Angola strengthens U.S. energy ties with Sonangol-MIT collaboration
Angola’s national oil company Sonangol has signed two agreements with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) aimed at strengthening cooperation and knowledge-transfer in the fields of oil, gas and critical minerals. The agreements – dubbed the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (MIT-ILP) and MIT Africa – seek to strengthen U.S.-Africa ties by facilitating greater collaboration and skills development opportunities.
The agreements were signed by Sonangol CEO Sebastião Gaspar Martins and MIT Executive Vice President Glan Shor during a meeting presided over by Diamantino Azevedo, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas. A core focus of the meeting and the subsequent agreements was to explore opportunities to support Angolan resource development by leveraging global research, innovation and technology. With goals to increase oil production, diversify the industry through innovative gas projects and advance the development of alternative energy sources such as green hydrogen, Angola has committed to working with global partners to transform ideas into solutions. The agreements serve as catalyst for these objectives by laying the foundation for bilateral research and development.
Under MIT-ILP, Sonangol and MIT will work together to develop strategic industries such as energy, mining, engineering, construction and infrastructure. According to Minister Azevedo, this program will enable Sonangol to directly interact with MIT research centers in key areas, thereby accelerating innovation in the oil sector while facilitating a just energy transition. Minister Azevedo shared that visiting MIT showed the Angolan delegation how applied research is closely linked with humanity’s real challenges – notably, clean energy, artificial intelligence, resilient infrastructure and digital transformation. MIT-ILP will support the development of Angolan expertise and innovation.
Meanwhile, MIT Africa features two programs - Global Classroom and Global Teaching Labs - aimed at facilitating knowledge-exchange, staff training, joint research and academic mentoring. Both the Global Classroom program and Global Teaching Labs program allow Angolan educational institutions to tap into U.S. expertise, with the aim of supporting skills development in Angola. Among the Angolan institutions that will directly benefit from this cooperation are the Instituto Superior Politécnico de Tecnologias e Ciências and the Sonangol Research and Development Center. These institutions will be at the forefront of implementing these innovative programs.
“Through these mechanisms, Angola will be able to benefit from innovative teaching methodologies and collaborative experiences that value national talent and promote the internationalization of our higher education,” Minister Azevedo shared. “These agreements are more than protocols: they are commitments with concrete impact in the short, medium and long term, in the fields of advanced training, scientific research, technological development, energy transition, decarbonization and industrial innovation. I believe that Angola's future is built on knowledge, serious partnerships and strategic vision.”
The agreements come as Angola and the U.S. take concrete steps to deepen strategic partnerships within the oil, gas, critical mineral and renewable energy sectors. Meetings held by Minister Azevedo and the U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright this week highlighted areas of cooperation, with the parties committing to working together to achieve a balanced energy transition. Future cooperation will be largely built on the success American companies have had in Angola as well as cooperation in new industries such as critical minerals, renewable energy and infrastructure.
See also: Angola, U.S. leaders move to expand energy cooperation during Washington meeting
