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13th AARSE Conference, Kigali: GMES and Africa trains 20 young African entrepreneurs on how to develop their businesses

The African Geomatics Professionals Network (RPAG) business club organized a side event on entrepreneurship, on the sidelines of AARSE 2022. Funded by GMES and Africa, the event aimed to bring together, connect and network companies involved in the field of space and geospatial.


At the opening of the workshop, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, Coordinator of the GMES and Africa program, underscored the importance of developing synergies and collaboration between actors involved in space in order to find solutions to local problems for Africa.

Dr. Ouattara urged the RPAG to redouble its efforts in networking to recruit members throughout Africa. He spoke on the need to be focused and practical in interventions regardless of future difficulties. Dr. Ouattara also stressed the importance of the business community in building space in Africa.

The workshop included a presentation by Space in Africa founder, Mr. Temidayo Oniosun, who gave a diagnosis of the situation of the space sector in Africa and made reference to the low share of services from space and geospatial technologies. For Mr. Oniosun, it is crucial that companies work to develop downstream sustainable products and to scale up these services.

Aero Space Valley, a European incubator and solution gas pedal, presented its mode of operation and the work done to create within the framework of SMEs Africa, a program supported by Europe, as well as ventures between European and African companies.

Boost In Africa, a program supported by the European Union and the African Union, through the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank, presented on the different financing solutions it offers.

The presentation by Bheti Connect explained in more detail the types of funds available for companies, with emphasis on the specificities of each type; and the fundraising process, highlighting the pitfalls to avoid when raising these funds.

Workshop participants were introduced to ideas on how to build a relevant business strategy in a simple and efficient way, its stakes, and the need to have fixed objectives in time, the main questions that entrepreneurs must ask themselves to carry out their activities.

The presentation by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), introduced the environmental station (eStation) to the participants. The eStation was developed by the JRC with the European meteorological organization EUMETSAT, and deployed in Africa since 2007 through joint EU AU successive cooperation programs AMESD, MESA, and GMES and Africa.

The workshop featured trainings, including one on B2B and on networking between actors, through the presentation of available mechanisms and tools, as well as various interactive exercises and animations. A training on leadership which was intended to sensitize the entrepreneurs dwelt on the importance of leadership and keys to strengthening it.

Among the recommendations of the workshop is the continuous utilization of the existing GMES and Africa channel and ecosystem to promote space companies and innovations developed by them. The need was also emphasized for the strengthening of networking among African entrepreneurs, and for supporting young companies in search of funding and opportunities.

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GMES and Africa/BM/AF






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Location: Rwanda

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