More than 300 experts from 26 countries will be in Cork over the next nine weeks as the city hosts the International Space University's 2017 Space Studies Programme.

The organisers said it is the biggest space event ever held in Ireland or Britain.

The Government is hoping that the Space Studies Programme will drive employment in the space industry here from less than 100 to more than 1,000 by 2020.

Treemetrics is an Irish company based in Cork which uses space-age technology to help manage forestry plantations in 35 countries across the globe.

The company partnered first with Coillte and later the European Space Agency, using cameras on board satellites hundreds of kilometres above Earth to measure tree growth and the health of the world's forests.

Enda Keane set up Treemetrics with fellow forester Garrett Mullooly 12 years ago with just five people. Today they employ 17.

NASA astronaut Dan Tani is in Cork for the space programme.

Mr Tani has flown on board the Space Shuttle, spent four months at the International Space Station and completed six space walks.

Mr Tani is trying to convince Irish companies that they can succeed in the space industry too.

More than 50 public events will take place as part of the Space Studies Programme between now and 25 August.