Rwanda’s Locus Dynamics (LD) has signed an agreement with SatRev –a Polish space company – to partner in the development and operation of earth monitoring satellite infrastructure which will provide solutions in Rwanda and beyond. ALSO READ: Rwanda signs space service agreement with global satellite body The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on February 7, on the sidelines of the second edition of Rwanda-Poland Business Forum which brought together private sectors from both nations to explore potential areas of cooperation in investment and trade. Rwanda continues to make strides with its ambition of creating a vibrant space ecosystem shaped by cooperation with different nations and prominent institutions to help develop its space capabilities in the use of geospatial data, in the design, and manufacturing of satellites. Satellite data provides useful information that can be applied in key sectors of the country such as agriculture, mining, and disaster management, among others. The signed agreement will see the two firms partner in the design, manufacturing and operation of Microsatellites and corresponding high-resolution sensors for various applications, and establish a satellite ground station, a mission control center, and enhance satellite data analytics capabilities in Rwanda. ALSO READ: Rwanda Space Agency official discusses priorities as body steps up awareness effort Grzegorz Zwoliński, President of SatRev, said: This is a pivotal initiative that strengthens economic cooperation and aligns with our Sovereign Space strategy, providing comprehensive satellite solutions for Earth Observation Data in Africa. The company’s flagship product dubbed Sovereign Space is designed to provide end-to-end satellite solutions for governments, including satellite deployment, ground station construction, mission operations, and capacity building. Wilson Kagabo, LD’s Managing Director, noted that the partnership fits into LD’s vision of becoming a significant player in the African Space Economy. “This partnership with SatRev will further propel LD’s capabilities in satellite technologies, improve Rwanda’s accessibility to high resolution satellite earth observation data and leverage LD’s infrastructure for satellite ground hosting,” he said. The New Times understands that the two firms are currently exploring a project which will enable the delivery of three microsatellites along with the mentioned areas of infrastructure development. According to them, the financing of the project will potentially be secured from the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) Guarantee –the financing arm of Global Gateway, channeled through the Polish Development Bank (BGK). ALSO READ: Rwanda, Poland sign deals in trade, green technologies The partnership comes at a time when Polish President Andrzej Duda and wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda are on a state visit in Rwanda and are accompanied by a delegation of government officials and business leaders. It was also an occasion for both countries to cement bilateral relations with the signing of two MoU in the field of trade and economic cooperation, and another in the fields of green technologies, environmental engineering, geology, and energy efficiency.
