The establishment of well institutionalized and strong science and technology universities, and institutes of technology, has been identified by the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as a cornerstone to build an economically developed and industrialized state of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is rapidly advancing in science and technology. The FDRE Technology and Innovation Institute organize and links innovation and technology researches scattered across different sectors to economic and social significance. Manufacturers and service providers are supported to make them internationally competitive through providing innovative and technological solutions that come out from research and development activities through in-house problem-solving technology development and prototyping.
Opportunities
Among the important initiatives established by the government are the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) and the Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute (EBTi).
The Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute was established to enable the country to fully exploit multi-dimensional uses of space science and technologies and for the development of aerospace science and technology.
The country launched its first satellite, the ET-RSS1, into space in December 2019. It is a 70kg Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite. “The satellite will provide all the necessary data on changes in climate and weather-related phenomena that would be utilized for the country’s key targets in agriculture, forestry as well as natural resources protection initiatives,” Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde told the country’s parliament in October 2019. In January 2020, Ethiopia broke ground on a satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing (MAIT) facility. A French company will build the facility with funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Ethiopia’s satellite facility will be the third of its kind on the continent, after those in Algeria and South Africa. Ethiopia’s MAIT facility will position Ethiopia as East Africa’s space hub, while cutting the costs of using satellites from other countries.
The command and control center for the satellite is based at the Entoto Observatory and Space Science Research Center (EORC). Located in the hills outside the capital Addis Ababa, the Entoto Observatory and Research Center is propelling the nation forward in Africa’s space race. Three thousand two hundred meters above sea level, the observatory is an integral part of a programme launched by the Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS). An independent organization established in 2004, it is keen to utilize the station’s unique location and ability to observe practically all the sky — both northern and southern hemispheres.
The Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute is part of the Scientific Research & Development Services Industry; it is the government authority for environmental protection and climate
