Talatona - The third edition of NewSpace Africa (Africa Space Conference 2024) kicks off this Tuesday, in Luanda Province, with the presence of the world's leading space agencies to address the role of space technology in combating poverty on the African continent.
The event, which runs until Friday (05) at the Talatona Convention Centre (CCTA), is a "huge exhibition" of 28 prominent organisations from the global space industry and 24 other companies that will showcase their solutions and services to more than 400 delegates.
Specifically, the pavilions of the world's leading space agencies, namely the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus SE aerospace company and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), will be present at the event, organised by Space in Africa in partnership with the African Union (AU).
According to the spokesman, Gilberto Gomes, the event is also being organised in partnership with the National Space Programme Management Office (GGPEN) of Angola's Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Social Communication (MINTTICS).
Exhibitors will present their latest advances, share knowledge, exchange ideas and explore emerging trends and innovations in the space industry.
They will take part in discussions about their opportunities and challenges, identify ways to collaborate and drive innovation in Africa and collectively shape the future of space exploration, say the event's organisers.
"The role of space in reducing the poverty gap in Africa" is the main theme of the event, described as the biggest space event on the continent, and the first time it has been held in a southern African country.
The aim of this initiative is to highlight the transformative potential of space initiatives in addressing social and economic inequalities on the continent, as well as to examine how best to take advantage of space technology to energise sectors such as agriculture, health, the environment, security and infrastructure.
To this end, it will bring together decision-makers, government representatives and leaders from academia and the African space industry, who will discuss how technology can help solve the issues facing Africa in the fight against poverty.
This is a high-level meeting between African and foreign industry leaders, commercial space companies, investors, among other organisations in the space and satellite sectors interested in the event.
The more than 400 conference delegates from 46 countries will have the opportunity to explore the potential impact of cooperation frameworks between stakeholders to achieve common goals in industry and on the continent, as well as innovative space solutions to address social inequalities in Africa.
The event, which will also make an assessment on how the space technologies can drive strategies and contribute to solving the poverty rate in Africa, will also further advances in various aspects of the African space and satellite industry.
Among the elements covered are remote sensing tools, geospatial data applications, satellite communications, navigation systems and other emerging space applications.
These advances are intended to improve the agriculture, security and defence, communication, climate resilience and health sectors, ultimately stimulating infrastructure development.
In total, the conference attracted the participation of 257 organisations, including African and foreign government officials, ministry representatives and heads of national space agencies.
Signing of deals
The conference spokesman explained that the event will also include venture capitalists who will analyse the advantages of signing deals and memoranda of understanding with national institutions.
He added that participants will also bring additional knowledge to share with national Start Ups, in an innovative environment and exchange of experiences,
The official emphasised that attracting foreign investment to Angola is among the main benefits of the event, which demonstrates Angola's involvement in the African space arena, with a very important journey in the sector of training international level staff.
The agenda for the conference, which on the first day includes a session to sign partnership agreements in the space field, includes speeches by government representatives and experts as well as various panels dedicated to different themes.
The opening session will feature speeches by the Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Social Communication, Mário Augusto da Silva Oliveira, the Director General of Space in Africa, Temidayo Oniosun and the AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Belhocine.
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