Dubai: The UAE defence technology company Edge is taking a shot at the fast growing space economy possibility. The Abu Dhabi headquartered firm has set up a new company - Fada - to focus exclusively on space related growth chances.
The ambition behind Fada is to build a 'self-reliant sovereign space sector' that can support national and commercial requirements. This would ensure the 'UAE remains at the cutting edge of space innovation and technology'. "FADA will also significantly contribute to the UAE's transition to a knowledge-based economy and its broader economic diversification goals," said a statement.
This will be done through a series of national and international partnerships and aiming for 'vital synergies' through transfer of technology and transfer of knowledge.
On the manufacturing front, Fada FADA will try and establish advanced facilities for the development, assembly, integration, and testing of satellite systems and subsystems, thus 'serving as a one-stop shop for all space-related activities and providing end-to-end solutions and services'. These activities would cover synthetic aperture radar (SAR), optical and infrared payloads, as well as satellite platforms. Satellite cybersecurity and protection services will also be part of that remit.
"This development adds next-generation solutions to our product portfolio, signaling our broader ambitions to be a disruptor in this critical domain," said Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO, Edge Group.
Abu Dhabi has been making for a bigger push into the space economy, most notably through the merger of ADX-listed Yahsat and Bayanat. The launch of Fada is part of that same dimension.
In November last, Edge was named the prime contractor in a strategic partnership agreement with the UAE Space Agency to implement the ‘Sirb’ (Arabic for flock) programme, a constellation of three synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites.
It was one of EDGE’s first ventures in the space domain. (Sirb aims to launch its first satellite by 2026 and is the 'first national space capability-building programme to be implemented by a local industrial consortium led by key players in the UAE’s private space sector and national centres'.)
With Fada, Edge reinforces its commitment to forging local and global partnerships to establish next-generation facilities for the development of satellite systems, while building a sustainable and skilled space-focused workforce
