Launch of the Asia Pacific Alliance of Space Trade Associations (AASTA)
SST Think Tank is Joined by CrossU and Aerospace New Zealand to Launch the Asia Pacific Alliance of Space Trade Associations (AASTA) to Catalyse Commercialisation and Internationalisation of Space at a Critical Inflection Point
Alliance to debut large-scale B2B business matching platform at the Global Space Technology Convention & Exhibition (GSTCE) 2026
Sydney, Australia, 1st Oct 2025 — The Singapore Space & Technology Think Tank (SST Think Tank) today announced the formation of the Asia Pacific Alliance of Space Trade Associations (AASTA) with co-founding members CrossU and Aerospace New Zealand. AASTA is a first-of-its-kind industry-led collaborative platform in Asia Pacific that brings together leading space trade associations to accelerate the mainstreaming of space in the region. AASTA’s focus is on accelerating the growth of the space industry in Asia Pacific, and will thus also engage with peer associations in North America, Europe, and emerging space regions to ensure Asia Pacific is fully integrated into the global industry dialogue.
A Power-Packed Alliance
The Alliance was formally established with the support of the region’s leading industry associations:
● Cross U (Japan) (founding member): Japan’s largest space business co-creation platform, fostering collaboration between space and non-space industries.
● Aerospace New Zealand (founding member): New Zealand’s industry body dedicated to promoting the nation's aerospace interests, encompassing aviation, space, and related services.
Together with SST Think Tank, these members are committed to building a collaborative platform that amplifies industry voices and accelerates commercialisation worldwide.
Uniting the Global Ecosystem for Long-Term Growth
AASTA will leverage the collective strengths of its members to expand cross-border collaboration, advance deal-making, and empower space startups and SMEs to scale internationally. Beyond fostering partnerships, AASTA will connect businesses and capital, ensuring that companies at different stages of growth find the right support. For new entrants, this could mean guidance on securing seed funding, identifying suitable partners, and navigating their first steps in the ecosystem. For corporates and established organisations, it means offering higher-value opportunities, from strategic collaborations to curated networks and access to new markets.
The Alliance will also promote knowledge-sharing, best practices, and policy dialogue between its members, while coordinating delegations and cross-promoting flagship events worldwide. These efforts will not only advance space adoption but also strengthen the integration of space technologies into non-space industries such as logistics, finance, agriculture, energy, and sustainability.
A joint report by SST Think Tank and Deloitte projects that increased Earth Observation adoption alone could contribute US$619 billion in value across Asia Pacific by 2030, with downstream commercial applications already outpacing upstream investments[1]. AASTA is designed to unlock this potential by leveraging the collective strengths of its members to expand cross-border collaboration, advance deal-making, and empower startups and SMEs with practical pathways to internationalisation.
With space increasingly recognised as a horizontal technology – like the internet or AI – AASTA represents a pivotal step in ensuring the global ecosystem collaborates to unlock the full potential of the industry opportunity in Asia Pacific, and beyond.
The launch of AASTA underscores SST Think Tank’s role as a catalyst for collaboration across the global space ecosystem. As Asia’s first space innovation think tank, SST Think Tank has been at the forefront of mainstreaming space — integrating space technologies into everyday industries and positioning space as a core driver of industrial transformation. By bringing together national and regional associations under one banner, SST Think Tank is ensuring that Asia Pacific space companies gain the networks, market access, and cross-border support they need to scale globally.
“AASTA is a game-changer for the commercialisation and internationalisation of the space industry. By aligning leading industry associations under a common platform, we are creating the infrastructure to match businesses at scale, while also giving startups practical pathways to go global. This is how we move space from being a niche industry to becoming a mainstream economic driver across all sectors,” said Nicolette Yeo, General Manager of SST Think Tank at AASTA’s launch during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025 in Sydney. SST Think Tank is the chair of AASTA.
Catalysing B2B Matchmaking at an Unprecedented Global Scale
One of AASTA’s signature initiatives will be the large-scale B2B business matching programme at the Global Space Technology Convention and Exhibition (GSTCE) 2026, to be held in Singapore on 13–14 May 2026.
GSTCE is Asia’s premier space industry gathering that draws over 1,500 delegates from over 40 countries. Under the banner of the GSTCE 2026 theme ‘Commercialising Space: Driving Economic Value Across Industries’, the global platform will focus on how space is a growing economic pillar globally – an ideal backdrop for members of AASTA to participate in a vibrant marketplace that unites space and non-space players.
For the first time, space industry associations across multiple APAC countries will mobilise their thousands-strong membership to convene at GSTCE. This unprecedented scale of B2B activity will accelerate cross-border partnerships, fuel investment flows, and create a platform where real commercial outcomes are forged between space and non-space companies.
The B2B marketplace at GSTCE 2026 will kick off with curated roundtable dialogue sessions centred on key themes that are shaping commercial deals in space today:
● Non-space industry sectors that will be in focus will include climate resilience, smart cities, and oil and gas
● Space-for-space discussions will centre on technologies to support commercial space station infrastructure, orbital data centres and in-space manufacturing
● Diversification of supply chains leveraging partnerships across Asia Pacific
There will also be focused matchmaking sessions to help companies expand into and work with partners across the AASTA member countries.
The roundtable dialogues will be followed by speed-dating sessions for each dialogue group to provide opportunities for deeper engagement and deal-making.
Driving Internationalisation with ‘Boots on the Ground’ Support
Beyond deal-making, AASTA will play a transformational role in helping startups internationalise.
In collaboration with SST Think Tank’s Growth Lab programme, which already supports Asian startups in entering new markets with bespoke strategies, AASTA will provide companies with direct access to in-market industry associations in their target geographies.
This means member companies across the Alliance can now benefit from localized insights, regulatory guidance, and immediate networks—effectively securing “boots on the ground” to accelerate entry into new markets. This approach significantly reduces barriers to internationalisation and ensures companies are supported with the right partnerships at the right time.
“Every industry reaches a moment when collaboration becomes not just valuable, but essential. For the space sector, that moment is now. AASTA gives us a unique platform where associations can pool strengths, share hard-won experience, and open doors for companies in markets they could not access alone. It is precisely this kind of collective action that will give our industry the resilience and global reach it needs at such a critical juncture,” said Dr Kartik Sheth, SST Think Tank Council Chair.
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About Singapore Space & Technology (SST) Think Tank
The SST Think Tank is Asia’s first space innovation think tank focused on commercialising space. We bridge technology and communities to harness the power of space for the benefit of future generations—by mainstreaming space into the fabric of everyday life, industry, and innovation. Formerly SSTL, it has drawn on its work as an ecosystem builder, connecting global space expertise with the practical needs of non-space sectors such as agriculture, climate resilience, finance, logistics, and ESG.
Through commercially relevant projects, research, and strategic platforms, the SST Think Tank helps decode the space economy and shape its integration across business and society.
Our focus is to move space from the periphery to the core of industrial transformation, ensuring Asia leads in unlocking the full economic and human potential of space.
Media Contact:
michelle.tham@space.org.sg / 65 96384253
[1] https://www.deloitte.com/southeast-asia/en/services/consulting/perspectives/sea-space-industry-report.html