Ibadan, 27 February 2024. – The Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance partnership opportunities, marking a significant milestone in bilateral collaboration between Rwanda and Poland in space technology. Both Countries share robust bilateral ties, demonstrated by a state visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda this month to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city.
The MoU aims to leverage the robust Polish space ecosystem to develop collaboration on activities of mutual interest and solidifies the commitment of both nations to harness space capabilities in support of their development agendas. Furthermore, it fosters interagency cooperation between industries and academia to advance capabilities in space technologies, facilitating knowledge transfer and promoting tailored research and development initiatives.
Speaking on the partnership agreement, Col. Francis Ngabo, head of the Rwanda Space Agency, emphasized, “Rwanda is dedicated to leveraging space technology capabilities to support the sustainable development of priority sectors within Rwanda. This collaboration with the Polish Space Ecosystem through POLSA opens up unique avenues for joint initiatives and knowledge exchange to boost the growth of our emerging space sector.”
Likewise, Prof. Grzegorz Wrochna, President of POLSA, echoed this sentiment, stating, “This partnership between Rwanda and Poland underscores the urgency of addressing pressing challenges through collaborative and innovative approaches.” The President also added, “By synergizing our efforts, we aim to make significant strides in the application of space technologies and contribute to the well-being of our populations.”
RSA’s mission is to develop Rwanda’s space sector towards social-economic development. As a result, the Space Agency actively formulates and implements comprehensive space policies and strategies with the overarching goal of fostering an environment conducive to maximizing the potential of space capabilities to achieve both national and global goals.
