According to a statement, the Oeiras Space Hub, the CEiiA and the Guamá Foundation have signed an agreement to establish the Amazon Space Hub. This is to be located at the Guamá Science and Technology Park in the Brazilian city of Belém and will aim to develop initiatives in the field of technology with a focus on knowledge, training, infrastructure and innovations in services and products with common impact. The overarching objective is to protect the Amazon, which is the largest tropical rainforest in the world.
The Amazon Space Hub integrates an international network of space centers. These include the Japan Space Hub, which focuses on climate resilience and technological innovation in the Greater Tokyo Area. The Amazon Space Hub aims to establish the Amazon region as a center of excellence for observing and monitoring the biome and the planet from space. By bringing together science, technology, business and politics, it will enable the development, validation and scaling of cutting-edge space technologies with global impact.
“The alliance contains a strong knowledge transfer component that links the worlds of business and science at a national and international level and contributes to the structural training of highly qualified specialists”, explains João Weyl, CEO of the Guamá Foundation, in the statement.
Alongside the Oeiras Space Hub and CeiiA, other organizations are also involved such as the sustainability institution iSACI, the Federal University of Western Pará, the Instituto Superior Técnico, ESA BIC Tagus+ and PCT Guamá. The initiative is being supported by the government of the Brazilian state of Pará and the Portuguese government, as well as local and European funding for innovation promotion and private financing.