A new deal between two major names in IT and satellite communications promises to bring a data-and-innovation-led approach to African agricultural development.
Songhai Labs, described as a knowledge broker platform based in Cameroon, and SatSure, a satellite precision company headquartered in Switzerland, with offices in India, the UK and Australia, are partnering to launch an open innovation platform for agriculture and agricultural technology ecosystems. The platform will offer a way for experts from diverse sectors and backgrounds to come together to create innovative solutions for agricultural problems.
The platform will also allow access to agricultural data generated by SatSure, which describes itself as a decision analytics company leveraging advances in satellites, remote sensing, machine learning and big data analytics to provide answers to large area questions across the domains of agriculture, banking and financial services, infrastructure and climate change mitigation.
Songhai Labs will coordinate and pilot the new platform in the African region while SatSure will provide the technical expertise. Songhai Labs is a knowledge broker platform and an accelerator of innovation that says its aim is to connect and support innovators and inventors interested in implementing projects in sub-Saharan Africa to improve the quality of life and alleviate poverty.
Songhai Labs will represent Satsure in Africa, connecting Satsure to local governments, companies and organisations likely to use satellite technology.