One of the key presentations at the conference was given by Dr Giovanna Tinetti who's leading the Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory, or EChO, mission recently selected for further development by the European Space Agency.

BBC: From counting to characterising exoplanets

After leaving railways he was snapped up by Japan's National Space Development Agency and was its president until he retired in 1977.

ECONOMIST: Hideo Shima

As a nonprofit, it takes no equity in its portfolio companies and gives companies a platform that promotes corporate development by providing resources such as stipends, office space, legal support and direct mentorship.

FORBES: Stanford Accelerator StartX Receives $800,000 Grant From Kauffman Foundation

An application for the development on green space in Weddington, Nuneaton, was narrowly rejected by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council last year.

BBC: Weddington new homes row: Planning permission granted

Also with very limited new development and weaker centers flushed out by the recession, the demand for space has increased and that has provided mall owners with enhanced occupancy margins.

FORBES: Let's Go Shopping for a Mall REIT

But first, across the US, land managers are trying to find ways to slow down the loss of open space and water sources, many of them threatened by rampant development.

NPR: Saving Ranchland from Suburban Sprawl

Revenue losses are offset by the fact that open space drastically increases the property value of nearby urban development.

ECONOMIST: Clever ways to save land in the newly populous West

For advertisers, the technology takes a lot of the legwork out of buying ad space, particularly across screens owned by multiple firms, said Mike Finnegan, director of product development at Xaxis, an online media-buying platform owned by WPP PLC.

WSJ: Auction System Helps Place Digital Outdoor Ads