Ibadan, 24 January 2025. – The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) have launched the global SpaceUp Competition, in partnership with Neo Space Group (NSG).
The partnership aims to promote space entrepreneurship, support local companies specializing in space-based solutions, attract global entrepreneurs, startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as well as encourage entities operating across various vital sectors to adopt space-based solutions.
Through its six challenge tracks, the SpaceUp Competition targets global & local entrepreneurs, startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to develop space-based solutions for challenges in vital sectors by linking the supply with the demand. The competition will consequently offer about 28 Million USD in contractual opportunities across all competition tracks. Likewise, it will provide direct access to end-users, localization, as well as connections with end-users to implement the proposed solutions.
The first challenge track is “Monitoring Date Palms Pest and Disease”, focusing on space-based solutions to monitor palm farms and detect pests. The second track, “Improving City Livability by Monitoring Urban Heat Islands”, intends to address rising temperatures in crowded cities. Likewise, the third is “Monitoring the Impact of Infrastructure Development” towards promoting infrastructure projects and traffic management.
The fourth and fifth challenge tracks are “Optimizing Urban Road Assets” to provide solutions to detect urban road damage and elevate its maintenance, and “Mapping of Urban Trees” aiming to monitor and maintain urban green spaces. Finally, the sixth track, “Greening Saudi Arabia” seeks to monitor tree growth and support sustainability efforts related to Saudi Green Initiative.
