Hosted by the South African Space Agency, the 2nd Edition of the Space for National Development Conference slated for 12 – 14 November 2019 at Protea Hotel Fire & Ice, Menlyn, Pretoria, kicks off today.

The conference focuses on how the investments made in space drive the national development agenda. Participants at the conference engage with the local industry and international space experts on the integration of space into the 4th Industrial Revolution for socio-economic development.

Following a high-level breakfast engagement with key government stakeholders and development partners, SANSA CEO Dr Valanathan Munsami presented the Opening Remarks, marking the event open for follow-on activities.

Gilberto Camara, Director of Group on Earth Observation (GEO), presented the keynote address captioned: “Earth observations for national development: the promise of big data, the chain of trust, and the sharing of risk.” Camara highlighted the essence of government-private collaboration while emphasizing the need for the government to take on the initial investment.

Gilberto Camara @gcamara @GEOSEC2025 delivers a technical keynote at #SND2019 @Sansa7, reminds us risk is shared and initial investment needs to come from governments, especially for innovation economy. To me @DEarthAfrica is a great example, industry get ready to innovate! pic.twitter.com/Wz6xsJfWvM

— Andiswa Mlisa (@AndyMlisa) November 12, 2019

Follow-on activities for the day include showcase sessions and three plenary sessions which started with a discussion on: “Towards agenda 2063: the role of space applications in sustainable development,” with panellists drawn from the development, space and public sectors.

Great Plenary discussion during the #SND2019 “Towards Agenda 2063: the role of space applications in sustainable development.” #Agenda2063 #SDGs #PublicPrivatePartnership pic.twitter.com/3kAdEyc696

— SANSA (@SANSA7) November 12, 2019

The first #SND2019 Showcase Session was a great success giving the broader space community an opportunity to present their vital research and applications to the SND delegates. #SpaceApplications #SpaceServicesfortheFuture #RemoteSensing #EOTechnologies #Geohazards #BRAC pic.twitter.com/uAZ1PSt0tm

— SANSA (@SANSA7) November 12, 2019

As the conference is ongoing, we encourage you to follow updates on social media. Space in Africa will publish major highlights at the end of the conference.