Exploring innovation development and funding within the space industry in developing nations with a focus on African opportunities and access to space with a focus on associated policy and economic constraints.
- Paper number
IAC-12,E6,1,9,x15259
- Author
Ms. Carla Sharpe, Foundation for Space Development South Africa, South Africa
- Year
2012
- Abstract
Within African developing nations, government expenditure of a large magnitude on such programmes has to be balanced against the inevitable funding requirements for basic needs such as clean water, housing, etc. In Africa, there are also unique social, traditional and psychological factors that come into play at a business and political level. Appropriate answers to such immediate needs that range from education and training through to sustainability, investment and competitiveness are too complex for any government to address in one; nor are they unique to Africa alone. Whatever the combined causes and effects, Africa nevertheless stands to benefit from innovation, and particularly in the field of space. Technology is seen as a source of not only income, but also prestige. It is at the level of space policy that states and continents stand to benefit: constructing a space policy is one of the key factors in enabling and supporting inward investment in space programmes and applications that enable the development of essential infrastructures for individual communities faced with such regular demands. Space policies in turn enable necessary regulatory issues to be tackled. Space can bring relatively fast solutions based on high-technology for the very needs, including those of the African developing nations. These otherwise run the risk of going unsolved. Although space is not generally understood as an area of need or worth within the general public and private sectors across Africa, it does allow individual countries a means of technology advancement and a resource for sustainable development. This paper explores the approaches to developing and funding innovation in the space sector within developing nations. It then discusses potential benefits of space innovation investment programmes within and across the African states, drawing on parallels of specific benefits experienced elsewhere and in similar technology based industries. The main challenge faced from a policy perspective is in implementing policies in countries with vastly different government regimes: aligning such countries with their vastly differing domestic and foreign policies within the international arena is in itself a major challenge. Space policy is essential for developing space programs: their intricacies must be explored and understood as well as implemented in these countries. This paper also explores the key functions and elements of what is generally referred to as a `space policy' and highlights some of its essential elements.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)