06 Mar ASPEX 2026: African Space Enters Its Strategic Execution Phase

By H.E. Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, President of the Council of the African Space Agency

Africa is experiencing a pivotal moment.

Long perceived as a distant domain reserved for established powers, space is today at the heart of the concrete realities of our societies. It underpins food security, strengthens climate resilience, improves the management of our natural resources, connects our territories, secures our maritime and terrestrial domains, and modernises governance. In the face of this transformation, our continent cannot remain merely a user of solutions designed elsewhere. Africa must structure its capabilities, organise its priorities, and participate fully in the space value chains that are reshaping the global economy.

Space is no longer a projection; it has become a critical infrastructure.

It is in this spirit that the African Space Agency (AfSA) is co-leading, alongside the Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, the Africa Space Expo (ASPEX 2026), to be held in Abidjan from 24 to 26 September 2026. ASPEX is not just another event. It represents a continental execution platform through which applied space activities in Africa are organised, structured, and deployed. Its architecture is designed around a clear objective: delivering tangible results.

The Business Arena constitutes its strategic core. It brings together public decision-makers, industry leaders, investors, and financial institutions in a setting designed to facilitate high-level exchanges, structured negotiations, and contractual engagement. The Solutions Showcase makes space tangible. It directly connects innovation with the continent’s economic and institutional priorities by offering a concrete view of the transition from technological development to operational deployment. The Project Labs transform intention into engineering. They promote the co-development of pilot projects, the structuring of partnerships, and the emergence of cooperation mechanisms between Africa and international partners. With Pitch & Acceleration, we identify and support initiatives capable of entering a deployment trajectory. With Talent & Future, we invest in what remains our greatest asset: human capital. Training, inclusion, and knowledge transfer are essential because no sustainable ambition can take root without strong skills and an engaged generation of young Africans.

INSPIREX serves as the platform of pioneers and of the future. It brings together African and international figures whose careers embody excellence and boldness. Their presence is not symbolic; it is foundational. INSPIREX transmits, projects, and elevates. It connects generations, nurtures pride, and anchors a deep conviction: African space has faces, role models, and a trajectory under construction. It is not an abstract inspiration, but a catalyst for collective ambition.

Following the three public days of ASPEX, a high-level strategic sequence will take place from Monday, 28th to Wednesday, 30th September 2026. Distinct from the open programme, this sequence will be dedicated exclusively to institutional consultations and bilateral negotiations.

Representatives of Heads of State and Government, ministers, leaders of space agencies, international financial institutions, development banks, sovereign funds, and major technological partners will participate within a confidential and structured framework oriented toward decision-making. These will not be protocol meetings, but rather a space for operational diplomacy, aimed at formalising cooperation agreements, structuring joint investment mechanisms, aligning national and continental strategies, and positioning Africa within the international architectures of space governance.

This sequence extends ASPEX’s momentum by ensuring institutional execution. While the three public days structure the market and showcase capabilities, the following three days transform convergence into lasting commitments and concrete strategic trajectories. Through ASPEX, we affirm a vision of structured sovereignty and responsible cooperation. Africa must strengthen its capabilities, but it will do so in openness—through responsible cooperation, co-development, and shared value creation. Our ambition is not isolation, but balance and maturity. African space is entering a new phase: the phase of responsibility. Responsibility toward our populations. Responsibility toward our youth. Responsibility toward our partners. ASPEX 2026 marks the beginning of this decisive stage. It provides a structured framework to transform intentions into projects, and projects into concrete solutions.

I invite governments, financial institutions, industry leaders, and international investors to join this structured continental dynamic focused on execution. Africa is moving forward with clarity and maturity, determined to build lasting partnerships in pursuit of shared prosperity.

African space is advancing with method and ambition.

We are building this trajectory together.

📍 Côte d’Ivoire -Abidjan – 24 au 26 septembre 2026
🌍 www.aspex.africa
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