Muscat: The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT) has officially unveiled the Space Accelerators Program, a strategic initiative aimed at assisting Omani startups in creating cutting-edge space-related solutions and services. This programme intends to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the growing space industry, while also generating a strong ecosystem for investment in advanced technologies.
This initiative is a critical component of the Ministry's overall efforts to execute the national space policy and executive program. It specifically focuses on objectives like as economic diversification and capacity development, with the eventual aim of enabling the transfer and localisation of space technologies and services via national organizations. The yearlong programme will be run by Phoenix Space and Technology Company in collaboration with Exotopic, a UK-based business recognized for its knowledge in accelerator programs.
The Space Accelerators Program will qualify ten local space startups, offering them with critical assistance in creating prototypes or commercially viable tech solutions. Beyond this, it intends to increase national capabilities in space innovation and establish a comprehensive network of local and international assistance for entrepreneurial space business endeavors.
Dr. Saud bin Hamoud Al Shaaili, Director General of Policies and Governance and Head of the National Space Program at the Ministry, stressed that this initiative is a national program designed specifically to accelerate the development of local space startups. He explained that it would allow them to create commercially viable space services and solutions in an integrated environment that provides essential technical guidance, entrepreneurial training, and access to a vital network of partners and experts. This, he emphasized, would facilitate the development of a high-value, innovation-driven space sector.
Dr. Al Shaaili also emphasized that the program will create a competitive climate that actively supports new ideas. The top three participating startups will receive incentive prizes to assist them in establishing sustainable operations in line with the space sector's strategic vision. The program's focus areas in the space industry are broad, ranging from communications, Earth observation and monitoring, and geospatial analytics to navigation, drones, artificial intelligence and machine learning, advanced computing, data storage and preservation, the Internet of Things, spacecraft simulation environments, startup growth acceleration, and technological innovation.
