Italy Deepens Space Engagement with Africa at the Third Italy–Africa Space Leaders Meeting
The Kenya Space Agency (KSA), in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), convened the Third Italy–Africa Space Leaders Meeting at the Luigi Broglio Space Centre in Malindi, Kenya, reinforcing the long-standing space partnership between Italy and Africa. Held over two days, the meeting brought together more than 30 senior space sector leaders representing 17 African countries. Furthermore, the gathering provided a high-level forum for dialogue on advancing cooperation in space science, technology, and policy, with a particular focus on strengthening institutional and technical collaboration across the continent.
The meeting brought together space agency leaders from across the continent, including representatives from Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.
Italy–Africa Space Cooperation Under the Mattei Plan
Discussions centred on Italy’s Mattei Plan, which seeks to deepen strategic engagement with African partners, and Italy’s forthcoming presidency of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) for the 2026–2027 term. These frameworks underscored the meeting’s emphasis on inclusive, sustainable, and mutually beneficial space cooperation. Moreover, participants reaffirmed a shared recognition of space as a critical enabler of innovation and socio-economic development in Africa. Space-based capabilities were highlighted as increasingly central to addressing continental priorities, including agricultural resilience, climate and environmental monitoring, communications infrastructure, education, and long-term sustainable development.
This meeting formed part of a broader engagement process, building on a high-level delegation visit to the Luigi Broglio Space Centre on 8 February 2025. The delegation included Prof Abdulrazak Shaukat, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, accompanied by Italy’s Minister for Universities and Research, Hon Anna Maria Bernini, the President of the Italian Space Agency, Teodoro Valente, and the Director General of the Kenya Space Agency (KSA), Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey, the CEO of the National Research Fund (NRF), Prof. Dickson Andala and other dignitaries. The visit underscored LBMSC’s strategic role in advancing space science, technology, and innovation for Kenya and the region.
The Luigi Broglio Space Centre: A Pillar of Italy–Africa Space Cooperation
Italy’s expanding influence in Kenya and across Africa continues to gain momentum through several key strategic initiatives, underscoring the growing importance of the Luigi Broglio Space Centre. This momentum was reinforced when the centre hosted the 2nd Council of Ministers meeting in 2024, which focused on advancing the implementation of the bilateral agreement between Kenya and Italy concerning the Luigi Broglio Space Centre. Furthermore, Italy’s Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, underscored the centre’s strategic future by announcing that it will resume launching Earth Observation satellites within the next few years. This development builds directly on Kenya’s ambitious goals to develop indigenous launch capabilities.