The 70th International Astronautical Congress – IAC 2019, to take place from 21 – 25 October in Washington D.C., United States will feature on Wednesday 23 October 2019, from 08:30 – 09:30, a Plenary composed of the Heads of Emerging Agencies.
 
The international panellists will discuss how emerging countries present a significant growth potential, especially given their nascent technology readiness levels compared to other developed and space enabled regions of the world.
 
Emerging countries have awakened to the realization and appreciation of the impact that space science and technology can make in addressing its socio-economic challenges. However, the benefits of these services have accrued to these countries indirectly, as a consumer of services and products provided by multi-national companies and inter-governmental agencies. While some of these products and services have traditionally helped to serve the social and economic needs of the emerging countries, the level of self-reliance and self-sufficiency has been gradually increasing. Thus, the technology maturity levels and ambitions of emerging countries have been growing to the point of finding global relevance which is demonstrated by the increasing number of international collaboration initiatives between developed nations and emerging countries.
 
Panellists will be moderated by Pontsho Maruping, Chair of the Scientific and Technical Committee, at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and will include Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General, UAE Space Agency (UAESA), Halilu Ahmad Shaba, Acting Director General / Chief Executive, Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Valanathan Munsami, CEO, South African National Space Agency (SANSA), Anond Snidvongs, Executive Director, Thai Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), and Carlos Augusto Teixeira de Moura, President, Brazilian Space Agency (AEB).