The Cape Town-based international Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) and Johannesburg-based innovation advisory company the Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create a strategic collaboration between the two organisations. The OAD is a partnership between South Africa’s National Research Foundation and the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The RIIS has a focus on impactful innovation in particularly the energy, financial services, health, mineral resources and space sectors. The aim of collaboration is to transform scientific knowledge into concrete sustainable development.  

“This partnership with RIIS strongly aligns with the OAD’s mission to use astronomy, data science, and scientific skills as drivers of inclusive development,” stresses IAU-OAD director Kevin Govender. “RIIS brings deep expertise in incubation, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem building, which complement our global networks and capacity-building programmes. By working together, we can help ensure that scientific ideas generated through hackathons and challenges translate into practical solutions with lasting socioeconomic impact.”

“The OAD has been instrumental in using astronomy to inspire and empower young Africans, encouraging them to dream bigger and pursue new frontiers of knowledge,” highlights RIIS executive Imraan Saloojee. “As astronomical research and infrastructure on the continent grow, opportunities for entrepreneurship and economic development also expand. The RIIS partnership with IAU-OAD, through the Africa Earth Observation Challenge (AEOC), will help transform curiosity into real opportunities and sustainable development for communities across Africa.”

A key theme of the relationship will be the setting up of structured channels to allow promising concepts, especially those that come out of innovation challenges and hackathons, to move beyond the ideation stage. This will be achieved by aligning the Skills for Development Programme and the Flagship Ecosystem of the OAD with the incubation and acceleration platforms of the RIIS. This will allow teams to be supported by skills development, mentorship, and by access to innovative ecosystems.

Another key theme is engaging the youth and developing capacity. Initiatives such as the AEOC and AEOC Junior, as well as focused innovation challenges, will be used to familiarise learners, university students and early-career innovators with entrepreneurship, science and problem-solving in the real world. The further intent is that these activities will promote an innovation and applied science culture while strengthening skills pipelines.