40 companies and institutions in the field of space technologies gathered at the event J. Heyrovský Institute opens the Gateway to the Universe

In the picturesque Děčín Castle, a unique event took place on May 21, 2024 – the social gathering "J. Heyrovský Institute opens the Gateway to the Universe." The event attracted around 70 personalities from nearly 40 industrial companies, academic institutions, and public organizations involved in space technologies.

Guests could look forward to interesting lectures by two prominent foreign experts. Jean-Pierre Lebreton, a former ESA employee from the French institute LPC2E in Orleans, offered insights into the future of solar system exploration and the development of space instruments. Bernd Abel from Leipzig University discussed how academia connects with industry, presenting three specific examples of international collaboration between his research group and companies in Germany, the Czech Republic, and the USA.

The Heyrovsky Institute showcased its achievements in space chemistry and introduced projects it participates in as a coordinator or partner in international space missions, including ARIEL, EnVision, SLAVIA, HyperSpec, LILA, and LADA.

The event was held in collaboration with Děčín Castle, which provided its impressive Corner Hall and Blue Hall. For the second year in a row, this castle also hosts the exhibition "Touch (Exo)Planets," prepared by Martin Ferus and his team from the Spectroscopy Department. The exhibition was created with the support of the Czech Academy of Sciences' Strategy AV21 – Space for Humanity program and in collaboration with Libor Lenža from the Valašské Meziříčí Observatory.

A big thank you goes not only to Děčín Castle for allowing this extraordinary event to take place in its beautiful premises but also to our sponsors: SAWtronics s.r.o., Pragolab s.r.o., S.A.B. Aerospace s.r.o., and Lightigo s.r.o. Without their support, this inspiring event would not have been possible.

On behalf of the organizing committee:

Martin Ferus, Ján Žabka, and Miroslava Macháčková

Download the event booklet here