The event was organized by the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Agency for Space Research and Technology under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzbekcosmos), and Dialogue Events from the UK with sponsorship support from Intersputnik.

During the conference, Central Eurasia national space agencies and representatives of the global space industry community have addressed the role of commercial space in the region’s sustainable social and economic development. Discussions and presentations were mostly focused on satellite communications technologies, remote sensing of the Earth from space and navigation. Among the participants and speakers of the event, there were representatives of space agencies, satellite operators and service providers from Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and other countries of the region.

Andrey Kirillovich, Director of Strategy, Marketing and Business Development from Intersputnik spoke at the STC 2023 on how space technologies could help in improving the quality of life and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as about the contribution made by Intersputnik as an intergovernmental organisation of 26 member states. Andrey Kirillovich highlighted the importance of satellite technology integration into the 5G ecosystem, which will bring the telecommunications industry to new hights. This will strongly increase the contribution of satellite technologies to the achievement of the SDGs. In this context, space sustainability is more crucial than ever. Near-Earth space is a valuable asset that is the core of a fully-fledged and transparent international cooperation. Therefore, keeping this asset in operational condition becomes a top priority. Intersputnik partners with a number of international organisations on space sustainability and also joined the Space Industry Debris Statement in 2021.

Andrey Kirillovich also provided an overview of how Intersputnik monitors and contributes to the international regulatory framework, which helps to act effectively for the benefit of Member countries and Signatories. First of all, it is important for the implementation of social, education and health projects in remote regions. Satellite communications is one of the key elements, which can fundamentally change the lives of people in developing countries for the better.

Space economy fosters the development of national economies, creates jobs for skilled workforce, and encourages people to get education and work in high-tech sectors. Intersputnik seeks to promote such initiatives and can contribute to a satellite project at any phase from the orbit and frequency resource coordination to the deployment of satellite-based services and personnel training.

Central Asia is very important for Intersputnik as four countries of the region (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) are members of the Organisation. Given the region’s geography and landscape, satellite communications are the priority, and often are the only way to provide digital services in remote areas. That is why Intersputnik strongly supports regional events aimed at sharing experience and promoting new space technologies in Central Asia.