DEVELOPING KENYA’S DEEPTECH & INDUSTRIAL STARTUPS IN SPACE INNOVATION & TECH | LESSONS FROM STUDY VISIT BELGIUM & FRANCE | Toulouse & Montpellier

Study Visit Belgium & France Kenya Delegation December 9th to 13th 2024 Supporting development and human-centric data regulation, use and infrastructure in Africa | DAY 2 to 4 Toulouse & Montpellier-France  

Background

France has the largest space budget in Europe and is, with Germany, one of the top contributors to the European Space Agency - ESA (ESA). It is home to the Guiana Spaceport, with excellent conditions for launch to the geostationary orbit.

The French space agency Centre National d'Études Spatiales , under the joint supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for formulating and executing space policies.

The French institutional budget estimates in 2017 for space activities totalled EUR  2.4  billion (USD  2.7  billion) with 61 percent funding the French multilateral programme, 36 percent to ESA and 3 percent to EUMETSAT . Thematic distribution of the funds were : 50 percent funded the launcher programme 46 percent ,earth observation 14 percent, defence 11 percent and science 10 percent

 Government research institutes and laboratories play an important role in R&D and innovation activities, with dedicated organisations such as CNES, the @National Aerospace Research Centre ONERA - The French Aerospace Lab and CNRS the National Centre for Scientific Research.

It is estimated that French manufacturers accounted for  75 percent of European space manufacturing exports in 2017 (French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, 2019.

Space manufacturing activities in France generated some EUR  7.9  billion (USD 8.9 billion) in unconsolidated revenues, with military space orders accounting for 27% of the total. It employed 15 000 persons, mainly in the Southwest and Ile de France regions. (GIFAS, 2018).

 Satellite operations and earth observation are some of the most significant downstream activities, with a growing number of start-ups providing value-added services for sectors such as maritime, energy, agriculture and finance.

 Organisation visited

1-Centre National D’etudes Spatiales ( CNES) is a programmatic agency, field centre and space operator encompassing all of the functions required to shape and execute the French government’s space strategy, and to deploy public policies that rely on the space sector. CNES is overseen by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, the Ministry for Armed Forces and the Ministry for Higher Education and Research. CNES focus areas are: Sovereignty: Maintaining and furthering France and Europe’s strategic independence, Sustaining and extending French scientific excellence, Working towards a sustainable world and Sustaining a competitive space ecosystem

Connect By CNES is a program that  offers you access to a wealth of space technologies to startups, SMEs, corporates and public entities. The program focuses majorly on:  Mobility, Health and Environment.

SME support includes: Technical expertise, access to patents and software, research & technology and promotion & coordination

Startup support includes : creative thinking, Incubators, acceleration, technical expertise, access to patents and software, funding, training and promotion & coordination.

Corporate support include : technical expertise, partnerships, funding, promotion & coordination and training

Public entities support : Space solutions have great potential for multiple uses in regions of all types and sizes, as they can tackle issues from mobility or risk management to environmental needs and the climate emergency, planning, precision agriculture and health among others. Support to local authorities include: technical expertise, information and awareness raising, demonstrators for major cities, training and promotion & coordination

2- ISAE Entrepreneurship Centre : ISAE-SUPAERO ISAE-SUPAERO Education one of the world leader aerospace engineering schools in higher education established an entrepreneurship centre that allows for university students and faculty to develop innovation that create value for the Toulouse space ecosystem  . The center currently supports 10 startups across the sectors of air space and defence using 5 labs. The centre further supports startups from Technological readniness (TRL) 1 to 6 within a maximum preriod of 3 years with an initial grant of 3,500 Euros

3-Data Terra

4-IGN The French National Mapping Agency

5- University of Montpellier CSUM- University of Montpellier facility supports nanosatellite engineering training and research. The CSUM’s missions are developing nanosatellite technology and training young talent

6-Aerospace Valley Competive cluster- Is an association or network that focuses on ; Aeronautics, space and drones and  contributes to the development and competitiveness of its members through innovation by promoting collaborative research and development projects. In order to generate business opportunities for its members, they facilitate and promote exchanges within a dynamic internationally renowned network. They support members in setting up their collaborative innovation projects and maximise their chances of obtaining funding and accesing new markets

7-Airbus Defence and Space

8-HEMERIA- Designs, builds and supplies cutting-edge space systems and vehicles for commercial, institutional and scientific customers domestically, Europe-wide and internationally.

9-Promethee

10-Thales Alenia Space- a global space manufacturer delivering, for more than 40 years, high-tech solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth Observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures.

11-SpaceLocker-A startup that enable users to deploy and operate hardware in orbit and supports space mission as a fraction of the cost of owning a full satellite constellation .

 Key Lessons for Kenya

1.     The Kenya Space Agency needs to be a coordinating agency under Ministries of Defence, Education , ICT and MITI to enable effective execution of its mandate of formulating and executing space policies cognisant that Min of defence can provide much needed catalytic resources and innovation off-taking, Min of Education provides research capability and STEM program design fit for space purpose , Min of ICT provides tech alignment through policy and incentives that drives industry invest space ICT capabilities and MITI provides the industrial environment for space SMEs and Startups

2.     There is need for significant funding of local universities to conduct research on aerospace with a focus on addressing local challenges faced in the day to day of Kenyans across all economic sectors mostly downstream applications starting with Earth observation

3.     There is need for establishment of a specialised space engineering university together with entrepreneurship center that allows development of space infrastructure startups

4.     The Kenya space agency to consider establishment of a similar program such to Connect By CNES to offer of space technology support to startups, SMEs, corporates and public entities in order to enable them use space tech to address their day to day challenges.

5.     There is a need for establishment of space innovation cluster anchored within regional economic blocs say Jumuiya ya pwani where Kenya already has space activities in Malindi Kilifi county. The respective counties can coordinate funding and programs together with national government ministries of MITI, Education, Defence and ICT

6.     The Kenya space agency needs to facilitate access to affordable,  realtime or near real-time earth observation data to MSMEs and startups combined with market and incubation to enable them develop relevant and effective downstream space applications

7.     Kenya through Kenya Space Agency and Kenya national innovation agency needs to conduct a map of space innovations both upstream and downstream arranged from TRL 1 to 9 together with guided support incubation and acceleration program guide across all TRL.