The Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) and the SatNav Africa Joint Programme Office (JPO) have signed a working agreement to develop their collaboration further. The aim is to raise broad awareness about using space-based data to meet development goals.

Mr Semou Diouf, the Director of SatNav Africa JPO, and Imraan Saloojee, Executive at RIIS, signed the agreement in Luanda, Angola, on the sidelines of the recently concluded 2024 NewSpace Africa Conference.

During the agreement signing, Imraan Saloojee discussed the relevance of this pact,  noting the collaboration as a means of strengthening the African space innovation ecosystem to support entrepreneurship and, through it, the development of high-quality space-derived information products and services that support decision-making and development goals.”

Furthermore, the RIIS-SatNav Africa JPO collaboration expands the Africa Earth Observation Challenge (AEOC) reach to a more diverse group of African space start-ups and links these space actors to Africa’s broader space innovation ecosystem.

In his address, Mr Diouf stated that the partnership witnessed a mindset transformation of space actors to further develop synergies between Earth observation and satellite navigation and positioning. According to his summation, the goal is to maximise the development of space-derived products and applications in Africa, including through space innovation hubs.