Space42 partners with Microsoft + Esri on Africa mapping initiative: AI-powered space tech firm Space42 signed a five-year MoU with Microsoft and geographic information multinational Esri to create high-resolution base maps of Africa, according to a press release (pdf). The Map Africa Initiative will cover all 54 African countries.

The project looks to address data gaps in infrastructure, investment, and development planning to support economic growth. It also aims to strengthen spatial collaboration between the UAE and Africa, and comes as Emirati investment flows to the continent reached USD 44 bn last year — making the UAE Africa’s biggest source of FDI, the statement read.

Four target sectors: The initiative will help the logistics and ports sector, renewable energy projects, and urban planners with planning and site selection. Meanwhile, governments will be able to monitor border security more effectively and better coordinate disaster response capabilities. National governments will be the first to get a data license, followed by local startups.

Who is doing what: Space42 will manage fundraising and project execution, provide satellite data, and lead on the research and development side. Esri will oversee production workflows and local training programs, and Microsoft will provide cloud infrastructure for data processing.

What’s next? National Mapping Agencies will license and maintain the data, which will be stored in G42 and Microsoft’s data centers in Africa, long-term.

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