The Ag. Director-General of the Kenya Space Agency, Colonel Hillary Kipkosgey and the new Director-General of the Ethiopian Space and Geospatial Institute (ESGI), Mr Abdissa Yilma, have had a meeting to explore potential areas of collaboration between the two organisations.

The Kenya Space Agency recently held a three-day expo and conference. It featured keynote speeches, interactive sessions, panel discussions, B2B matchmaking, B2C matchmaking and unique networking opportunities. The conference also brought together several Agency stakeholders, government representatives, policymakers, academia, representatives of space agencies, international organisations and young professionals in an interactive forum that showcases current projects and innovations and provides an opportunity for linkages and collaboration within the African space ecosystem.

The conference, “Leveraging Space Capabilities for National Development”, was built on the success of the Space Sector High-Level Forum held on the 25th of February 2021, which received commendation across the continent for promoting the engagement and in-depth discussion of issues and ideas in the space sector.

Similarly, the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) and the Ethiopian Geospatial Information Institute (EGII), recently merged to become the Ethiopian Space and Geospatial Institute, with Mr Abdissa Yilma as its new Director-General. The merger resulted from the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives’ new proclamation 1263/2021 to re-establish a new institutional arrangement for the Federal Democratic Republic Government of Ethiopia.

The Space Technology and Geospatial Institute will bridge the digital divide in this fourth industrial revolution where geospatial and space-derived datasets are Data Economy necessary to ensure sustained and inclusive socio-economic development as well as play key roles to address global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, disasters, terrorism, conflicts, etc. The new restructuring will position Ethiopia on the right track and leverage effective management and utilization of space and geospatial services and products.