This year’s Czech Space Week will be online. It will offer fascinating lectures and live discussions30/10/2020|Press releasesThe Ministry of Transport and Czechinvest is currently preparing, together with other partners, the third year of the Czech Space Week. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the festival dedicated to space activities, technologies, education and business will take place online from 8th to 14th November 2020. A week packed with lectures, panel discussions and live streams will celebrate the space achievements in Europe as well as the Czech Republic and provide the visitors with the latest news in the space industry and science. Space technologies influence and control our lives more than we often realise. The satellite technology allows us to withdraw money from ATMs, use navigation devices or communicate with people on the other side of the world. Along with the increase of the space industry and science potential, grows also the role of the Czech Republic in the world. The Czech Space Week festival aims to inform the public about the Czech achievements in space as well as explain the importance and contributions of the space industry to our country. For the first time, this year’s festival will take place online. “Even in this form, we still stick to our main goal with which we and the Ministry of Transport started this festival three years ago. We wish to inform the public about the contributions of space activities to our country and show that the investments in this industry can return to the Czech Republic,” said Tereza Kubicová from Czechinvest, who is also chair of the ESA BIC Prague Steering Committee. Space enthusiasts, companies and research institutions can look forward to interesting lectures, panel discussions and virtual meetings. Traditional Czech Cosmic Industry Week and a conference to celebrate 5 years from establishment of the space incubator ESA BIC Prague will take place in spring. Space industry opens new door for the Czech Republic “The Czech Republic is a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2008 and more than 60 Czech companies have already participated in its programmes. The membership in ESA allowed us to develop unique technologies, attract foreign investments and convince foreign companies to broaden their production in the Czech Republic,” said Václav Kobera, director of ITS and Space Activities Department of the Ministry of Transport. In more than 4 years, the business incubator ESA BIC, which also operates in the Czech Republic, has helped 29 progressive start-ups, which use space technologies or systems in their commercial products or services. However, more companies could benefit from such support, but many of them are not aware of the possibilities and business potential in this industry. Sectors such as energy, nanotechnology, automotive or engineering can find their place in the space industry. This will also be the topic of many panel discussions during the Czech Space Week. The audience can look forward to discussions about cooperation of companies and scientist in space activities or about satellites and their benefit to the planet Earth. Mutual communication of companies will take place via Czech-British Industry Day, which will give the companies and research institutions from both countries the opportunity to extend cooperation in space field. The Gate2Space block will bring the companies information about the possibilities to enter in the ESA programmes. The Czech companies can proudly present their participation on the international missions such as HERA, PLATO, Solar Orbiter or LISA. The scientists from the Czech Academy of Sciences (Jiří Svoboda, Ivana Kolmaová, Petr Brož and others) will present these achievements. The festival will offer programme for students and children Even though the labour demand of foreign space companies in the Czech Republic grows, there is still lack of qualified posts. The Czech Space Weeks aims to change this and to attract the students currently deciding which university, field or speciality to study. The organisers prepared panel discussion for them with young people working in research, founders of start-ups, interns from ESA or working for Czech space companies. The organisers also prepared an event Space for Women to show that also women can work in the space industry. Women scientists working in the Czech Republic, abroad and even in ESA will share their experience. “We want to open door for women and show them the enormous impact the space technologies have on other fields, such as marketing or law,” said Ms. Kubicová. The organisers aim also on children and prepared special programme for them. The children can explore the secrets and mysteries of the universe through fun and interactive activities. They can learn about our solar system and the principles of programming microcomputers on the International Space Station. They can also learn about exoplanets and comets. Please, find more information at www.czechspaceweek.com/en/