Reports

Marking a decade in collecting user stories and testimonials on satellite-based applications, Eurisy looks back at lessons learned, analysing market and customer-service provider developments in Europe along the way. The paper details our user-centric approach which supports bridging the gaps between upstream and downstream satellite sectors and turns it into into a scalable model outside European borders. The paper was presented at the 70th International Astronautical Congress 2019, 21-25 October in Washington DC.

European investments in space are expected to stimulate the development of the downstream value-added sector by boosting the large-scale adoption of satellite-based technologies to foster new, innovative services and deliver impactful socio-economic growth. Yet, their wide scale adoption and use has remained slow across various sectors and fields. Most often than not, public policies have played a bigger role in hindering satellite-based services adoption, rather than the perceived technology challenges themselves. The current paper reflects on the policy bottlenecks identified by Eurisy in telemedicine and emergency calling sectors. The paper was presented at the 70th International Astronautical Congress 2019, 21-25 October in Washington DC.

The conference “Space for Rural: Des solutions efficaces et accessibles” was organised by Eurisy and Idelux in Transinne, Belgium, on 2 April 2019. The event aimed at discussing the possible applications of satellite-based services to protect the environment, support decision-makers and boost competitiveness in rural areas. A special session was dedicated to the issue of connectivity in rural areas.

This report contains the minutes and main messages of the conference “Space for Culture: Satellite services for historical and creative cities” held in Matera (Italy), European Capital of Culture 2019.

The two-day event was co-organised by Eurisy, the Basilicata Region, NEREUS, the TeRN Consortium and the Italian Space Agency as a contribution to the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage. It aimed at discussing current and potential uses of satellite-based services to safeguard and promote cultural heritage, create cultural and artistic experiences, foster social inclusion, and promote access to culture and arts within and around cities.

To download the full conference report, please click on this LINK

The current report examines the main messages coming out of Eurisy’s “Space4Ghent” conference on the uses of satellite imagery in cities, organised in cooperation with our members from BELSPO, in the framework of Apps for Ghent – an initiative aimed at maximising the potential of open data in Ghent through projects, events and co-creation. 

One hundred representatives from private companies, public managers and students attended the conference to discuss current and potential uses of Earth Observation in urban spaces. Participants were made aware of existing datasets, the Copernicus services in particular, as well as their possible applications at the city level. The event also discussed the obstacles hindering the exploitation of satellite data and put forward possible solutions to overcome them.

The current report sums up Eurisy’s conference “Satellite Applications for the Alps:Search and Rescue Edition” held on 11-12 October, 2017 in Brixen, Bressanone, Italy. Organised in cooperation with IDM SudTirol and the Satellite Navigation Cluster Berchtesgaden within the International Mountain Summit, a week-long international conference covering the global mountaineering community, the event was Eurisy’s second conference covering the Alpine space. The current documents reflects on the day’s discussions, as well as the observations made in a series of open-ended interviews with Alpine search and rescue organisations carried by Eurisy between the two events. The interviews covered more than 10 organisation from Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Germany and examine the use and challenges of satellite based services for emergency calls, mapping, team coordination and cross-border cooperation.

Organised by our members at the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission, the 6th edition of this regional gathering provided local and regional public and private organisations with information on the latest business opportunities created under the European Commission’s satellite programmes. Focusing on Eastern European stakeholders, the two day event covered topics emphasized the use of Earth Observation, satellite communication and satellite navigation technologies for socio-economic benefits and environmental management. 

At the centre of these benefits, local and regional confirmed and potential users presented their experience and needs during the Eurisy powered round table. The current document reflects on some of the take-aways of the conference and our round table discussion. 

What makes a city smart? For the private companies and local administrations participating in the Nordic Edge Expo last September, a smart city is a place where community needs, new technologies and innovation meet. An ecosystem of urban planners, IT and renewable energy companies, community development experts, universities, research clusters, and residents, pursuing the common goal of building the city of the future.

Satellite applications have a role to play in the building of more sustainable, efficient and increasingly connected cities. This was the message of the speakers invited to attend the session organised by Eurisy during the three-day event. The session focusing on Satellite Applications for Infrastructure Management was organised under the Eurisy Space for Cities initiative, which aims to explore current and potential uses of satellite-based services to increase quality of life in cities. The current document details on speakers’ interventions and exchanges, whilst putting forward recommendations for future questions to be explored. 

Confirmed and potential users of satellite based services covering health care and environment (e.g. telemedicine, air pollution), as well as experts, private sector representatives and policy makers belonging to both space and non-space communities, were invited to Belfast in June 2017 to discuss the potential of satellite applications in these sectors.

On this occasion, attending delegates took the opportunity to share their experiences, lessons learned and exchange on how future technology-powered health and social care systems might look like. (Access the presentations here). The current document reflects on some of the lessons learned from the event, highlighting key points from the discussions that took place during the day. 

The 5th edition of Satellites Going Local collects testimonials from public and private organisations using satellite applications to improve their work and provide better services to the public.

For the non-space professionals they are intended to demonstrate, in a down-to-earth manner, how digital products and services that rely on satellite navigation, satellite communications and Earth observation, benefit professionals in all areas of activity.
Examples range from agriculture and environment, to risk management, to tourism and leisure, to infrastructure and building, to mobility and transport. To satellite professionals, they will offer insights into user needs, and possible business cases.