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SAT Expo Europe is the Space and Advanced Telecommunications International Showroom, happened last March 26-28, 2008 in the new fair complex of Rome, Italy.

The event involved the main Italian Aerospace stakeholders and Public Administration in several national conferences on Earth Observation.
During the workshop “Spatial Application for an Innovative Public Administration”, organized by the Union of Italian Provinces (UPI) and the Association for Space-based Applications and Services (ASAS), Planetek Italia was invited to present the success experience of Regione Veneto, as Champion user of GSE Land Map Product (i.e. Urban Atlas).

GSE Land Product Map has a fundamental importance for cartographic data updating and for the design of planning tools.

The use made by Regione Veneto of the final product spreads over a wide spectrum of applications. Regione Veneto, by coordinating all the seven Provinces and Local Authorities, makes downstream activities providing them all products they need. These are further processed and used in environment, pollution, water and agriculture sectors.

GSE Land Map Product, by fulfilling the required user accuracy, satisfies the regional normative framework and contributes to create vector database and an updatable land use map of the whole region.

The GSE Land official website

About Planetek Italia
Planetek Italia is one of the leading companies in Italy in the data processing and system development for geographic data management. The company delivers systems for storage, elaboration and distribution of cartographic databases and satellite images. As provider of leading technologies for the European Space Agency (ESA), Italian Space Agency (ASI) and other leader research and development entities in Europe, Planetek Italia assures state of the art products to their customers. To better satisfy market needs, Planetek Italia complements its offerings by reselling premiere geospatial solutions and provides consulting and training services. Sister and spin-off companies of Planetek Italia are: Planetek Hellas EPE in Athens, Greece, and GEO-K in Rome, Italy.


Planetek Italia S.r.l.
Address: Via Massaua 12, I-70123 Bari (Italy)
Phone: +39 080 9644200 – Fax: +39 080 9644299
Contact Person: Paolo Manunta
E-mail: manunta [at] planetek.it

Ian Masser’s book, ‘Building European Data Infrastructures,’ can be read as a plea for more cooperation between European governments to collect and share geo-information through one digital geo-portal. To achieve this goal the EU created the INSPIRE project, in place since the end of 2006.

Without being too technical, Masser shows why this project is so important and how it can succeed: by a proactive attitude from stakeholders, much networking and trying to achieve a common sense so that everyone will be happy with the end results.

The importance of geo-information cannot be overestimated. Citizens and governments benefit from unambiguous and up-to-date geo-information. Collecting and storing this data happens in different ways in different EU countries. The same goes for making this data available within these countries, to say nothing of its availability on an international level.

The INSPIRE project was created by the European Union to offer European citizens a geo-portal with access to standardized geo-information for every EU country.

The project is modeled after an example in America where a national geo-portal already exists. To make this geo-portal work, national data needs to be collected, maintained, shared and harmonized within SDIs (spatial data infrastructures) that are not just databases within organizations, but that incorporate the bigger picture of legislation, technology, networks and organizations that collect, share and use spatial data. Beside the need to harmonize national geo-data, there is also a need to study certain appearances in an international context, like river basins that cover many countries. Harmonization of this information saves a lot of time, money and effort. To make this happen, much work needs to be done, states Masser, himself an authority on SDIs. In 84 pages he draws up the balance sheet of what has been done to date and what the future of INSPIRE will bring.

Legislative Context

Masser’s book can be divided into two parts. The first part is about such elementary concepts as GIS and SDIs and their benefits and necessities in practice. He stresses the social components of SDIs: it’s humans who collect, share, maintain and use this data, and technology is there to make this happen. In the second part of the book Masser gives three examples of SDIs in Europe, all part of the INSPIRE project. INSPIRE is a sequel to a previous European project, CORINE, that explored the possibilities around the use and exchange of geographic information. Much attention is paid to the development of the legislative context of INSPIRE that gives the project its right to exist and its continuation in the future. In 2009, when member states will have made changes to their national laws to meet the requirements of INSPIRE, the project will be fully operational. These are no more than the essential preconditions of the total INSPIRE project; to create a real European platform, organizations involved in creating SDIs will have to join hands and create public-private partnerships. Masser has written a very insightful book on the INSPIRE project. From the organizational perspective, the use and necessity of the project becomes very clear. The future will decide whether his message of networking will reach those for whom this book was written, namely those who make use of the information in SDIs.

More information on www.esri.com/esripress

By Eric van Rees
Editorial Manager of GeoInformatics.

Title: Building European Spatial Data Infrastructures.
Auteur: Ian Messer.
Uitgever: ESRI Press
ISBN: 978-1-589428-165-7
Aantal pagina’s: 91
Prijs: EUR 21,95

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC®) has issued calls for sponsors of two interoperability initiatives: the OGC Web Services, Phase 6 (OWS-6) Testbed, and the OGC Pilot in support of GEOSS.

OGC also seeks to establish alliances with standards bodies having technology relevant to the two initiatives.

The OWS series of Testbeds has been an effective mechanism for organizations to meet their interoperability needs through development of open geospatial standards. OWS-6 will develop interoperability specifications in the areas of Sensor Web Enablement, geoprocessing workflows, 3-dimensional information management including indoor location, aeronautical information systems, enterprise web services, mass-market geoservices and compliance testing of OGC standards. These “threads” address interoperability issues affecting emergency management and homeland security, defense, Earth observation, transport and logistics, e-commerce and other domains. Interested organizations are invited to a planning meeting on 30 April 2008 in Herndon, Virginia. The 30 April Sponsor Meeting will review the OGC standards baseline, discuss OWS-5 results, and identify OWS-6 requirements and plans.

The OGC is contributing to development of the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) by conducting a Pilot interoperability initiative. OGC is a Participating Organization of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). OGC Pilot initiatives are an effective mechanism to rapidly deploy, test and validate standards-based services based on real-world use cases. The OGC Pilot for GEOSS is an effective way for sponsors to contribute to the GEOSS objective of achieving comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained observations of the Earth system. The GEOSS Pilot will bring GEOSS partners together with the broader industry and academic communities to cooperatively test, validate and demonstrate standards-based GEOSS capabilities. The pilot will advance the sponsors’ interest in adoption of standards and best practices as a basis of GEOSS Interoperability Arrangements.

Alliances with other Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) are a key element of developing OGC specifications for geospatial applications. Maintaining strategic SDO alliances assures cooperation and sharing among the SDOs and convergence of standards employed by OGC members. Therefore, the OGC is also seeking partnerships with other SDOs to develop sponsorship of OWS-6 Testbed and the GEOSS Pilot.

If your organization is interested in either of these initiatives, contact George Percivall.

OWS initiatives are part of OGC’s Interoperability Program, a global, hands-on and collaborative prototyping program designed to rapidly develop, test and deliver proven candidate specifications into OGC’s Specification Program, where they are formalized for public release. In OGC’s Interoperability Initiatives, international teams of technology providers work together to solve specific geoprocessing interoperability problems posed by the Initiative’s sponsoring organizations. OGC Interoperability Initiatives include testbeds, pilot projects, interoperability experiments and interoperability support services – all designed to encourage rapid development, testing, validation and adoption of OpenGIS standards.

The OGC® is an international consortium of more than 345 companies, government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available geospatial standards. OpenGIS® Standards support interoperable solutions that “geo-enable” the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT. OGC Standards empower technology developers to make geospatial information and services accessible and useful with any application that needs to be geospatially enabled. Visit the OGC website.

Source SpatialNews

Institut Géographique National (IGN), a French leader in cartography and aerial imagery, and Microsoft Corp announced a five-year partnership at Geo-événement 2008, a leading trade show for geo-information specialists in France.

The partnership will allow Microsoft to license IGN’s aerial imagery of France and make this available on the Microsoft Virtual Earth platform and through Microsoft Live Search Maps.

“Our collaboration with IGN will help us bring a new level of realism to Virtual Earth in France,” said Arnaud Gstach, Microsoft Virtual Earth’s Business Development Manager in Southern Europe. “Consumers, businesses and government bodies will be able to access quality aerial imagery across the whole of France. This will give users an immersive experience of their neighbourhood or holiday destination, or provide businesses and government bodies with a mapping service for real-estate viewing, town planning, vehicle tracking and store locations.”

Currently, Microsoft Virtual Earth has high-resolution aerial imagery for nine major French cities and bird’s-eye imagery (45-degree angle) for 43 towns and cities in France. The BD ORTHO® aerial imagery, available in May 2008, will build on the existing Virtual Earth platform by expanding aerial imagery to the entire French territory and allowing users to zoom and pan at a higher resolution than before. IGN is the only French organisation able to provide seamless aerial imagery with 100 per cent coverage of the French territory.

In addition, aerial imagery of the entire French coastline and 45 kilometres (km) inland will be available on the Virtual Earth platform at an even higher resolution than the inland imagery. This is significant given that France was the world’s No 1 tourist destination, with 78 million foreign tourists in 2006.1 The coastal aerial imagery will be available on the Virtual Earth platform to organisations such as those in the tourism sector, and also to prospective tourists, allowing them to virtually explore the French coastline, architecture and amenities before visiting.

“We are happy that Microsoft Virtual Earth has turned to IGN to acquire its aerial imagery and take advantage of its expertise in this area,” said Patrice Parisé, IGN’s new general manager. “This partnership is testament to the quality of IGN’s geographical data.”

IGN will license its BD ORTHO aerial imagery to Microsoft Virtual Earth for five years. The partnership will allow the following imagery to be made available in Virtual Earth:

-Seamless aerial imagery of the entire French territory, including overseas territories, at 2.5 metres per pixel (m/pixel) resolution — available in Virtual Earth by early May 2008

-Aerial imagery with a 45 km coastal margin at a greater resolution of 1 m/pixel — available in Virtual Earth before the end of summer 2008

-Aerial imagery at an ultra-high resolution (50 centimetres per pixel) in urban areas of France with more than 50,000 inhabitants — available in Virtual Earth before the end of summer 2008

-IGN will also license its digital terrain model, BD Alti®, to Microsoft, allowing topography of the entire French territory at 25 metres to be illustrated in Virtual Earth 3D — available this summer

“Microsoft is committed to delivering the highest quality product for Virtual Earth customers, government organisations and consumers in France, and this imagery agreement is a significant investment helping to achieve this commitment in France,” said Erik Jorgensen, general manager of Mapping and Location Services at Microsoft.

Microsoft Virtual Earth is present at Geo-événement 2008, 9 April, where Arnaud Gstach will deliver a presentation titled “Localise, Integrate, Innovate!” and will present the IGN aerial imagery to be made available in Virtual Earth.

About Institut Géographique National
The Institut Géographique National (IGN) is an administrative public institution which was created in 1967 and is under the authority of the MEDAD (France’s Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development). Its mission is to describe the national territory and its land cover, using this for any relevant representations and transmitting the corresponding information. IGN offers a wide range of geographical information services and products to local authorities and government departments, businesses and the general public. IGN has successfully managed to adapt to today’s major technological advances (moving into the digital era, the development of satellites and so on). In this way, the public institution is strengthening its position as a major player on the Internet and in our digital world. These changing practices are bearing fruit –IGN’s e-services and digital products are used as much for professional activities as for leisure pursuits.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

Source Spatialnews

In this issue of EOMAG, EARSC will have the opportunity to feature an interview with Mr. Rainer Horn from SpaceTec Capital Partners AG.

First of all, thank you very much for taking some time from your busy agenda and giving us the occasion to talk about some aspects relevant for the geo-information sector and venture capital.

ROLE

Mr Horn first of all, could you briefly describe us your current responsibilities in your company?
As Managing Partner my responsibilities include mainly investor relations, operations, marketing and advise to start-ups

What are the differences between a private equity firm and a venture capital firm?
Venture capital is often referred to as a sub-segment of private equity. The difference lies in the target companies. VC is predominantly focused on technology start-ups – especially early stage players like we. Other private equity players also invest in medium sized and large mature companies with succession or turnaround scenarios.

What’s the idea behind a Venture Capital company?
Provide a financial resource and expertise (“smart capital”) to entrepreneurs – usually by taking a minority share for several years.

What will the venture capital companies be offering, and doing?
SpaceTec Capital addresses the applications markets in the satellite information business, where information technology meets geo and satellite services like earth observation, navigation, SatCom and geo data.

MARKET STUDY

From your perspective, how’s the venture activity and opportunity now in Europe within the geo-information sector? In your vision, what are the major trends in the EO industry?
There is a lively start-up activity emerging. These ideas are stimulated by several SatNav clusters, technology transfer initiatives, mass applications like Google Earth and TomTom. Most of the promising new applications brought to our attention represent a some fusion between geo-referenceable content like maps, geo data and images – and navigation.

What form has your support for geo-information companies has taken?
We work with predominantly early stage start-ups in refining their business ideas, provide our business understanding, technology know-how and international network

Can you explain why in your opinion companies are looking for new business models support?
Most applications require service elements of very dynamic service models in internet, mobile telephony and content management. Entrepreneurs often lack this know-how because they acquired their expertise in predominantly scientifically or industrially oriented environment.

What kind of companies in the EO industry might make interesting investments?
We expect to see spin-offs from research institutes or larger companies. Service business models require a entrepreneurial freedom which is difficult to achieve in large hardware oriented firms or scientifically driven institutions.

LINKS WITH EO: COOPERATION & PARTNERSHIP

How would you value an investment? How do you make your decisions and why?
Proposals enter a staged review process culminating in detailed due diligences. In early stage financing the key investment criteria are: Quality of management team, innovation, competitive strategy and market understanding, financials and potential exit options for the investor.

When you evaluate a business plan, what’s the most critical element you look for?
Often the business plans is the key exercise for entrepreneurs to gain clarity about how their idea could find a market. After the investment it becomes an important instrument to guide discussions between the management team and the investors.

Why do you feel a company want to work at a venture capital firm?
Firstly, desire to grow faster than with own means in very dynamic markets. Secondly, the need for professional support and an international network.

Would you want to invest in companies geographically spread around Europe?
Yes, our targets are addressing European, if not global market. Our central location in Germany’s VC capital Munich we can get to most regions in in two hours. Still, the German language area is likely to be more heavily represented for proximity reasons.

At geo-information sector, what investment areas do you find interesting?
The Google Earth /TomTom brought consumer applications into the limelight. We are already looking at commercial and industrial applications, like process automation and risk management

FUTURE

Let’s take one step further away, what next for the geospatial marketplace? Where do you see the main opportunities for the EO industry in the years to come?
Humanity’s challenges in resource management, population growth and aging, climate change and civil security will create new business needs and require integrated solutions. The earth observation industry’s experience in serving public stakeholders will form a valuable base. Capabilities in integration of geo data content and systems need to be strengthened. Awareness of solving problems with geo-referenced solution will rise.

There is a lot of interest both within the geospatial technology industry and the consumer side. How do you see this technology connecting and impacting the citizen?
Users who are getting infected with a Google Earth or TomTom virus (in a positive sense) are getting trained to think in geo terms and will naturally demand more geo-related services – just like few people dream back a cable to the cordless phone.

Where do you see the industry in 5 years?
New technology elements like high resolution satellite imagery and Galileo will gradually get adopted. They will provide another turbo to the today’s service start-ups.

Thank you for your time, and for sharing your thoughts and comments with the EOmag readers.

This website will present the latest information on European Space Policy as it develops and is implemented.


Europe needs an effective space policy that will allow the EU to take global leadership in selected strategic policy areas. Space can provide the tools to address many of the global challenges that face 21st century society: challenges that Europe must take a leading role in addressing.

The adoption of the European Space Policy communication and its endorsement by the joint European Space Council in the Spring of 2007 gives Europe its first agreed space policy.

The formulation and implementation of a comprehensive European Space Policy demonstrates the EU’s ability to lead and coordinate in areas of immense strategic importance. Space policy covers a wide variety of policy fields and involves a corresponding spread of policy actors.

Space systems and space-based technologies are a critical part of the daily life of all European citizens and businesses. From telecommunications to television, weather forecasting to global financial systems most of the key services that we all take for granted in the modern world depend on space to function correctly.

In the future space will become even more important and will offer new opportunities for business and services for citizens. Improved positioning or timing systems and global environmental monitoring will provide areas for innovative companies to flourish providing new services.

And of course, space is critical to environmental, security and climate change considerations.

Europe has been involved in developing space technology and science for over 30 years through both national programmes and the efforts of the European Space Agency (ESA). An important first step towards a European Space Policy was the adoption of the EC-ESA Framework Agreement in November 2003. This laid the foundations for many joint initiatives and created the structures that would lead to the development of a true European Space Policy.

Europe is home to a large, high technology-based aerospace industry that supplies a significant part of the world’s commercial requirements for satellite manufacture, launch and services. The European industry has been highly competitive in a difficult marketplace. A comprehensive European Space Policy will help maintain that competitiveness.

Space systems are clearly strategic assets that demonstrate independence and the ability to assume global responsibilities. To maximize the benefits and opportunities that they can provide to Europe now and in the future it is important to have an active, co-ordinated strategy and a comprehensive European Space Policy.

This website will present the latest information on European Space Policy as it develops and is implemented. It will cover news and developments from the European Space Programme and will act as a ‘portal’ to information on the wide range of European space-related resources that are available on the web and describe Europe’s identity and aspirations in space.

NEW WEBSITE EUROPEAN SPACE POLICY

This report recommends that governments create policies such as “green taxes” that encourage sound, environmentally friendly technologies and practices.

The rich world must help poor countries develop without spewing pollution by providing them with technology and expertise, it says.

(Source GMES.Info)

More information at:
OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030
Stern report

A planned new network to monitor life on earth from microbes to whales could help guide governments struggling to slow extinctions

A three-day meeting of 100 scientists and officials in Potsdam, Germany, will end with a deal on building blocks for a “Biodiversity Observation Network” for animals and plants facing threats such as pollution or climate change.

Until now, the world has lacked a system for tying together knowledge about the diversity of life — most observations are local, such as of butterflies in part of the Amazon rainforest or of rice growth in Indonesia.

“We haven’t had the capability to knit it all together,” Woody Turner, an earth scientist at NASA which is helping put together the global network that will include research institutes and governments, told Reuters.

He said the network would help plug gaps since the time of 19th century naturalists such as Charles Darwin, who published the theory of evolution in 1859 based partly on observations of the new monitoring network “will advance international efforts to rescue the world’s vanishing biological diversity,” the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), backed by more than 70 governments, said in a statement of the Potsdam plan.

U.N. reports say the world may be facing the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago due to human activities such as emissions of greenhouse gases. a tiny fraction of life in the Galapagos.

A U.N. Earth Summit in 2002 set a goal of slowing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 but set no baselines for judging success or failure.

DINOSAURS

“The lack of comprehensive information about the world’s biological resources continues to undermine the efforts of policymakers and managers to set priorities,” GEO said. GEO has prompted the new network with calls for better monitoring.

Initial monitoring by the network would “not be every species on earth. We have to bring it down to a few thousand,” said Anne Larigauderie, head of the Diversitas Secretariat in Paris which groups biodiversity experts.

Well-known species such as tigers, lions, whales or dolphins could make the initial list and also “species that play a key functional role”, she told Reuters.

Such species could include crops such as rice or wheat, insect pollinators or large trees that soak up carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. Diversitas and NASA will lead work to build the network, backed by GEO.

Turner said satellites, for instance, could add a new dimension to local studies of species.

“They don’t allow you to see the individual tiger or elephant, certainly not the individual microbe, but they let you see the context — how tree cover is changing, how changes in climate are affecting habitats,” he said.

Reuters – By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent and Editing by Mary Gabriel

Source REUTERS

TRE expands into North America + TRE to provide the first interferometric database on a national scale


TRE expands into North America

TRE announced today the launch of a subsidiary company in Canada TRE Canada Inc. TRE Canada’s head office is located in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada), under the direction of Brian Young P.Eng.

The company’s principal focus lies in the North American Market. This expansion will be built on the contacts and experience of Mr. Young, who since 2004 has pursued business for TRE in both Canada and the US, within the private and public sectors.

The creation of TRE Canada follows TRE’s investment to create a market for InSAR technology.

TRE Canada will therefore be able to serve TRE’s North American clients through a fully operational facility within their geographical area.

TRE Canada will have access to the knowledge and skill set of its parent company with parts of the processing chain being undertaken by SAR specialists at TRE’s Data Processing Centre in Milan. In all other respects, TRE Canada has been established to run independently within its own market.

“Being able to call on the expertise from all the TRE Group, TRE Canada will offer its customers a full geo-information service based on our proprietary PSInSAR™ technology. We are very excited about this opportunity and convinced this will contribute to a positive development of the Earth Observation Market in North America. That being said, with the growing need for remote sensing solution also in American (which plays host to multi-nationals in the mining and energy sectors), TRE Canada will support our strategy of strengthening TRE groups’ position as a key player in the InSAR-remote sensing business” quotes Alessandro Ferretti, CEO of TRE.

About Brian Young
Brian Young is a Professional Engineer with a B.SC. in Civil Engineering and an M.SC. in Irrigation Engineering. In a career spanning 43 years, he has worked in consulting engineering, manufacturing, construction and hi-tech contracting environments, gaining business experience in more than 60 countries. Brian brings six years of experience to TRE in the market development of InSAR services in North America, four of which were spent working with TRE as an independent consultant.

TRE Canada Inc.
407-938 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9
Canada
Tel.: +1 604 331.2512
Fax: +1 604 331.2513
E-mail: info@trecanada.com

TRE to provide the first interferometric database on a national scale

Milano, March 5th 2008 – TRE announced today that the Italian Ministry of the Environment has awarded a multi-million euro contract to a consortium led by Telespazio and TRE to provide the Italian Government with the first interferometric database for surface deformation analysis on a national level.

Within the project, TRE will be in charge of the processing of the whole satellite archive acquired over Italy by the ESA-ERS sensors between 1992 and January 2001 (~10,000 radar scenes). The database will be provided to geologists and geophysicists for:

  • Identification of slow landslides possibly triggering faster phenomena;
  • Confirmation of the activation status of known landslides;
  • Mapping of new risk areas, not previously identified;
  • Quantitative analysis of other deformation phenomena like subsidence/compaction or seismic fault creeping;
  • Generation of a reference database for future investigations carried out using high-resolution sensors (e.g. Cosmo Sky-Med and RADARSAT).

Information will be made available to the Italian Regional Governments through the national cartographic portal via WebGIS technology.

This project represents a pioneering service for mapping and preventing geo-hazards. Indeed, this is the largest InSAR project ever founded by a national Government and a confirmation of the leading role of radar interferometry for mapping geo-hazards in Italy.