EOcafe: Building Bridges, Strengthening European EO Industry Partnerships with Africa

Thursday, 19^th October 2023, 16.00 CEST

Register here

The space sector in Africa has been steadily growing since the early 2000s, first at a national level, and since the 2010s, on a more continental level, led by the African Union. Having recognised space technologies and data as key for socio-economic transformation and development of the continent (AU Agenda 2063), the African Union has defined a series of space strategies and policies (Africa Outer Space Strategy, African Space Policy), and in 2018, established the African Space Agency (AfSA). Headquartered in Egypt, the AfSA aims to, among others, harness the potential benefits of space science and technology as well as develop and sustain an indigenous space market and industry.

Europe, and particularly the European Union, have long been supporting the African Union in its efforts to strengthen the African space and EO sector, notably through the GMES and Africa programme, which aims to promote the use of EO data and derived information in Africa to address the regional needs and foster sustainable development, as well as develop and reinforce local African capacities.

This strong impetus has allowed for the emergence of an innovative and dynamic private sector developing EO services and applications to address the specific needs of the continent, including the management of natural resources and an ever-growing population centred in large urban areas.

As the private sector rapidly develops, many opportunities exist for African and European industry to connect, exchange know-how and collaborate to develop commercial solutions that address shared challenges.

In this EOCafe, our host Geoff Sawyer (EARSC Strategic Advisor and former Secretary General) will explore the regional dynamics and private sector landscape in Africa, as well as the opportunities for cross-continental collaboration with Dr. Tidiane Ouattara (Space Science Expert, GMES & Africa Programme Coordinator, African Union Commission), Prof. Kamal Labbassi (President of AARSE – African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment –, & Head of the Geosciences & Remote Sensing Group, Department of Earth Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University) and Dr. Labaly Touré (Vice-President of the RPAG – Réseau des Professionnels Africains de la Géomatique – African Network of Geomatics Professionals –, and CEO & Founder of GEOMATICA).

Some of the topics which they will be addressing in this EOCafe are:

- What are the main regional space dynamics to be aware of?
- What are the roles and responsibilities of the different regional actors (AUC, AfSA, AARSE, RPAG & more)?
- What does the African EO industry look like and what are their needs?
- How are Africa and Europe collaborating on EO? and how does this translate to commercial opportunities for the African and European EO industry?
- Who are the users and how they are being engaged in Africa?
- What relevant EO programmes and initiatives exist in Africa?
- How can the European and African EO industry best collaborate?
- How could European solutions help further develop the private sector in Africa?

Registration: The webinar is open to all. Registration is free but compulsory.

Please note this is a virtual event!

EOcafe is part of a series of EARSC meetings that offer timely, relevant, and practical information on a broad variety of topics related to the EO sector. Join us every two weeks to discuss and network while enjoying a cup of coffee with friends.

IMPORTANT NOTES!!!

- The use of a video camera is not mandatory but is encouraged to facilitate better interaction between the attendees and the guest speaker(s).
- The EOcafe will stay open after 17:00 in case our guests want to continue the discussion.
- By registering for this event, you accept the terms and conditions (https://earsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EARSC_Events_GDPR.pdf).

If you have any questions, and/or you want to know more about the EOcafe, and/or you want to share an idea about a future EOcafe, please contact Tanya (tanya.walker@earsc.org).

EOcafe: Building Bridges, Strengthening European EO Industry Partnerships with Africa

Register here

Author: EARSC