Construction of a modular airport in Saint-Louis, Senegal

Much has already been said in our previous talks and presentations to the professional community and the general public about Transcon Electronic Systems' approximately 30 years of experience using modular solutions for our airport infrastructure products. Modularity is a principle that we eventually decided to apply to the complete airport solution we are now building in Senegal, West Africa. Senegal is a country that, compared to the European environment, offers a whole series of practical and logistical challenges and associated risks. The modular approach helps us to significantly reduce these challenges and risks as we import individual prefabricated modules directly from the Czech Republic to Africa and then quickly assemble them on site like a Lego set. The modular airport construction project in Senegal is undoubtedly the largest

Czech project in sub-Saharan Africa over the last few decades, and it is succeeding (even though there have been occasional “labour pains”) in re-establishing the earlier Czechoslovak tradition of building investment units in the Global South. These are so desperately needed – the development of modern infrastructure and industry (alongside other structural changes) are necessary for regional development and socio-economic stability. They can have a positive impact on poverty reduction and reduce or, ideally, eliminate, some negative phenomena such as the much-discussed illegal migration from these parts of the world to EU countries. The construction of the airport cannot, of course, in itself radically change all the complex macroeconomic and structural challenges facing the economy of the country concerned, but there can be no doubting the positive benefits of the project (for Senegal and the Czech Republic). To evaluate this project, we should, therefore, look not only at traditional economic indicators, or how many Czech companies have been involved in the project, but also at how the project has impacted the lives of the local communities located in the areas where the modular airports are being built. The construction of the Saint-Louis airport, for example, presented a number of challenges for the local communities. For instance, the reconstruction of the local airport required the relocation of the local cemetery located at the site of the extended runway, which is almost un- thinkable in the Islamic world. It also resulted in the disruption of the migration routes of local herders who were used to driving their cattle through the airport area. These are only a few obvious things that the local community has traded for the promise of jobs during the construction of the airport and those resulting from its future operation. Future opportunities include, in particular, the development of tourism (in a city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the development of a logistics base for the extraction of natural gas (from Senegal's Atlantic waters), and better connections with the metropolis of Dakar and other parts of the country.

I am therefore very pleased that our partners at KOMA have not disregarded the issue of good relations with the local community and the need for its development, and have engaged very sincerely and seriously in this matter. As a result of KOMA's work in Saint-Louis, about fifty local workers have worked alongside Czech technicians and engineers and learned the modular way of building construction from them, which is not so often encountered under African conditions. And this has strengthened their existing technical skills and, in some cases, their ability to build buildings. The Czech team managed to train new craftsmen such as electricians and plumbers, who will undoubtedly take this experience with them to other jobs and projects, or even set up their own enterprises in the future.

Working on the Czech project was undoubtedly interesting from the Senegalese side because it was a disruption of the established paradigms as similar large projects in the country are usually undertaken by bigger players mainly from France, China or Turkey. Compared to the Chinese projects, which are characterized by the intensive involvement of Chinese experts and workers at practically all levels, the Senegalese side gained greater opportunities for the participation and involvement of its own people and enterprises in the Czech project.

Compared to examples of French projects, the linguistic aspect was more pronounced, as the majority of the Czech staff members are not francophone and both sides had to help each other with their often broken English, which could be comical at times and was undoubtedly beneficial for the development of all the actors involved. Equally important was the fact that it was also an opportunity for our colleagues to introduce their Senega- lese partners to a country that, initially, was unknown to them, but which has a number of economic and cultural achievements and attributes that the Senegalese can identify with. Namely, the country of Petr Čech, the man who brought Senegalese professional national team goalkeeper Édouard Mendy to Chelsea in London; a country that is not burdened by colonialism – it might declare to have been virtually colonised itself; the country where the Bata shoes originally came from (from the KOMA region of Zlín), which were the first shoes many of today's young Senegalese grandparents ever wore; the country where the Škoda Octavia (first generation) cars that are so popular with local taxi drivers originated; and the country where the VEBA fabrics worn by many a Senegalese woman originated. I am therefore once again very grateful to KOMA for working with the local community and helping to spread the good name of the Czech Republic in Senegal.

→ Ilja Mazánek

Ilja Mazánek jr. studied Arabic and International Development at the University of Leeds (UK). In the past, he worked for the oil company, ExxonMobil, and the consultancy, Deloitte. He is currently leading Transcon Electronic Systems' representation in Dakar, Senegal, as part of a regional airport reconstruction project. He speaks fluent Arabic, English, Bulgarian and French. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, aviation, and 3D printing.