The Republic of Congo and Kazakhstan signed an investment agreement on Tuesday, February 4, to develop and deploy a high-resolution earth remote sensing space system.
The signing ceremony took place at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, with a Congolese delegation and representatives from JSC NC Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary, the company in charge of space administration in Kazakhstan, in attendance.
Read also: DR Congo faces widespread social media restrictions amid tensions in the East
“In addition to the satellite platform, Kazakhstan offers a comprehensive solution, including training and skills transfer. The country thus strengthens its position as a center of technology development, and our solutions gain the trust of international partners. This is already our second successful export, which is proof of the high level of the domestic space industry,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace.
Congo to explore technological partnership
This arrangement is a component of Congo’s goal to diversify its technical alliances, which aims to take advantage of space technology’ potential to address important concerns including environmental protection, agricultural surveillance, national security, urban planning, and natural resource management.
With this deal, the Republic of Congo joins nations like Mongolia in an international network of Earth observation satellites.
The satellite will greatly enhance agricultural monitoring, urban infrastructure planning, forest monitoring, and natural hazard management once it is in orbit.
Read also: Congo Digital 2025: Government to drive economic, digital growth
Congo to leverage increasing remote sensing satellite market
Furthermore, the ensuing scientific collaboration and data sharing will encourage the creation of creative technical projects, bolstering Congo’s digital sovereignty in a strategically important field that is growing quickly.
The remote sensing satellite market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.14 percent from 2024 to 2029, from an estimated USD 43.36 billion in 2024 to USD 76.88 billion by 2029, according to data from Mordor Intelligence.
Global collaboration in the space industry is expanding, encouraging the exchange of knowledge, data, and technologies. Congo hopes to better resource management and bolster its technological capabilities with Kazakhstan’s assistance.