronomical Telescopes & Instrumentation
Sector/theme: Space, Advanced instrumentation, Astronomy
Date and location: 16-21 June 2024, Yokohama, Japan
Netherlands pavilion partners: ASTRON, Cosine, Demcon Focal, DUI, JPE, NOVA, SRON, TNO, TU Delft, VDL ETG
The biennial SPIE Astronomical Telescopes & Instrumentation conference is the largest in its sector and focused on astronomical instrumentation on the ground as well as in space. More than 2,300 experts, scientists, policymakers and industry representatives from all over the world have participated in this conference. Every other year, the conference takes place in Europe and North America, and in 2024 for the first time in Asia. As part of this conference, the three-day exhibition is an excellent opportunity for Dutch industry and research institutes affiliated with astronomy and space instrumentation to present themselves and connect with potential partners, customers and policymakers.