Page 39 - EngineerIT December 2021

INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTS and INNOVATION you want to read about

SANSA and China Satellite Navigation Office signed an MoU

at Science Forum SA 2021

t Science Forum South Africa, the and support to Government’s goal of addressing poverty through unemployment.” said Mr
largest space conference that is a Mmbonene Moefe, DDG at the Department of Science and Innovation
Aprecursor to Science Forum Africa, Minister LI Zhigang, Chinese Embassy in South Africa, stated in his opening address,
currently taking place in Pretoria, South “Signing this MOU will further strengthen both countries’ research in the field of satellite
Africa saw representatives from the South navigation testing and evaluation, accelerate the application of Beidou satellite navigation
African National Space Agency (SANSA) system in transportation, logistics, precision agriculture, public safety among others, and
and China Satellite Navigation Office provide more impetus for both China and South Africa to catch up with the 4th industrial
(CSNO) take the opportunity to formally revolution and realise the sustained development goals of our two countries.”
sign a Memorandum of Understanding Mr. YANG Changfeng, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chief Architect
(MoU) between the parties for Satellite of BDS Engineering and Member of China Satellite Navigation System committee, mentioned
Navigation cooperation for peaceful that, “The Workshop on BDS/GNSS Applications in China and South Africa, held on the same
purposes. day of the signing ceremony, also plays an active role in deepening bilateral cooperation.”
The aim of the MOU serves to “SANSA is on a growth trajectory and global partnerships are necessary for sustainability
encourage cooperation between the and success of a national space programme that benefits not only South Africans, but the
parties in the field of the Global Navigation continent. We are eager to establish such partnerships and afford the local industry the
Satellite Systems (GNSS) in a framework opportunity to contribute and benefit in this exciting area of space technology.” said Dr Val
of equality, cooperation, common benefit Munsami, SANSA CEO.
and reciprocity in accordance with the Mr. RAN Chengqi, Director General of China Satellite Navigation Office said that “China
laws and regulations prevailing in each and South Africa, together with other African countries enjoy huge potentials on satellite
country. navigation cooperation, according to the Vision for Promoting China-Africa Cooperation
The MoU signed on 1 December on BDS, released this November on the First China-Africa BDS Cooperation Forum. CSNO is
2021, includes intention for collaboration eager to collaborate with SANSA under the framework of this MoU, to jointly make BDS and
within the field of satellite navigation, navigation satellite systems better serve Africa and the world and benefiting all mankind.”
strengthening exchanges and cooperation
in the domains of satellite navigation
technologies, talent cultivation,
applications and industrialisation as well
as research and applications of BeiDou
Navigation Satellite System (BDS) /GNSS in
geophysics, space science, geodetic survey
and other sectors based on GNSS data
amongst other interest areas.
This MoU is supported by bilateral
cooperation between South Africa
and China and facilitated through the
Department of Science and Innovation.
“This is an exciting endeavour for the
country as greater investment and support
to the space engineering industry will
mean growth in scarce engineering skills,
strengthening the knowledge economy

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