French space agency's actions in French Guiana: review and outlook

On 14 February 2023, CNES renewed its financial contribution to projects eligible under European programmes (€22.78 million), alongside the French Government and the Local Authorities in French Guiana (CTG). With this budget, the French space agency's funds can be allocated to project leaders to match European funding. Over the previous period (2014-2020), the French space agency's funds supported almost 230 projects.

In 2023, another agreement will be signed with the Government and the CTG to finance projects in the fields of higher education, digital technology, research and innovation.

As a reminder, in 2021, the bilateral agreements with each of the 22 local authorities in French Guiana were renewed for the period 2021-2027. Many projects have been approved through the partnership steering committee meetings held in 2022. They include the roofing of the sports stadium in Regina and the financing of agricultural equipment in Papaichton in order to structure agricultural activity.

CNES has signed a new agreement with the Rectorat (Local Education Authority) for the period 2022-2028 to allocate higher education grants to recent baccalaureate graduates (€2.7 million).

In 2022, 26 French Guianese students benefited from a CNES grant enabling them to pursue short or long-term studies in fields useful to the development of French Guiana. The scheme has been extended for the 2023-2024 school year, with applications opening in March 2023.

CNES has also signed a new agreement with the University of French Guiana to support its doctoral school. This agreement mainly provides funding for full doctoral grants (close to €1 million).

As part of its partnership with the University of French Guiana, the University Space Centre (CSU) was established at the University Institute of Technology (IUT) in 2022. Similarly, the French space agency partners with the Amazonian Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainable Innovation project, which won an Investments for the Future programme (PIA) call for projects, "Excellence in All Its Forms".

As a founding member of the Kourou IUT, CNES continues its commitment to its teachers and students, many of whom make use of the professions at Europe’s spaceport during their studies, whether on professional visits or work placements.
 

Agreements are also concluded with the local authorities and the CTG to fund education projects. Examples include the refurbishment of classrooms and/or school groups in Camopi and Montsinéry-Tonnégrande.

Together with its partners, the French space agency continues to fund equipment for primary and secondary school classes (teaching kits, IT equipment, etc.).

More than 2,700 primary and secondary school pupils have visited Europe’s spaceport to explore its facilities. CNES also visits school classes to explain its professions and the educational pathways of its employees. One example is the "L'Espace, C'est Classe" (Space is ace) operation, rolled out in French Guiana for the first time in 2021. In 2022, 14 schools signed up, representing 1,300 secondary and high school pupils. The operation will be extended in 2023, and 23 schools have already signed up.

CNES has also renewed its commitment to stakeholders involved in popularising science, such as the "Maison pour la Science" and the "Canopée des Sciences".

CNES has contributed its expertise to a number of public-sector partners in the development of applications for the general public:

- with the Regional Health Authority (ARS) and the Cayenne hospital centre for the "Space at the service of health" project;
- with the Rectorat for the "Connecting Guiana: filling the gaps" project;
- with the CTG to reactivate the SEAS station and develop a space imagery industry in French Guiana.

The Guyane Connect' association, of which CNES is a founding member, will celebrate its 2nd anniversary in 2023, as will its Station K FabLab. It gave rise to several projects in 2022, including tooling for a Europe’s spaceport satellite customer created by students from the Kourou IUT and CNES employees.

In November, CNES supported the 23 participants in the Act'In Space international hackathon hosted by the Kourou IUT. The winning team from French Guiana, the Kourou-based start-up Vetitech, won the national final on 13 February 2023 in Cannes. Their project involved using space imagery to optimise Vetiver planting to consolidate embankments and combat erosion.

Alongside its partner ArianeGroup, the French space agency supports innovative companies as part of the "Kourou Industry Territory" programme. Five new winners were selected at the beginning of 2023 and will be supported until February 2025 to bring their projects to fruition. They offer innovative solutions such as the installation of a tidal turbine, drinking water production systems, warning beacons in isolated areas or in the middle of forests, solar-powered charging stations for electric vehicles and multi-purpose connected objects.

For the period 2023-2027, CNES is setting aside a dedicated budget of €3 million. This budget is in addition to the agreements with the CTG or the University to foster the emergence and implementation of projects using space technologies. Calls for projects will be launched by CNES/Europe's spaceport in French Guiana later this year.

Not just an operational site, Europe’s spaceport is also a tourist attraction, welcoming nearly 25,000 visitors in 2022. This footfall, almost the same as in 2019, marks the end of the COVID period, which had a considerable impact on our capacity to receive tourists.

CNES is also investing in the Salvation Islands to preserve this heritage and ensure that it is accessible to residents of French Guiana and visitors from outside, in optimum conditions of comfort and safety.

In 2023 and over a period of 6 years, CNES will devote an annual budget of €200,000 to promoting French Guiana as an attractive destination by supporting the Tourism Committee's marketing plan.

The Space Museum closed its doors in August 2022. It is due to reopen in 2024, offering visitors, especially young people, a new experience: a fun, digital and interactive immersion behind the scenes of Europe’s spaceport, its history, intertwined with that of French Guiana and the European space adventure. This renovation project, carried out in partnership with the CTG, is funded by CNES, ESA and the European Union.