Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, a national of Côte d’Ivoire, is the new Head of the Science, Technology and Space Division in the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the African Union Commission.
The Science, Technology and Space Division manages collective action at national, regional and continental levels to popularize and raise awareness of the central role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in socio-economic development; it promotes public understanding and participation, building human and institutional capacity in STI.
On the Wings of Innovation, the AU Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024) places science, technology and innovation at the epicentre of Africa’s socio-economic development and growth.
In his new position, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara will lead activities aimed at formulating, harmonizing, coordinating and implementing policies that will transform the continent into an economy based on innovation and knowledge.
GMES Coordinator
Since 2016, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara has been the coordinator of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program of the African Union and the European Commission for Earth Observation.
He is also in charge of the Space Program of the African Union Commission, responsible for the development and implementation of the African Space Program, including the implementation of the African Space Policy and Strategy and the creation of the African Space Agency. “Space technology and application services are valued at $7.37 billion, and the creation of the African Space Agency gives us hope that Africa will synergize its efforts to count and make a difference in the global space arena,” said Dr. Tidiane Ouattara during Space Week, organized during Expo 2020 Dubai, held between 2021 and 2022 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. According to several reports, the technology market is set to exceed US$10 billion by 2024.
As an expert in space science and coordinator of the GMES program and the Africa Support Program, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara is particularly involved in the development of the African Space Agency. Dr. Tidiane Ouattara’s responsibilities include leading and coordinating the implementation of the Earth Observation (EO) program of the African Space Policy and Strategy; leading the development and implementation of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program and the Africa Support Program: develop an integrated business plan for the GMES program and the Africa support program, including project management plans for the Water and Natural Resources Service and the Marine and Coastal Areas Service; manage GMES unit and Africa program staff, financial resources of 22.2 million euros (salaries, operational management budget and grants) and assets; develop and implement the GMES and Africa support program grants of 17.5 million euros; strengthen the development and use of regional and national capacities to generate and apply EO-based information for sustainable development.
Le Dr. Tidiane Ouattara est titulaire d’un doctorat et d’un Master en télédétection et systèmes d’informations géographiques (appliqués à la dégradation des sols, à la conservation des sols et à l’érosion hydrique), obtenu à l’université de Sherbrooke au Québec (Canada). Il est également titulaire d’une maîtrise en géographie physique de l’université de Cocody-Abidjan (Côte-d’Ivoire).
Le Dr. Tidiane Ouattara possède plus de 24 ans d’expérience dans le monde universitaire et dans les secteurs privé et public au Canada, où il a commencé sa carrière, ainsi qu’au au sein d’organisations internationales et à l’étranger. Les postes qu’il a occupés couvrent la politique stratégique, les programmes, la recherche et les dimensions opérationnelles. Ses domaines d’expérience sont relatifs à la conception et l’exécution de programmes, l’intégration de la science et de la politique, l’analyse et la gestion de données géospatiales (télédétection et système d’information géographique (SIG)), l’environnement (érosion hydrique, conservation de la faune, évaluation et planification du paysage), la recherche et développement, la gestion des connaissances et les relations internationales.
Career in Canada
In Canada, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara began his career as a lecturer at the University of Sherbrooke, where he taught scientific courses as well as African geopolitics and sociocultural issues from 1996 to 2001. After a brief stint in the private sector in Montreal, Dr. Ouattara began working with the Canadian federal government in 2002. He has held several successive positions. At the Canadian Space Agency, where he worked from 2004 to 2006, he was responsible for international relations in charge of Africa, Central and South America and the United Nations. He also covered the portfolios of Earth Observation, Navigation and Positioning, Robotics and Space Science.
Dr. Tidiane Ouattara then worked at Natural Resources Canada (2002-2004 and 2006-2010). He was Senior Science and Policy Advisor to the Deputy Minister, Chief Scientist; Head of Knowledge Management in the Bilateral and Multilateral Strategies Unit; Manager of the Canadian Digital Elevation Model Program; and Researcher and International Relations Officer in Geomatics (Earth Observation, Mapping, GPS and Geographic Information Systems).
Following this, Dr Tidiane Ouattara joined Canada’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, between 2010 and 2016), where he held the position of Manager, Geospatial Data Management Section, Canadian Wildlife Service; as well as Chief Manager, Landscape and Ecosystem Assessment Planning and Coordination Section, Canadian Wildlife Service. In 2016, he joined the African Union Commission in his current position.
