South African Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Visits AIR to Deepen Cooperation in Space Information Technologies

A high-level South African delegation led by Professor Blade Nzimande, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), visited the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to explore new approaches of collaboration in space technology and its applications. The 23-member delegation included senior DSTI officials as well as representatives from the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and other key institutions.

The delegation was received by Professor HE Hongping, Vice President of CAS and CAS Member; WANG Zhenyu, Deputy Director-General of the CAS Bureau of International Cooperation; Professor ZHANG Bing, Deputy Director of AIR; and Professor WU Yirong, CAS Member and former Director-General of AIR. Senior officials and scientists from AIR also attended the meeting, which was chaired by Professor ZHANG Bing.

In his welcome remarks, Professor HE Hongping gave a brief overview of CAS, emphasizing that South Africa is a strategic partner in CAS’s international science and technology cooperation efforts. He expressed the hope that the two sides would further strengthen pragmatic collaboration in areas such as space technology, biodiversity, mineral resources, and youth scientist exchanges.

Minister Nzimande spoke highly of the tangible outcomes achieved in recent years through China-South Africa cooperation. He noted that South Africa attaches great importance to the research and application of space information technologies and looks forward to working with CAS to promote socio-economic transformation and sustainable development across the African continent.

Professor WU Yirong briefed the visitors on progress in the institute’s partnership with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), detailing joint advances in space technology innovation and future collaboration prospects.

During the working session, AIR experts presented a comprehensive overview of the institute’s research strengths and proposed several new areas for collaboration. These included joint satellite data reception, remote sensing data sharing, applications of Earth observation technologies, and leveraging the Big Data platform to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As part of the visit, the South African delegation toured AIR’s exhibition hall, the aerostat research center, the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, and the China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station.

The visit laid a solid foundation for expanding cooperation in space science and technology between the two countries. Both AIR and SANSA expressed a strong commitment to deepening their partnership, with the shared goal of harnessing space technology to advance sustainable development in Africa and beyond.

Both sides hold a working meeting. (Image by AIR)