On Thursday, July 20, the National Geospatial Development Agency (ADE) and the Mozambique Community Network (MCNet) signed a memorandum of understanding that provides for collaboration and cooperation to share knowledge and analysis tools that will allow for the improvement of management systems.

This partnership aims to contribute to a better business environment through innovative solutions that support decision-making on planning, storage and the development of strategic partnerships to facilitate international trade.

The memorandum of understanding also aims to contribute to the engagement of the public sector, the private sector and society in general, as well as to raise awareness of the use of data, through programs dedicated to education.

Odete Semião, Director General of ADE, explained that "despite the potential benefits of geospatial data and information, there are numerous challenges to its effective use in Mozambique". These challenges "include limited access to high-quality geospatial data, limited capacity to analyze and use the data, and limited awareness at the decision-making level of the potential benefits of using data and information for strategic decisions," she said.

The information made available by ADE through the National Geographic Information System Network is important precisely to help the private and public sectors make evidence-based decisions, providing a holistic view of the issues affecting communities.

According to Odete Semião, "this data can help decision-makers identify priority areas for investment and allocate resources effectively and efficiently, as well as supporting public policy-making".

For Rogério Samo Gudo, MCNet's PCA, this partnership has numerous advantages, firstly because it "guarantees access to technology, innovation and specialized knowledge for collecting, optimizing, analysing and visualizing data and geospatial information in Mozambique's various development sectors" and "contributes to engaging the public sector, the private sector and society in general in raising awareness of the use of data".

The agreement established with MCNet aims to accelerate the institutional development of the parties, focusing on promoting the use of data and technologies to respond to Mozambique's sustainable development challenges. Given that technology is changing development paths, the state itself must keep pace with this development, combining traditional planning and decision-making models with the most up-to-date ones.

The memorandum of understanding with MCNet also aims to generate information and knowledge through data produced in the various development sectors in Mozambique.

The Mozambican territory is the first geographical space over which the initiatives in the agreement will be implemented, and relations can be established with institutions operating at national, regional or international level. The aim is for the solutions and opportunities resulting from these initiatives to be applied to meet the goals set by the memorandum, with a view to promoting Mozambique's development.