Isle of Man Business School opens the International Institute of Space Commerce

The International Space University, based in Strasbourg, France, has chosen the International Business School of Douglas, Isle of Man, UK, to open the International Institute of Space Commerce (IISC). The island is an ideal location for the establishment of the IISC given the clustering of established space companies (SES, Inmarsat, Telesat, ManSat and Sea Launch), low taxes, friendly legislation and dedication to space commerce development.

The opening ceremony, held on 4 October 2008, saw the attendance of international representatives of the space community such as George Abbey, former director of the NASA Johnson Space Centers Flight Crew Operations Directorate and Senior Fellow for Space Studies from the Baker Institute at Rice University, Texas, and Soyeon Yi, the first citizen of South Korea and second Asian woman ever to go into space.

Alex Downie, Isle of Man Minister for Space, said: “Welcoming the IISC to the Isle of Man is part of our overall strategy to encourage space innovation. We have attracted some of the space industry’s most successful companies along with several niche players to our island over the past few years. Here, they find a perfect combination of a pro-space government, an established professional infrastructure, access to orbital slots and zero per cent tax on space and satellite business.”

Michael Simpson, of the International Space University, said: “Among the many countries interested in the commercial possibilities presented by outer space, the Isle of Man stands out as a place where people have that rare ability to both dream big dreams and close a solid business plan. We look forward to a long and productive partnership with the island and its people in the years to come.”