The SatNav Africa Joint Programme Office (JPO) and Eureka Geo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on developing and increasing synergy between Earth observation applications and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) in Africa.

Mr Semou Diouf, the Director of SatNav Africa JPO, and Monique Melly, the CEO of Eureka Geo, signed the agreement in Luanda, Angola, on the sidelines of the recently concluded 2024 NewSpace Africa Conference.

The working agreement established between SatNav Africa JPO and Eureka Geo is an important milestone for cooperation in developing GNSS ecosystems and its value chain to unlock market opportunities in Africa. The aim is to scale up national initiatives and seamlessly integrate SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and start-up acceleration projects in line with continental priorities.

The MoU directly contributes to the topic of the NewSpace Africa conference: “The role of space in closing Africa’s poverty gap.” It will also address the contribution of youth entrepreneurship opportunities in New Space tech in Africa to alleviate this gap.

This partnership demonstrates SatNav Africa JPO’s willingness to develop more synergies with other space segments, such as Earth observation, to build Africa’s future space innovation ecosystem. It aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, SMEs, start-ups, and potential investors.