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The European Commission and Europe’s data industry have committed to invest €2.5 billion in a public-private partnership (PPP) that aims to strengthen the data sector and put Europe at the forefront of the global data race.


Mastering big data could mean:

  • up to 30% of the global data market for European suppliers
  • 100,000 new data-related jobs in Europe by 2020
  • 10% lower energy consumption, better health-care outcomes and more productive industrial machinery

A Memorandum of Understanding to set up the PPP on big data will be signed today by European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes and President of the Big Data Value Association, Jan Sundelin, who acts on behalf of companies including ATOS, Nokia Solutions and Networks, Orange, SAP, SIEMENS, and research bodies such as Fraunhofer and the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence. The EU has earmarked over €500 million of investment over 5 years (2016-2020) from Horizon 2020 which private partners are expected to match at least four times over (€2 billion).

@NeelieKroesEU said “Data is the motor and foundation of the future economy. Every kind of organisation needs the building blocks to boost their performance, from farm to factory, from the lab to the shop floor.”

The PPP will help focus public, private and academic research efforts to support research and innovation in game-changing big data ideas in fields such as energy, manufacturing and health to deliver services like personalised medicine, food logistics and predictive analytics. By implementing its Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda and concentrating Horizon 2020 support on common priorities, the PPP will strengthen Europe’s big data community and help lay the foundations for the thriving data-driven economy of the future. The PPP will also support “Innovation Spaces” that will offer secure environments for experimenting with both private and open data. These will also act as business incubators and hubs for the development of skills and best practices.

The PPP, due to start on 1 January 2015, is one of the first outcomes of the European Commission’s recent policy and action plan accelerate the development of Europe’s data-driven economy (see IP/14/769 andMEMO/14/455).

Background

Every single minute, the world generates 1.7 million billion bytes of data, equal to 360,000 DVDs. This works out at over 6 megabytes of data for each person every day. This information comes from many different sources like people, machines or sensors. This could be climate information, satellite imagery, digital pictures and videos, transaction records or GPS signals.

As a result, the data sector is growing by 40% per year, 7 times quicker than the overall information and communications market. Businesses that build their decision-making processes on knowledge generated from data see a 5‑6% increase in productivity. Big data is already helping us speed up the diagnosis of brain injuries, orforecast crop yields in developing countries. Global big data technology and services will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the coming years.

While big data presents great opportunities, it is also challenging: today’s datasets are so huge and complex to process that they require new ideas, tools and infrastructures. It also requires the right legal framework, systems and technical solutions to ensure that ensure privacy and security.

The Data PPP complements eight existing Public-Private Partnerships under Horizon 2020, for example on Photonics, Robotics, High Performance Computing, Advanced 5G networks for the Future Internet and Factories of the Future. These all address strategic technologies that will underpin growth and jobs in key sectors of a knowledge-based European economy, while targeting significant societal challenges.

Organisation of the PPP

The Data PPP is a partnership between the European Commission and the Big Data Value Association, a non-profit, industry-led organisation whose members include ATC, IT Innovation, IBM, SINTEF, University of Bologna (CINI), Polytechnical University of Madrid, NOKIA Solutions and Networks, THALES, University of Duisburg Essen, Siemens, SAP, Engineering, TIE Kintetx, ANSWARE, Software AG, Orange, Atos, INDRA, ITI, VTT, Fraunhofer, DERI, and the Technical University of Berlin. The association is open for additional companies and research organisations to join.

More information

Frequently asked questions: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Big Data (MEMO/14/583)

Making Big Data Work for Europe

Communication: Towards a thriving data-driven economy

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[SatNews] This week, nearly 500 climate experts, policy makers and representatives from space agencies and industry will join in the debate to identify how observations from current and future satellites will address the grand research challenges identified by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP).

According to EUMETSAT Director-General Alain Ratier, the purpose of the symposium “is to bring together scientists and space agencies to connect satellite observations to the climate challenges we are facing. This means not only to understand climate change but also to establish on the best possible scientific foundation the climate information services expected by decision makers,” said Ratier.

The symposium will provide new inputs to the design of the global architecture for climate monitoring from space being established by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites, in response to the needs of the World Meteorological Organization, the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and theGlobal Climate Observing System (GCOS). A number of high level speakers will open the symposium, including German State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Energy Brigitte Zypries, German Parliament Aviation and Space Group Chairman Klaus-Peter Willsch, WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud, and Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Director Barbara Ryan. Further key addresses will be given by WCRP Director David Carlson and Met Office (UK) Chief Scientist Julia Slingo.

The Climate Symposium 2014 is organised by the WCRP and EUMETSAT, with the support of the European Union, the European Space Agency, and the City of Darmstadt. Other sponsors are GFCS, GEO, JAXA, DLR, NOAA, CNES and NASA.

To read more about EUMETSAT’s contribution to international climate monitoring, follow the EUMETSAT climate blog.
For more information on the Climate Symposium, visit the infosite

(by Jon Campbell, directionsmag) A recent White House-led assessment found that Landsat is among the Nation’s most critical Earth observing systems, second only to GPS and weather. A new USGS study, Landsat and Water — Case Studies of the Uses and Benefits of Landsat Imagery in Water Resources, provides examples of why Landsat is so valuable

A recent White House-led assessment found that Landsat is among the Nation’s most critical Earth observing systems, second only to GPS and weather. A new USGS study, Landsat and Water — Case Studies of the Uses and Benefits of Landsat Imagery in Water Resources, provides examples of why Landsat is so valuable.

Landsat supports many types of resource management

The Landsat satellites have been a central data source for Earth science since the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972. In 2008 the use of Landsat data expanded dramatically when the USGS adopted a free and open data policy. Since then, the amount of Landsat data used, the number of users, and the variety of applications of the data have increased exponentially. Landsat is now used for both research and decision support by users ranging from government agencies and large corporations to individual scientists and entrepreneurs.

Landsat continues to shape our scientific understanding of how the Earth has changed with modern society. Furthermore, Landsat provides decision makers with critical operational information about the Nation’s – and the world’s – crops, forests, and water. For example, Landsat data helps forest managers design restoration after a wildfire and respond to insect infestations or disease. It helps states and counties identify land use practices that affect water quality and helps agricultural agencies forecast crop production both nationally and globally.

Landsat for water resources

Water is managed by many levels of federal, state, local, and tribal governments; by the private sector; through the courts; and through international and interstate treaties and compacts. At all these levels, water users and managers rely more and more on Landsat data about water conditions both ­at the moment and in the context of four decades of Landsat record.

The Nation’s largest wholesaler of water, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, uses Landsat data for mapping and monitoring on the lower Colorado River, including:

• monitoring agricultural water use

• annual estimates of evapotranspiration from riparian vegetation

• estimates of evaporation from the surface waters of the lower Colorado River

• identification of types, locations, and acreages of crops, irrigated lands, and riparian vegetation.

Landsat imagery makes it possible to generate this information at a level of accuracy that would otherwise not be feasible.

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(15 Sept 2014) HySpecIQ, LLC of Washington DC has closed its initial funding round and placed an order with The Boeing Company for two hyperspectral remote sensing satellites. The company will be the first commercial provider of high-resolution hyperspectral information from space.

The satellites will carry a state-of-the-art hyperspectral payload based on proven technology. It will be capable of providing spectral imaging fidelity far exceeding what is currently available commercially or forecast to exist in the near future. Boeing will deliver a complete satellite system initially consisting of two 502 Phoenix small satellites, available for launch in 2018 and essential ground elements including command and control; image processing; and archive and retrieval of collected data. HySpecIQ will separately develop the value added processing and dissemination architecture.

“HySpecIQ will unlock the potential of high resolution hyperspectral data with proprietary analytics to create high value information products for clients,” said Joseph D. Fargnoli, HySpecIQ Executive Vice President of Product Development. “Our tailored hyperspectral-driven decision support tools, risk management products and monitoring capabilities will drive focused solutions targeted to the specific business information needs of our clients and partners. Our capabilities will enable the delivery of information products to key markets, including the global oil & gas, mining, agriculture and environment monitoring, as well as U.S. government agencies and partner countries. The ability to serve these markets using satellite technology offers tremendous benefits heretofore impractical, including lower data collection and processing costs, more frequent revisit capabilities, access to denied territories and detailed environmental monitoring.”

HySpecIQ has partnered with Boeing, which will design and manufacture the satellite system and serve as channel partner to select customers. “Boeing’s in-depth experience in the delivery of commercial space systems was the deciding factor in their selection,” said William R. Sullivan, HySpecIQ executive chairman. “Working closely with Boeing’s team will allow us to bring forward a technical design with unparalleled remote sensing capability that will set a new standard in this industry and provide customers with the timely cost effective solutions they need.

“Boeing demonstrated its confidence in HySpecIQ and the market for hyperspectral remote sensing analytics by entering into partnership as a data channel provider and signing the first data sales contract. Boeing offered an attractive and multi-dimensional package that includes assistance in selling services and attracting investors as well as access to Boeing’s government customer base. This demonstrates their commitment to meeting the needs of the government and commercial market,” Sullivan said.

HySpecIQ will manage sales, processing and distribution of the hyperspectral informatics products to the global civil, commercial and government markets while Boeing will provide services for the U.S. Government Intelligence community and select foreign worldwide customers.

HySpecIQ
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(September 2014) Azerbaijan: Negotiations between Azerbaijan’s Space Agency Azercosmos and the French Airbus Defense and Space on the transfer of control of LEO satellite SPOT-7 is in its final stage, Communications and High Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov informed media.

Azercosmos and Airbus Defense and Space signed an agreement to jointly launch the SPOT 7 satellite in May this year.

The satellite launch was an important step in the implementation of the agreement on strategic cooperation with Azercosmos, which involves the joint use of satellites and empowerment in the area of geo-information. Works on the harmonisation of documents for signature have already been completed, and the related documents have been prepared, Abbasov said. He also told media that the project is expected to kick-off by the end of the year 2014.

Source: Azernews
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(Nereus Consultation). Copernicus (formerly GMES) is a European Earth Observation Programme. While delivering satellite-based services and information on the state of our environment and security purposes, it contributes to better informed decision making, long-term planning, effective deployment of resources and thus more efficient public spending.

Although various Copernicus services and products are already available, few local and regional authorities (LRA’s) actually use them. Consequently, ESA and NEREUS launch a series of workshops dedicated to specific topics. The objective is to dialogue with LRAs, to raise awareness and to learn about regional needs or potential obstacles for Copernicus deployment.

The present consultation is meant to identify workshop topics that are of priority for local and regional authorities across Europe – DEADLINE: 31/10/2014.

Note: The consultation is restricted to senior managers working in regional/local administrations and/or to key persons who are responsible for the subject area within their administration. To complete the online consultation will take only 3-5 mins.

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© GeospatialWorld, September 2014. The earth observation industry is becoming more user-driven. Marcello Maranesi, CEO, e-GEOS discusses how his company has moved from data acquisition and supply business to value-added products and services.

There is a definite change of dynamics in the earth observation industry with a data-deluged world increasingly turning to analytics. How has the EO companies reacted to this trend?

This change from data to analytics is definitely progressive. About 20 years ago, we were talking about remote sensing. That was our business. Then it became earth observation, and then the concept got broader and became geoinformation. Now, we are talking about a whole new subject of geomatics because our data and information layers which are derived from satellites have to be compiled for application solutions. This means that they have to be embedded into a software procedure that ultimately contributes to the operational workflow of an end-user, which can be an institution or an industry. EO data is valuable only in the sense that it is capable of contributing to the process of decision making that the end-user is interested in. We are only contributing to a solution. We are not the solution, and our products and services are valuable if they provide the customer with analytical information suitable for its decisions.

Is this trend demand-driven or supply-driven?
Initially our industry was more supply driven but we are progressively becoming user driven. And this would remain so since new capabilities will be added. For example, hyperspectral sensors will determine a completely new era in terms of the quality of information that can be acquired. We will see users playing a major role as they start demanding user-specific applications and services.

As far as e-GEOS is concerned, we have made a move from data acquisition and supply business into value-added products and services. We have also started application solutions, where we go inside the operational workflow of an end-user in specific market segments to understand how we can bring value to the existing workflow, speed-up their operations and make them more efficient by adding new capabilities and competitive advantage. Our Integrated Space Applications, where e-GEOS combines earth observation with navigation information derived from GPS (and in the future from Galileo) as well as with space telecommunications, benefits from being part of the Telespazio Group who is a major player in all space service sectors.

We need to capture the culture of the segment or industry where the customer is operating in. It is not only sufficient to be a technology or data provider. e-GEOS needs to become a multi-technology and multi-culture organisation. And this is quite exciting for us.

Which are the main business areas of your company? What is the USP of e-GEOS and what sets you apart from your competitors?

Our major business areas are defence, agriculture, environment protection, land management and maritime surveillance. From the industry side, oil and gas and transportation are also two key areas of interest for us. In terms of geographic markets, around 80% of our revenues come from the international market with the remaining 20% from Italy.

e-GEOS is a JV between Telespazio (a Finmeccanica/ Thales company), which is the majority shareholder, and the Italian Space Agency. We benefit from our cooperation with a number of companies that are part of Telespazio Group, which has subsidiaries in Europe, including countries like Spain, France, UK, Germany and Romania as well as outside such as Argentina, Brazil and the US. So these subsidiaries help e-GEOS in pursuing local geographic markets through local presence.

We use various types of data sources like satellite, aerial and different sensors to provide a variety of data products in form of services, applications and solutions. All these leverage the competitive advantage of Cosmo-SkyMed SAR satellite constellation that provides unique operational capabilities. We have a complete portfolio of products and services among the whole value chain. We have the capability of providing services for data reception, acquisition, archiving and processing, and also supply and distributing. In addition, we have a number of value-added products and geographic information layers. With our focus on application solutions, we are concentrating on specific vertical markets and trying to enter into the operational workflow of the end users to provide a clear benefit in terms of economic value for the customer.

Our unique capability resides in our ability to exploit radar data into applications. We started developing products and services based on radar data in early 2000. Initially these products and services were more technically driven. Later, with the help of competitive contracts from the European Union, we developed and tested more application products with a strong involvement of the end-users. We are a leader in providing environment and maritime services within Europe as demonstrated by our role in the GMES (now Copernicus) European programme. Our Munich-based subsidiary GAF is also a great asset. It has undertaken and successfully delivered more than 200 projects for governments and investment banks such as World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and Asian Development Bank, in more than 100 countries. For us, it is just one step further in enabling our customers to get the best out of new technologies and capabilities from geospatial information.

The European Commission has agreed to permit free access to data from its Sentinel series of earth observation satellites. Will this move affect your business?

We do not have data comparable to that of Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2. Sentinel 1 is in C band while COSMO-SkyMed is in X band; Sentinel 1 has 25m resolution while COSMO- SkyMed is 1 and 3 metre resolution. Even when users need a lower resolution, the combined use of both the satellites provides better revisit or geographic coverage.

In fact the Sentinel data and our COSMO-SkyMed ones data are complementary in terms of resolution and bands. So, we see only a positive impact on our businesses. Availability of Sentinel 1 and then Sentinel 2 data would lead to a number of applications that stands to benefit from free and open data distribution. In the process, the availability of Copernicus data will support commercial business based on COSMO-SkyMed data, and improve our applications and services to end-users and even enable us to lower our prices.

How do you see the low-cost nano-satellites affecting the current setup of the EO industry?

Nano-satellites are going to be more and more important in the future. Having a technology which is delivering high results at lower cost and faster time is going to dramatically change the business. We are used to high-performing satellites which cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Nano-satellites may not have the same performance in terms of resolution and collection capacity, but they will surely open up new applications and new ways of making business for the industry, especially because their low cost will enable the launch of many of these satellites in a constellation model. With many satellites in orbit, we will have the capability of imaging a given site on the earth at different times of the day, something we are not used to. We welcome the availability of these new satellites as they enlarge the possibilities for our applications.

How do you envision the EO industry shaping up in the coming times?

In the past, the EO industry was split between the satellite operators, data distributors and value-added producers. Now satellite operators and data distributors have already merged. On the other hand, value-added producers are progressively fading because the game is not anymore to add value to the data or just process the data, but it is to start from the customer side and define/provide him with a specific solution for the specific market segments.

The EO industry is now trying to combine various types of data for producing variety of services and solutions. Therefore, the so-called EO industry is transforming into a geoinformation industry. I am convinced that in the coming times the geoinformation industry will progressively enter the world of information technology and open up a new sector called geomatics. We will be interfacing more and more with IT companies providing specialised solutions to specialised segments to be embedded into an overall system or service for an end-user.

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(September 2014) Denver—V1 Media welcomes the staff of Earth Imaging Journal (EIJ) as we combine forces to address an Earth observation market that is marked by significant growth prospects and exciting opportunities. The bi-monthly print publication is a great fit with V1 Media’s online geospatial outlets and multimedia production capabilities.


“The timing was right for EIJ to be combined with a proficient publishing firm that shares the same values as our expert staff,” said Jeff Specht, founder and current publisher of Earth Imaging Journal, and principal of Earthwide Communications. “I’m excited for EIJ to grow and continue meeting the demands of the dynamic Earth observation market.”

V1 Media is a global integrated media and learning company serving organizations and individuals that measure, model and manage our natural world as well as those that design, develop and engineer today’s built infrastructure. The company is focused on a better understanding of Earth systems and a better-performing built infrastructure.

“We’re excited to expand the online presence of EIJ and to get back into print,” said Matt Ball, founder and editorial director of V1 Media. “There’s a lot of new ground to cover with the successful launch of the next-generation Worldview-3 satellite, the expansive plans of new micro satellite constellation providers, and the emerging importance of unmanned aircraft systems.”

“The timing of this acquisition couldn’t be better in terms of planning for the year ahead as well as the increasing importance of Earth observation,” said Kevin Carmody, group publisher at V1 Media. “The marketplace has embraced the content and polished presentation of EIJ over the years. We’re eager to support that effort while also parlaying that experience into our new endeavors. It offers great synergy between our publications Informed Infrastructure, Sensors & Systems, Asian Surveying & Mapping, and GeoSpatial Stream. This acquisition will also help us better serve our advertisers.”

The transition will take place commencing with the November/December issue of EIJ, with online updates and other offerings ongoing.

About V1 Media

V1 Media publishes Earth Imaging Journal (http:/www.eijournal.com), Sensors & Systems (http://www.sensorsandsystems.com), Informed Infrastructure (http://www.informedinfrastructure.com), Asian Surveying & Mapping (ASM) (http://www.asmmag.com), and the video news site GeoSpatial Stream (http://www.geospatialstream.com). Each of these publications deals with the combination of sensors and systems for different geographies and for related disciplines. Engineering, surveying, positioning, GIS, BIM, and remote sensing are key areas of coverage with the goal of increased infrastructure performance and efficiency, and better stewardship of our planet. We deliver our content via print publications, websites, video, e-newsletters, e-learning, and events.

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[Via Satellite 09-03-2014] OmniEarth has completed the purchase of IRISmaps in a stock-for-stock transaction.

OmniEarth anticipates the acquisition will accelerate its growth in agriculture and energy: the top two markets the company is currently focusing on. IRISmaps portfolio of customized cloud-based geospatial solutions already includes asset and environmental monitoring products that agriculture and energy customers have deployed.

OmniEarth intends to continue with IRISmap’s existing energy portfolio. Once the company’s constellation of up to 18 remote sensing satellites is operating, OmniEarth plans to develop new products with rich data fusion and new analytics. Lars Dyrud, CEO of OmniEarth, will lead both companies.

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DMC International Imaging (DMCii), a global provider of satellite imagery products and services, has made major improvements to its data centre, involving a full internal upgrade of processing systems. Over five billion square kilometres of data, the equivalent of ten times the Earth’s surface, is under management in DMCii’s new virtualised environment.

According to DMCii, the introduction of the newest generation of market-leading hardware infrastructure from EDS and others has heightened the company’s satellite imaging performance and enhanced the resilience of its servers.

DMCii’s facility in Surrey Research Park, UK, a renowned hub of scientific innovation and technological advancement, has helped pave the way towards these advancements.

Faster processing performance has reduced retrieval time from ground station by a third, boosting DMCii’s abilities to provide the world with satellite imagery at top speeds. This ability is essential in disasters where a rapid delivery of the first image is crucial to producing maps, assessments of infrastructure and information on the extent of the disaster, the company stated.

Furthermore, these enhancements will allow DMCii to provide highly developed commercial services to its customers. For instance, those that purchase DMCii satellite images for agricultural purposes will receive their data faster, allowing them to plan future fertiliser application with improved confidence.

This is the first step in a sustained investment in DMCii’s services worldwide, said Dave Hodgson, managing director of DMCii. DMCii has expanded hugely since it was established in 2004, with the imagery sales rising by 40% year-on-year.

Multispectral imagery

The new facility quadrupled DMCii’s floor space, providing much-needed room for expansion. This increased infrastructure supports the growing demand for DMCii’s 22m multispectral imagery, as well as the forthcoming commercial 2.5m panchromatic, 1m and 5m multispectral imagery and SAR data.

These developments have given DMCii the chance to restructure its expert satellite imaging team, in a bid to provide customers with more precise data using new innovative techniques. DMCii’s ongoing developments are paving the way towards an entirely new system of identifying and purchasing its world-class daily global satellite images in the near future.

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