Yesterday, the Kenya Space Agency hosted the Counsellor for Science, Innovation, and Technology at the British High Commission in Nairobi, Colin Sykes, and UK Business Connect Global Africa Alliance Regional Lead, Jon Waboso Barrow, to discuss ongoing and proposed initiatives on space technology and its utilization, supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (UK FCDO).
The meeting was a follow-up to the April 2024 meeting between KSA and UK FCDO, which had been convened to discuss space-related projects that were under consideration for implementation with funding support from UK FCDO. Mr. Sykes noted that the three projects discussed during the meeting were now in different stages of implementation. The three projects include: the development of an innovation ecosystem roadmap being undertaken by RIIS; international discovery activity by Satellite Applications Catapult; and two projects under the Global Africa Alliance (GAA) program.
Mr. Barrow, the Africa Regional Lead for the GAA, noted that the GAA had since launched the Global Innovation Networks, whose goal was to facilitate UK, African (initially Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa), and EU networks to deliver collaborative research, innovation, and funding solutions to address key innovation challenges in Africa.
He also noted that there was an active call for another of the GAA initiatives, the Space Technology for Sustainability Lead Customer Programme, which was seeking to provide funding for up to £60,000 for three collaborative projects for businesses based in the UK, South Africa, Kenya, and/or Rwanda (the deadline for submission was on the same day).
Another initiative, NextGen Challenge, an international knowledge exchange and mentorship initiative for targeting youth-led and space-related solutions for young participants from Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda, was under consideration and would be launched before the end of the year.
Mr. Charles Mwangi, the acting Director in charge of Space Applications and Utilization, thanked the UK team for their continued support and collaboration. He noted that KSA was keen to collaborate with the UK team and was quite happy with the progress made on the projects being supported by the UK FCDO through the RISA Fund and UK Business Connect.
The meeting was attended by Col. Mercy Kamau , Maj. Aloyce Were and Capt. Koll from KSA; Caroline Nyanoti and Kenneth Mogane from UK FCDO; and Michael Nzungi from UK Business Connect.
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