CONTACT
Making a historic Asia debut in Yokohama: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024 (SPIE ASTRO Yokohama 2024)
SPIE ASTRO 2024 had the highest attendance in its conference history at PACIFICO Yokohama. From left to right: Prof. Masanori Iye, Dr. Sarah Kendrew, and Dr. Satoshi Miyazaki
SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024 (SPIE ASTRO 2024) was held at Yokohama’s leading MICE venue, PACIFICO Yokohama, from June 16 to 21, 2024. The conference brought together a broad spectrum of members of the astronomy community, from scientists, engineers, and software technicians to builders and operators of observational facilities.
Asia debut makes for record-breaking attendance figures
SPIE ASTRO 2024 saw unprecedented attendance, with 2,900 participants flocking to PACIFICO Yokohama, including 2,300 from abroad. It was the first time the conference was held in Asia, with SPIE members making the most of this special opportunity, enticed by the lucrative exchange rate. Many attendees enjoyed exploring cities such as Kyoto or Tokyo before traveling to the convenient and modern hub of Yokohama, just 20 minutes by train from Haneda Airport and Tokyo city center.
Dr. Sarah Kendrew curated a successful plenary program featuring a diverse range of speakers, including the conference’s first African astronomer.
The conference atmosphere was friendly and productive, with 80% of participants attending from overseas.
Tradition meets innovation
SPIE ASTRO 2024 took place in a city renowned for seamlessly bridging tradition and innovation – a fitting backdrop for a field that is taking pioneering steps of its very own. In line with Sustainable Development Goal 5 of “achieving gender equality”, SPIE is deeply committed to empowering women in optics. Symposium chair Dr. Sarah Kendrew of the European Space Agency explains: “Astronomy already boasts a more diverse workforce than other natural sciences, but at SPIE ASTRO, we’ve taken additional steps to provide a platform for women. SPIE hosts interactive ‘lunch and learn’ sessions led by volunteers on diversity, inspiring both community-led change and top-down development. Currently, 44% of the SPIE Board and 43% of Standing Committee roles are now filled by women, reflecting increasing female participation at SPIE ASTRO conferences year after year.”
Yokohama as a center for international cooperation
SPIE chair Prof. Masanori Iye, Professor Emeritus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan adds, “Japan boasts a distinct advantage in the optical mechanics field, with world-leading companies Canon and Nikon both headquartered near Yokohama. I believe SPIE ASTRO 2024 has further invigorated this industry, providing a valuable stage for one hundred exhibitors to showcase their innovations and exchange insights.”
SPIE ASTRO 2024 was held in Japan thanks to the efforts of Prof. Masanori Iye, the LOC Chair, who worked closely with YCVB to promote the conference.
The symposium chairs chose PACIFICO Yokohama for its large capacity, convenient location, and availability of grants and support from the City of Yokohama.
Yokohama as a center for international cooperation
SPIE chair Prof. Masanori Iye, Professor Emeritus of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan adds, “Japan boasts a distinct advantage in the optical mechanics field, with world-leading companies Canon and Nikon both headquartered near Yokohama. I believe SPIE ASTRO 2024 has further invigorated this industry, providing a valuable stage for one hundred exhibitors to showcase their innovations and exchange insights.”
“PACIFICO Yokohama proved to be the perfect venue for a conference of this scale, offering plenty of spacious conference rooms capable of accommodating over two hundred people each. The City of Yokohama provided grants for the event, and the Japan National Tourism Organization supported the awarding of prizes for research papers submitted by members of the SPIE ASTRO community. International exchange and cooperation are the backbone of the city of Yokohama, with its long history as the first port city in Japan to open up to the world. This legacy lives on in academic exchange events such as SPIE ASTRO 2024, supported comprehensively by YCVB.”
From Yokohama to the world
Symposium chair Dr. Satoshi Miyazaki of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan explains, “Yokohama is home to numerous large companies that prioritize the craftsmanship and quality for which Japan-made products are most renowned. SPIE ASTRO 2024 provided an excellent opportunity to showcase this side of Japan to the world, and to forge connections not only with international SPIE members, but also with a broader audience.”
“As part of the conference, the LOC hosted talks on astronomy that were open to the public. The event quickly reached full capacity with 150 participants. The live YouTube broadcast garnered over 10,000 views in just three days. In an international city like Yokohama, MICE events can provide tremendous inspiration to industry professionals, the public and the next generation of budding academics.”
Dr. Satoshi Miyazaki took full advantage of extra perks, including the many networking opportunities and the clean, walkable city surroundings.
Caption: SPIE ASTRO 2024 reception desk.
Looking to the future
The next SPIE ASTRO conference will be held in 2026 and chaired by two women. While the rest of the world moves slowly to embrace diversity, the field of astronomy stands as a clear pioneer, leading the way with inclusivity and fervor. The SPIE ASTRO community aspires to build ever-larger facilities and embark on next-generation projects, fueled by the insightful discussions had and connections fostered at events like SPIE ASTRO 2024.
With the resounding success of the PACIFICO Yokohama event, SPIE ASTRO 2024 is poised to become a cherished chapter in SPIE’s history.