Space Economy as a Strategic Vector for Economic, Financial and Technological Development in Angola (2010-2025)

Abstract

The space economy has emerged as a key driver of structural transformation in contemporary economies, with direct effects on national competitiveness, productive diversification, and digital inclusion. In Angola, the National Space Program and the ANGOSAT-2 satellite represent fundamental milestones in this process of technological modernization. This article is an exploratory and descriptive study that longitudinally analyses indicators associated with the development of Angola's space economy over the period 2010–2025, structured in three phases: the pre-space phase (2010–2016), the transition phase (2017–2022), and the ANGOSAT-2 operational phase (2023–2025). The theoretical framework draws on Endogenous Growth Theory (Romer, 1990), the Economic Complexity approach (Hidalgo & Hausmann, 2009), and OECD (2022) guidelines. The methodology uses a comparative descriptive analysis across phases and preliminary correlation indicators, explicitly acknowledging limitations due to the short available time series. Preliminary results suggest a positive association between the development of space infrastructures and increased digital penetration in Angola, with internet access growing from approximately 14% in 2010 to around 45% in 2025. The study concludes that the space economy constitutes a strategic vector for diversification in Angola, while noting that longitudinal studies with longer time series are essential for robust inferential confirmation.