From October 14 to 18, 2024, Milan hosted the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), one of the largest global events in the space sector, which brought together space agencies, universities, research centers, industries, and numerous representatives from civil society around the world. This unique opportunity for dialogue and collaboration offered an unprecedented chance for the development of space capabilities in emerging countries this year.

Among the participants, with the support of ASI in collaboration with the Ministry of University and Research, were 14 Fellows—young professionals and students, including 9 women and 5 men—hailing from 11 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda. This participation reflects the commitment of the Italian Government under the Mattei Plan for Africa, aimed at fostering greater inclusivity and diversity in the space sector, with a particular focus on promoting African youth talent.

In addition to these promising individuals, 12 SMEs and startups from various African countries had the opportunity to participate in this important event. These companies included:

• DO-Launch (Egypt),
• Davacc Tech (Kenya),
• Team AHEAD (Rwanda),
• KM-Spatial (Zimbabwe),
• TELNET HOLDING (Tunisia),
• Phymer (Morocco),
• Galaxy Aerospace Ghana and Xavier Space Solutions (Ghana),
• COFITEL (Tunisia),
• BASSEER Technology Innovation Sarl (Algeria),
• FARIS Technologies (Ethiopia),
• Pegasus Universal Aerospace (South Africa).

These African companies were invited to participate in IAC 2024 as part of the collaboration between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and ICE Agency. Thanks to ICE’s support, the businesses were accompanied by commercial analysts and hosted in a large exhibition area, where they had the opportunity to hold B2B meetings and participate in the conference's various networking initiatives.

Their participation allowed them to gain full visibility into cutting-edge developments across all space domains. Furthermore, ICE Agency, within the framework of its collaboration with ASI, also hosted heads of space agencies and institutions responsible for space policies from African countries.

This initiative strengthens ties between Italy and emerging space nations, promoting sustainable partnerships and the development of local capabilities through knowledge exchange and technological innovation.

The 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan thus reaffirms itself as a crucial event not only for the global space community but also for emerging nations, offering a valuable opportunity to build lasting collaborations and advance the development of the space sector in Africa.