Space innovation – Green transformation

The business potential for Baden-Württemberg companies in South Africa is vast and diverse. One topic of particular relevance and urgency is the country’s water supply—a critical issue for South Africa as an industrial hub.

To explore this opportunity on-site, Baden-Württemberg International (BW_i) organized a delegation trip to Johannesburg and Durban from May 4 to 9, 2025. Nine innovative companies from Baden-Württemberg participated in the visit, aiming to identify market opportunities in South Africa’s water sector, establish strategic contacts, and initiate local business collaborations. Key elements of the delegation trip included site visits to leading companies in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as participation in a dedicated expert conference.

The company visits showcased a broad spectrum of potential cooperation—from state-owned enterprises such as the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) and Umgeni-Uthukela Water, to public-private partnerships like Siza Water, and international firms such as Interwaste and Alpla Packaging. This diversity highlighted the wide range of business and technology exchange possibilities between Baden-Württemberg and South Africa.

At the conference, Dr. Tobias Adamczyk from the Green Space Center Baden-Württemberg (GSC) presented pioneering technologies from leading Baden-Württemberg companies at the intersection of space and water management.

Key technologies highlighted included:

• Land surface temperature and humidity data provided by satellite constellations (e.g., constellr)—an essential tool for water management and agricultural planning.
• Hyperspectral imaging (e.g., yugen space) to analyze soil nutrient levels and support precision agriculture and crop rotation.
• Multispectral image fusion from various satellite sources (e.g., HelioPas AI), supporting field management with a focus on water content.
• Soil moisture measurements using reflected neutron data from space (e.g., StyxNeutronica), providing insights up to 50 cm depth—relevant for crop root zones.
• Groundwater monitoring using twin satellite systems (e.g., HydroGeoTwin), capable of detecting fluctuations with 1 cm precision.
• Sediment monitoring in water bodies, important for infrastructure such as hydropower plants (e.g., limknow GmbH & Co. KG).
• Intelligent irrigation systems (e.g., HideandGrow), alongside technologies promoting holistic soil management and regenerative agriculture (betterSoil for a better world).
• Vertical farming, urban greening, and CO₂ reduction solutions (e.g., Visioverdis, TREEO 🌱 Cooling the Planet), all leveraging space-based data.

Beyond water-focused applications, the GSC also showcased disruptive transportation and space technologies developed in Baden-Württemberg, including:

• Reusable orbital transport systems (ATMOS Space Cargo),
• Eco-friendly launch systems (HyImpulse),
• Green satellite propulsion technologies (ISPTechnologies),
• And sustainable green fuel production from synthetic methanol, extracted from wastewater (ICODOS).

The delegation trip underlined how innovative Baden-Württemberg technologies—from space data analytics to sustainable water and agricultural solutions—can make a meaningful contribution to South Africa’s infrastructure and climate resilience goals. Moreover, it fostered international cooperation and laid the foundation for long-term partnerships between both regions.