iii. Invest in human capital

Invest in human capital

Key recommendations

➢ Treat the public as space stakeholders and end users. ➢ Invest in education at all levels, offering remote study options to increase equality of opportunity. ➢ Ensure key local employers identify skill gaps and validate qualifications. ➢ Build tacit knowledge through international exchanges. ➢ Encourage the return of experts through incentives and start-up investments.

Human capital requires extensive investment to ensure successful space programs. Investing in education and training is essential towards developing high-tech and niche capabilities that appeal to international markets. Steady research funding and a range of educational programs at all levels can also help reduce brain drain among highly trained specialists, who otherwise may pursue opportunities in other countries.330

Raising public awareness of the uses of space and its importance to the economy, society and national security is a key aspect of human capital investment. This can be achieved by treating the public as end users and stakeholders for space activity.331 The

European Space Agency (ESA) implemented this approach in 2016, when it organized a citizens’ debate on space for Europe, in which 2,000 citizens discussed the use of space and the role of ESA.332 Such initiatives can help guide priorities, while generating support among the public. It Is important to enable discourse at the local, national and international levels.

There are many existing open-source resources that can be freely used to engage with communities at all levels. In Brazil, the Mars Society at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte uses scientific NASA and ESA public tools to promote learning about Space. The group uses social media platforms, such as Facebook, as well as messaging service WhatsApp to generate a sense of community, promote public outreach and support international space collaboration.333 Support for initiatives such as these may contribute to knowledge sharing and greater support for national space initiatives and international collaboration.

Art and culture is central to developing public awareness of space. Art installations, writing competitions, visual media and music performance are just some of the ways in which space can be brought to the forefront of the public imagination. Before citizens pursue education or careers in space, they need to be able to visualize their role in space. Artists, musicians and storytellers are not expensive, and a little funding can go a

330 International Space University (2017). 331 Ibid. 332 Ibid. 333 Rezende, Julio, Alvara Oliveira, Davi Souza and Dalmo Santos (2020) Motivating for Space in Brazil. ICES. https://ttuir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/2346/86489/ICES-2020-444.pdf?sequence=1

long way in building public awareness and support. Longer term initiatives have a more lasting impact than one-off exhibitions or events.

In addition to raising public awareness, there is a need to invest in education at all levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. A successful space sector requires experts and skilled technicians, which drives the need for tertiary education opportunities in space-related fields.334 Gender inequality, ethnic/religious conflict and rural-urban divides present significant challenges to space programs. In Saudi Arabia, a number of domestic and international scholarships offer support to talented students from rural areas. Additionally, the Saudi government invested in e-learning to help students overcome socioeconomic barriers. In 2011 the government opened the Saudi Electronic University (SEU), a fully online university offering a range of science and technology programs.335

Raising the level of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education is essential, but there is also a need for expertise in other areas. Space law and policy knowledge is important for countries to play a role in space governance. In South Africa, several academic institutions offer specialized courses for space engineering and policy.336 Integrating the essentials of space policy or business with STEM programs may help space sector development. At the University of Luxembourg, interdisciplinary postgraduate programs in Space Studies aim to develop technological and business skills, which are required to boost the country’s space capabilities.337

A number of crosscutting technologies have strong applicability to space, including additive manufacturing, mineral processing, infrastructure development and agriculture. Solving local or national problems, for example, by developing “dry” cement which utilizes less water could have wide uses in drought-prone countries, as well as future uses for space-based infrastructure, including lunar habitats. Alternatively, there may be significant overlaps between future uses of space and major national industries, such as resource extraction. It is important to consider existing national strengths and requirements, and their applicability to space.

Above all, it is important to ensure that qualifications have been validated by major local employers. An understanding of skill gaps and industry needs is required and education programs, secondments and exchanges should be tailored accordingly. It is advised that data is collected to track the need for skills and to adapt programs according to changing requirements.

Tacit knowledge is highly important in the space domain and this comes from experience. Student exchanges, foreign research and work experience in major spacefaring countries is essential, and the case studies provided in Chapter Three of this report highlight the importance of such programs. However, it is equally important to

334 International Space University (2017). 335 Almalki, Faris & Marios Angelidis (2016) Considering near space platforms to close the coverage gap in wireless communications: The case of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7821614 336 Space Generation Advisory Council (2022) National Points of South Africa. https://spacegeneration.org/regions/africa/southafrica 337 Deloitte (2021) Luxembourg, a rising star in the space industry. https://www2.deloitte.com/lu/en/pages/technology/articles/luxembourg-space-industry-companies.html

ensure that these programs are accessible to applicants from all segments of society. To ensure a transparent and fair intake process for international programs, programs could implement blind selection processes, undertaking these at a third-party institution.

While it is common for postgraduate students and workers to seek out opportunities abroad, it should be ensured that the knowledge they acquire comes back. Various policies and incentives could be implemented to ensure backflow of tacit knowledge. Members of the diaspora could be encouraged to retire to their home country to share their experience and knowledge. Additionally, the growth of national space industry could be prioritized by encouraging startups and university spinoff companies. Barriers to the return of knowledge frequently arise in the form of bureaucracy, red tape, corruption, and the inability to possess dual citizenship.