The Rose Dieng France-Senegal University (URDFS) reached a historic milestone on Friday, January 30, 2026, by signing a strategic partnership agreement with the Senegalese Agency for Space Studies (ASES). This agreement aims to transform the space sector into a driver of development for agriculture, health, the environment, and defense.

The partnership includes the creation of technological platforms and industrial and operational research chairs. The objective is clear: to intensify national scientific production and design innovative solutions adapted to Senegalese realities.

Professor Mamadou Sarr, Director General of URDFS, welcomed the alliance, which strengthens the training ecosystem. "This partnership allows us to maintain constant scientific monitoring and structure our training catalog around this priority theme," he stated. He also announced the establishment of inter-university Master's programs and certification courses, co-developed with ASES and supported by international expertise.

ActinSpace: Senegalese ingenuity put to the test in space

The signing took place on the sidelines of the 4th edition of ActinSpace, an international innovation competition run by ASES. For 24 hours, students, researchers and professionals compete to transform space technologies into entrepreneurial projects.

For Maram Kaïré, Director General of ASES, this competition is a showcase for young people: "It's an opportunity to show that we can rise to the international level. Space is a cross-cutting sector that impacts our entire economy, from food security to defense."

For the second year in a row, the Air Force Academy (EAA) is participating in the competition. Under the supervision of Colonel Ousmane Ngom and led by Captain Farah Lidor Diop, the military team hopes to improve on its third-place finish last year.

“We specialize in aerospace professions and are very interested in defense issues related to space,” Colonel Ngom stated. According to him, space offers unprecedented opportunities to solve complex security problems.

This synergy between the academic world, the space agency and the armed forces marks a firm commitment by Senegal to establish itself as a major space player in West Africa.