The World Economic Forum has signed an agreement with the Saudi Space Agency to establish a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) focused on space. The Centre for Space Futures, set to open in autumn 2024, will be hosted by the Saudi Space Agency.
Announced at the April 28-29 World Economic Forum (WEF) special meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the WEF has signed an agreement with the Saudi Space Agency to establish a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) focused on space.
The Centre for Space Futures is the first center in the C4IR network to focus exclusively on space and will work alongside the existing national center, C4IR Saudi Arabia.
“From monitoring the effects of climate change to increasing human connectivity via satellites, the impact of the global space sector on Earth cannot be overstated. The addition of the Centre for Space Futures into the C4IR network recognizes the importance of addressing various topics such as space technological innovation, policies and regulatory, as well as sustainability.” Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum
“The centre is committed to fostering a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable space economy globally. By developing principles, expanding knowledge, refining models and cultivating partnerships, we aim to responsibly harness the vast opportunities of space,” said Mohammed Al Tamimi, CEO of the Saudi Space Agency.
According to the WEF, The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a platform for multistakeholder collaboration, bringing together public and private sectors to maximize technological benefits to society while minimizing the risks. The World Economic Forum launched the first C4IR in San Francisco in 2017, shortly followed by centres in Japan and India. The network now includes centres in: Austin (Centre for Trustworthy Technology), Azerbaijan, Brazil, Colombia, Detroit (US Centre for Advanced Manufacturing), Germany (Global Government Technology Centre), Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Norway (HUB Ocean), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, Telangana (India), Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates.
With regard to Saudi Arabia and C4IR initiatives, The 966 podcast and YouTube channel recently hosted Dr. Basma Al-Buhairan, Managing Director for the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR).
To read more about the The Centre for Space Futures, click here, here, here and here.
