Six months after signing the Cooperation Framework between the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and Expertise France (EF), notable advancements have been achieved in executing joint programmes to strengthen Kenya’s expanding space sector.
These collaborative efforts seek to drive innovation and develop solutions using Earth Observation (EO) data to tackle key societal challenges in agriculture, health, disaster resilience, spatial planning, and other vital areas.
Expertise France is executing the AU–EU Data Governance in Africa Initiative, which focuses on improving access to geospatial data, enhancing EO capabilities, and encouraging innovation through co-created EO-based solutions.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Space Agency is setting up specialised university research centres to stimulate innovation within the national space ecosystem.
The EO Innovation Labs Initiative in Kenya aligns the shared goals of KSA and EF, creating a strategic avenue for deploying EO technologies to support national development and regional resilience.
The initial phase will serve as a one-year proof of concept.
If successful, the model will be extended to other higher education institutions nationwide, promoting wider access to EO data and cultivating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Kenya’s space sector.
KSA remains dedicated to promoting the growth of Kenya’s space innovation ecosystem through partnerships with academia, private industry, government agencies, and development partners.
The collaboration with Expertise France underscores KSA’s commitment to building international linkages that enhance capacity development, technology transfer, and sustainable growth in Kenya’s space industry.
Source: https://spaceinafrica.com/2025/05/23/university-of-nairobi-and-taita-taveta-university-to-host-inaugural-earth-observation-innovation-labs/
