Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, better known as the parent of one of China’s largest automakers, is expanding deep into Africa’s nascent space industry, striking satellite agreements with Algeria and Morocco that double as a study in diplomatic tightrope-walking.
The Hangzhou-based Fortune 500 company, which owns Geely Auto, China’s second-largest automaker after BYD, is working with both countries to strengthen their satellite capabilities across sectors, including transportation, where the rise of electric vehicles has made precision navigation and vehicle connectivity increasingly critical.
Geely’s Aerospace Arm Leads the Expansion
The projects are being developed through Geely’s aerospace arm, Time Space Daoyu Technology Co., Ltd., which recently signed agreements with both Algeria and Morocco, expanding into Africa’s emerging space industry.
In Algeria, one of the projects involves building a satellite manufacturing facility that officials hope will anchor a domestic aerospace industry and eventually serve the wider region.
The second calls for a satellite research and applications center, designed to bring together scientists, engineers, and local companies to develop new technologies and services.
A separate agreement with the Algerian Space Agency focuses specifically on the manufacturing of low-earth-orbit satellites.
Morocco Focuses on Satellite Connectivity Services
Morocco’s collaboration with Geely is taking a different path. Rather than building spacecraft, the partnership centers on how satellite communications systems can support commercial services. Geely’s subsidiary, Geespace, is working with Soremar Group, a Moroccan firm involved in maritime and satellite communications, to commercialize its satellite connectivity platform, known as GEESATCOM.
The network relies on low-earth-orbit satellites to provide global data connections for vehicles and other devices.
From Motorcycles to Mobility Ecosystems
These deals reflect how far Geely has come from its origins as a motorcycle manufacturer in the 1990s. The company has grown into a sprawling technology group with interests stretching from automobiles to aerospace and digital services.
In recent years, it has begun weaving those businesses together, linking cars, aircraft systems, and satellite networks into a broader ecosystem built around future mobility.
That strategy is already visible in the company’s space division. Time Space Daoyu Technology Co., Ltd. has launched multiple satellites and offers high-precision positioning and communications services that support applications such as autonomous driving and drone logistics, including in Morocco, where the satellite push comes as its automotive sector reaches new heights.
Morocco’s Auto Boom Drives Demand for Satellite Technology
Last year, Morocco produced more than 1 million vehicles and exported more than $14 billion in cars, making it Africa’s largest vehicle exporter and placing it among the world’s top 20 producers.
The partnerships with the two countries also carry a delicate political dimension. Algeria and Morocco have long been bitter rivals and severed diplomatic relations in 2021.
By working with both governments separately, Geely is navigating a complex geopolitical landscape, expanding its technology footprint in North Africa while avoiding the tensions that divide the two neighbors.
