Harvesting Knowledge: Centre of Excellence Space-SI

Before the start of regular October session of the National Assembly on Tuesday October 19, 2010 the President of the National Assembly Pavel Gantar PhD opened 19th public lecture in the framework of Harvesting Knowledge Project by addressing the participants.

The lecture entitled Development and Use of Space Technologies in Slovenia was delivered by Tomaž Rodič PhD, professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the University of Ljubljana. He presented the Centre of Excellence Space-SI that started working this year. The following eleven partner organizations are part of the consortium: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, The Jožef Stefan Institute, Dewesoft d.o.o., Sinergise d.o.o., TIC – LENS d.o.o., Impol d.o.o., Iskra TELA d.d. in Zavarovalnica Maribor d.d.

The Centre directs its research and technological activities into the field of micro and nano satellites focusing on precise steering of orbital platforms between remote sensing and formation flying. Developed technologies will be useful in watching the Earth and its systems, in meteorology and astrophysics and will enable intense cooperation of Slovene partners in international projects and programs of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The Centre of Excellence activities encompass a wide spectrum of areas that are divided into three groups: science, technologies and applications. An example of application is monitoring of floods that hit a large part of Slovenia this fall. The results of analyses show that, in its early stage of functioning, the Centre has managed to effectively link exact meteorological forecasts with gathered satellite data and their processing and production of prototype products, that are accessible online for the analysis of natural phenomena during natural disasters and estimation of caused damage, they also give guidelines for the development of new technologies and telecommunication demands and testing for interactive sensing in the future. 

By 2013, more than fifty Slovenian scientists and engineers will join knowledge within Centre of Excellence Space-SI in the areas such as modern materials, production technologies, steering of satellites, telecommunications, remote sensing, meteorology and astrophysics. It will develop infrastructure for virtual and laboratory testing of components, earth station for telecommunications with a wide spectrum of academic and research satellites will be set up which will enable participation in many international missions putting Slovenia onto European and global map of countries that have space technologies.

Field of research of Professor Tomaž Rodič is numerical modelling of materials, processes and systems according to the finite element method. He led his research group in 22 international projects in 5th and 6th EU Framework Programme, BRITE/EURAM, INCO-COPERNICUS, EUREKA, COST and TEMPUS and has developed numerical models and technological solutions for many domestic and foreign companies.

More information on the project Harvesting Knowledge and public lecture of Professor Tomaž Rodič PhD is available on the websites of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and the National Assembly in the Harvesting Knowledge (Znanje žanje) section.

Karmen Jereb
Public Relations Office