beSPACE: a community of space enthusiasts who work, study or live in Belgium
- Paper number
IAC-17,E5,5,4,x41526
- Year
2017
- Abstract
beSPACE is a volunteer-based organization in Belgium with an ambition to create a community of space enthusiasts who work, study or live in Belgium. beSPACE was created in 2013 with the goal of connecting students and professionals with the industry and academia, and it organized its first networking event - a Space Dinner. Since then the number of members increased significantly, it’s currently more than 300 members, and the variety of events expanded as well. This paper intends to share a successful experience of growing a local professional association. It will tell in details about the activities organized by the team such as the space dinner, lectures on different topics to the public. It will discuss the outcomes, lessons learnt and best practices. One part will be dedicated to the white paper written by beSPACE team members, in which the team expresses its view on Belgium in space, and the recommendations are outlined in order for Belgium to remain a competitive European member. A special attention will be given to the future goals and further expansion strategy for encouraging communication and collaboration between different professional groups in Belgium.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)