Under the "WG Africa Training of Trainers Programme", a meeting took place on October 22-23 at the Kenyan Space Agency (KSA) in Nairobi. This event was organized by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in collaboration with KSA and the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), with contributions from the School of Aerospace Engineering at Rome’s "La Sapienza" University. The ASI delegation was led by Dr. Munzer Jahjah, ISPRA was represented by Prof. Andrea Taramelli, and the La Sapienza team by Prof. Giovanni Laneve.
As part of Africa’s capacity-building initiatives, Kenya is among the countries participating in the "WG Africa Training of Trainers Programme", with five Kenyan trainers actively involved. This programme aims to support African users in adopting Copernicus data and products in alignment with the "Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake" (FPCUP) initiatives.
Throughout the two-day meeting, discussions focused on fostering synergies between Kenyan trainers and the programme, emphasizing the use of Copernicus data, services, and tools, which are freely available and tailored to Kenya’s specific needs. The goal is to offer support that addresses local requirements effectively.
The presentations and sessions aimed to generate dialogue on strategies and pathways for implementing a sustainable training of trainers model for Copernicus data and services. Additionally, the Broglio Space Centre (BSC) was discussed as a potential education and training hub, along with the establishment of a Regional Earth Observation Centre under the intergovernmental agreement between Italy and Kenya.