“Dakar hosts the first AU-EU Forum on Space Dialogue, highlighting the growth of space in Africa”

News in the space sector is booming, and Dakar has just put itself on the map by hosting the first edition of the African Union-European Union (AU-EU) International Forum on Space Dialogue. This meeting, which takes place from October 24 to 26, 2023, aims to strengthen collaborations between the two continents in the space field.

The choice of Dakar as host of this event is not insignificant. Senegalese President Macky Sall has made space one of the cornerstones of his Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE). Indeed, this year, the country created a Space Studies Agency, the 22nd in Africa. However, despite these advances, the space field still remains unknown to the general public.

Maram Kairé, director of the Senegalese Space Studies Agency (Ases), underlines the importance of communicating massively on space applications. According to him, it is essential to explain to populations the advantages that space can bring in terms of concrete applications.

Among possible collaborations, the European Commission’s IRIS² (Resilience and Secure Interconnection Satellite Infrastructure) program offers new perspectives. This is a constellation of satellites that will provide access to new data to African governments and businesses from 2024.

The European Union Ambassador to Senegal, Jean-Marc Pisani, underlines the importance of these collaborations for the future of Africa. Areas such as climate change, early warning of natural disasters and fisheries monitoring will be linked to the emergence of space. The European Union therefore wishes to accompany this movement by supporting African initiatives.

It is planned that the forum will be held alternately between Europe and Africa, thus making it possible to strengthen exchanges and partnerships in the space field.

In conclusion, Dakar hosts the first AU-EU International Forum on Space Dialogue, highlighting the growing importance of the space domain in Africa. Senegal is on the front line, with the creation of a Space Studies Agency, while promising collaborations are emerging with the European Union. This meeting will be an opportunity to share advances and challenges in space but also to develop new opportunities for the future of Africa.