By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
The
Kenya Space Agency (KSA), in partnership with Expertise France under the Data
Governance in Africa Initiative, will host the inaugural ActInSpace Kenya
Chapter on January 30–31, 2026, at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum
Development (KICD). The event marks Kenya’s first participation in ActInSpace,
a global innovation hackathon initiated by the French Space Agency, Centre
National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), and held annually since 2014.
ActInSpace
is co-organised with the European Space Agency (ESA), Telecom Valley and the
SAFE Cluster, and brings together innovators worldwide to develop solutions
powered by space-based technologies. The hackathon leverages space services,
applications and data to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and technology
transfer, enabling participants to transform ideas into practical, market-ready
solutions addressing real-world challenges across diverse socio-economic
sectors.
The
Kenya edition will convene pre-selected university teams competitively chosen
through a rigorous assessment process. During the intensive 24-hour global
hackathon, teams will work under the guidance of business mentors, space
industry professionals and technical experts, before pitching their solutions
to a panel of judges.
The
winning team will earn the opportunity to represent Kenya at the global
ActInSpace finale in Bordeaux, France, while other high-performing teams will
receive continued mentorship, startup coaching and technical support to further
develop their concepts into minimum viable products.
KSA
plans to host the ActInSpace hackathon annually as part of its broader
strategic commitment to nurturing Kenya’s space economy, strengthening national
space capacity, advancing space research and innovation, and enhancing the use
of space-derived data and services to drive inclusive socio-economic
development.
The
initiative is supported by the Data Governance in Africa Initiative, funded by
the European Union and five EU Member States—Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France
and Germany—and implemented in collaboration with the African Union.
