OST helps companies access space technologies
Rapperswil-Jona - OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences is expanding its curriculum with the “Opportunities in Space” certificate course. Focused on the importance of satellite-based technologies, it is designed to help companies gain competitive advantages and develop new business models.
(CONNECT) OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences in the Swiss canton of St.Gallen has set out to encourage companies to venture beyond the Earth's atmosphere. Starting in fall 2026, the university will be offering its new part-time certificate course CAS Chance Weltraum (Opportunities in Space). The course will look at how companies can use satellite data and orbital systems to tap into new business opportunities and gain competitive advantages.
“With the help of satellite data, a company can, for example, check whether production facilities could be affected by forecast storms or if there is a risk of problems in the supply chain,” Hanspeter Keel, co-director of CAS, is quoted as saying in a corresponding statement from OST. Additionally, local operators of winter sports facilities can “use measurement data to better assess snow conditions and snow depth, thereby optimizing control of snowmaking and slope preparation, and starting or extending the ski season earlier.” The certificate course is reportedly designed to enable participants to use satellite-based technologies profitably at the governmental, corporate, and personal levels.
According to OST, companies are not be limited to using third-party satellites. In the wake of the “New Space Economy,” even small companies now have “the opportunity to send a satellite into Earth's orbit and receive independent data”, writes the statement. The course also addresses issues such as financing and insurance. ce/hs