Space technologies: tracking innovation and startup development

Xavier Barcons, Director General, European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Xavier has been a CSIC research professor for over twenty years and was founding director of the Instituto de Física de Cantabria, where he established the first Spanish X-ray astronomy group. Throughout his career, he has conducted research at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge, focusing on active galaxies and X-ray surveys. Xavier played a role in the ESA's X-ray observatory flagship missions, has advised the Spanish Government on astronomy and research infrastructures, and has served on ESA science advisory bodies and in the ESO Council as a delegate, Vice President and President.

Johannes Schaaf, Patent intelligence expert, European Patent Office
Johannes holds an MBA and master's degree in physics. He previously worked as an engineer and innovation consultant in Siemens’s corporate technology unit where he led the community of practice for innovation management. After working as an examiner in the area of laser technology at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, in 2005 he joined the European Patent Office where he works on IPscore, PATSTAT, the new Espacenet and patent insight reports for the Patent Knowledge directorate.

Michael Fröhlich, Director of Patent Developments and IP Lab, European Patent Office
Michael is a German lawyer with over twenty-five years’ experience working in IP. At the EPO he leads a team responsible for developing policy solutions on the international and European legal framework for patents and related areas of law and practice, including the development of legal policy in relation to the Unitary Patent, new emerging technologies, patent law trends and the harmonisation of patent law and practices.

Prior to joining the EPO, Michael was Senior Director of EU IP & Strategy at BlackBerry, Senior Legal Counsel at Nokia and Head of Legal Affairs at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. He has served for many years as the Chairman of the AIPPI Committee on Patents & Standards, as well as the Vice-Chairman of the GSMA IPR Working Group and Vice-Chairman of the LES Publication Committee.

Tum Tach, Head of IP, Airbus Defense and Space
Tum began his IP career with IBM France and spent time in the US working with Baker Botts LLP and Texas Instruments before returning to Europe, where he leads a group of IP attorneys in Germany, France, Great Britain and Spain as the Head of IP of Airbus Defense & Space.

As a patent and trademark attorney, he counsels R&D managers on IP protection, litigation and M&A acquisition in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. With more than 25 years’ experience practicing US and EP IP law, he has technical expertise in SW, telecommunications, AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing. Tum is a founding member of multiple Cambodian and Asean IP Groups, regularly lectures in universities and participates in conferences around the world.

Catherine Doldirina, General Counsel, D-Orbit
Catherine is General Counsel at D-Orbit and a space law expert on intellectual property and space law as well as legal and policy issues regarding the access and use of data. Her career of over 15 years includes consulting on related topics, both in government and academia.

Catherine is an active member of the International Institute of Space Law, co-chair of an International Astronautical Federation steering group, Corresponding Member of the International Academy of Astronautics and a member of the World Space Week Association’s Board of Directors