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DigitalGlobe today announced that WorldView-1 has reached Full Operating Capability (FOC) for all customers. The general availability of WorldView-1 imagery marks the final milestone for the satellite which launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on September 18, 2007, delivered its first sample set of high-resolution images on October 15 and began supplying imagery to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) on November 26.

Jan 2008
“Following a successful roll-out with the NGA as part of the NextView program, DigitalGlobe is now taking orders for WorldView-1 imagery from its global resellers, partners and customers,” said Jill Smith, chief executive officer of DigitalGlobe. “General availability of WorldView-1 imagery allows us to more aggressively serve the growing global demand for accurate, high-resolution satellite imagery and geospatial information.”

WorldView-1, with its superior increase in capability and capacity, and QuickBird, DigitalGlobe’s other high-resolution satellite, together operate as the world’s highest-resolution commercial satellite constellation. The two satellites are collecting up to 900,000 square kilometers of new imagery per day, an unprecedented level that will enable faster turn-around on collection and rapid updating of DigitalGlobe’s ImageLibrary. DigitalGlobe has the largest, most current collection of relevant spatial information, with over 350 million square kilometers currently available in the ImageLibrary. Almost all imagery collected is made available to its customers online. DigitalGlobe’s own high resolution satellite collection and archive is complemented with significant aerial collection, and third party content and data to provide the most complete, easy to use and integrate content solutions for its customers. DigitalGlobe’s ImageLibrary: http://browse.digitalglobe.com/imagefinder/.

DigitalGlobe content solutions have countless uses in professional and consumer markets; oil and gas, telecommunications, utilities, mining and other natural resource development; personal navigation, mobile devices and automotive as well as online mapping and portals.

For more information click here

Source: DigitalGlobe

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today aimed at strengthening cooperation on remote sensing of the Earth, particularly in the field of disaster preparedness and response.

Key benefits that this collaboration will provide to the global community include protection for the dedicated radio frequencies that remote-sensing satellites and Earth-based monitors use for gathering high-quality data on the global environment, the improved application of Earth observations to disaster management, and increased capacity building in developing countries for the effective use of Earth observations in decision-making.

“Efficient telecommunications services are fundamentally important to both the collection and dissemination of Earth observation data and information,” said José Achache, Director of the GEO secretariat. “The observation and telecommunications communities are natural partners, and by working more closely together we can strengthen the international response to disasters, environmental degradation and other global risks.”

Growing demand by the internet, cellular phone networks and other users of radio frequencies has raised the spectre of competition over limited bandwidth. However, last month’s ITU World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva decided to maintain the existing bandwidth allocated to Earth observations. This will ensure the proper functioning of observation instruments by preventing other users of radio frequencies from unintentionally interfering with Earth observation applications, particularly satellite measurements.

Recognizing this, a Ministerial Summit organized by GEO on 30 November in South Africa adopted the Cape Town Declaration, which includes the statement: “We welcome the resolution of the World Radio Conference–07 on radio communication use for Earth observation applications and the support it provides for the international protection and long term availability of frequencies for terrestrial, oceanic, air-borne and space-based observations.”

GEO and the ITU share a commitment to reducing the loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters. When disaster looms, rapid access to weather forecasts, data on land and ocean conditions, maps of transport links and hospitals, and information on socio-economic variables can save uncounted lives. When integrated with other information, observations can help planners reduce vulnerability, strengthen preparedness and early-warning measures and, after disaster strikes, rebuild housing and infrastructure in ways that limit future risks.

The Cape Town Declaration therefore also recognized “the important contribution that GEO can make through collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union to promote, by the appropriate alerting authorities, the implementation of the international standard for all-media public warning across all disaster and emergency situations”.

“Reducing the impact of disasters requires strong coordination between telecommunications and Earth observations along the full chain of actions, from disaster preparedness to forecasts, warnings, crisis management, and recovery,” said Mr. Achache.

The two intergovernmental bodies are also active in the field of capacity building and aim to complement and reinforce each other’s efforts. Individuals need training on how to access and use Earth observation data and decision-support tools. Governments and institutions need long-term programmes that build their capacity to make decisions based on Earth observations, manage and protect natural resources and engage the private sector in these activities. Infrastructure investments are essential for upgrading and inter-linking hardware and software for acquiring, processing, interpreting and distributing observation data.

Two key infrastructure investments that illustrate the critical role of telecommunications in Earth observations are the China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite Programme (CBERS), which broadcasts observation free of charge directly to ground stations, and GEONETCast, a system of four communications satellites that transmits data to low-cost receivers maintained by users.

The Group on Earth Observations was established in 2005 after the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), the Group of Eight leading industrialized countries (G8) and three ministerial Earth Observation Summits all called for improving existing observation systems. It now boasts over 70 member countries and 46 participating organizations.

GEO is coordinating the construction of a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) that will link together diverse monitoring networks, instruments, data bases and models and other decisionsupport tools.

GEOSS addresses nine priorities of critical importance to the future of the human race. It aims to help us protect ourselves against natural and human-induced disasters, understand the environmental sources of health hazards, manage energy resources, respond to climate change and its impacts, safeguard freshwater resources, improve weather forecasts, manage ecosystems, promote sustainable agriculture, and conserve biodiversity.

For more information click here

Source: GEO

Award confirms Infoterra as a leading supplier of GIS data and services

Infoterra Ltd, a leader in the provision of geospatial products and services, has been awarded a framework agreement under OGCbuying.solutions’ Catalist Geographical Information Services and Solutions framework (GISS), an arrangement that provides a streamlined procurement route for public sector bodies. Under the new Catalist GISS framework, Infoterra has been awarded framework agreements in the GI Mapping Services and GI data supply solutions categories.

The Catalist procurement service is managed by OGCbuying.solutions, an executive agency of the Treasury’s Office of Government Commerce (OGC). Securing accreditation on a Catalist framework agreement confirms Infoterra as one of the leading suppliers of GIS data and services.

“Procurement under Catalist saves time and money for public sector bodies, allowing them to select a supplier without having to go through the process of pre-qualification. Selecting a service provider, such as Infoterra, means they will be working with a risk-free GIS partner that not only meets, but exceeds all the standards for professional GIS services and associated products,” commented Dr Andy Wells, Director of Sales for Infoterra Ltd. “Over the last three years we’ve found that Catalist has been an important route for the Public Sector market to work with Infoterra. Since first being awarded framework agreements under Catalist, our clients have used the framework for almost £10 million worth of procurement.”

About OGCbuying.solutions

OGCbuying.solutions is the trading arm of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which is itself an office of HM Treasury. The Office of Government Commerce is responsible for improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement, from commodity buying to the delivery of major capital projects, maximising the effective use of 60% of Government spending and a £30 billion property estate.

A new Government strategy launched in January 2007, Transforming Government Procurement, highlighted the central importance of procurement in delivering high-quality public services and best value for money. OGC is tasked with delivering this transformation, and with driving up standards and procurement capability across central Government. The OGC will do this through:

- Setting the right procurement standards and ensuring they are met; – Capitalising on the Government’s collective buying power to achieve value for money; – Developing a cadre of senior procurement professionals across government to drive forward best practice procurement solutions.

OGCbuying.solutions, launched in April 2001, provides public sector procurement professionals with a route to the products and services they need to maximise procurement efficiency and value for money. Its contracts and framework agreements offer substantial savings through significant buying power, economies of scale and strategic partnerships. These savings are counted towards the Efficiency Review target. Rigorous tendering and evaluation processes ensure that products and services are checked for quality, price competitiveness, fitness for purpose and compliance with statutory requirements. These products and services are available through OGCbuying.solutions Catalist framework agreements and Managed Services.

The Catalist brand is designed to unify the framework agreements under one identifiable and recognisable brand name. Catalist incorporates a series of framework agreements which have been developed to offer our customers a broad range of goods and services aligned to their particular needs. Managed Services are predominantly more sophisticated, requiring expertise and additional support from OGCbuying.solutions.

http://online.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk/

About Infoterra Ltd

Infoterra Ltd is a leading provider of geographic information products and services. Its portfolio of geographic information solutions includes airborne and satellite data acquisition, geo-information creation, database management and outsourced hosting. Infoterra provides geospatial knowledge to companies worldwide to help them make informed decisions. The company has major customers in communications, utilities, engineering, agriculture, defence and oil, gas & mineral exploration.

Infoterra Ltd. is part of the Infoterra group, which comprises companies in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Astrium Ltd, an EADS company.

www.infoterra.co.uk

For more information contact

Sarah Haslam, Infoterra Ltd, +44 (0)116 273 2300,
Cheryl Billson, PR for Infoterra, +44 (0)7791 720460, cheryl.billson@commacomms.com

Infoterra is a diverse group, operating in a fast-moving international environment. Our skilled and enthusiastic team is committed to deliver innovative solutions that best serve our customers.

We know that our success depends on the quality and commitment of our people therefore we provide the work environment which gives all team members the best chance to fulfil their potential.

If you have the skills and vision to be part of our team, please contact us today, to start on the road to an exciting and challenging career.

_Current positions within Infoterra

Regional Sales Manager

Infoterra Group (a business division of Astrium Services) is a leading provider of geo-information products and services for managing the development, environment and security of our changing world. Infoterra Group is a federation of fully owned SME companies in France, Germany, Spain, Hungary and the United Kingdom. The group also owns major shareholding in others GIS related companies, including Spot Image. Infoterra Group customers include international companies, national, regional and local governments and authorities throughout Europe, and worldwide.

Infoterra operates across a comprehensive range of markets – communications, environment, security, agriculture, defense, oil & gas exploration and many more. Furthermore, Infoterra holds the exclusive commercial exploitation rights for the German radar satellite TerraSAR-X, and plays a leading role in Geo-Information Services within the European GMES Initiative of EC and ESA.
Infoterra helps our customers to make quicker and more informed decisions through the better use of geospatial information and its innovative technology.

In 2008 Infoterra is implementing an Export Directorate on group level to strengthen our success in regional markets as complement to the vertical market approach of the Infoterra entities.
In this frame Infoterra is looking for

3 Regional Sales Managers

A vacancy is open for each of the 3 regions Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe, with immediate need.

Job
Taking ownership of several geo information related market domains in his region, the successful candidate will identify, prioritise and pursue new and existing opportunities up to order booking.

Roles require ability to quickly understand new technologies and business models and be able to evaluate their relevance to client’s vision.

Likewise, you will be expected to generate own ideas and initiatives that capitalise on existing and prospective strengths (both within Infoterra entities and external partners) to drive substantive, additional benefit to clients. You will play an integral role in the success of the Group and be specifically responsible for:

-Delivering over-target order results
-Managing named key account(s) for new business and mining existing opportunities
-Developing strong relationships with clients leading to deep understanding of their products and long-term business strategies
-Work closely with delivery functions (Infoterra entities) in ensuring successful execution of projects, allowing complete tracking of engagement against business parameters.
-Development and implementation of Infoterra Group’s regional sales strategy
-Analysis and monitoring of the competitive environment and market research
-Representation of Infoterra Group at trade fairs, symposia and regional events
-Building and maintaining a network of public and private customer contacts and partners in the region
-Pro-active cooperation with Infoterra entities vertical market sales and expert team leading to contract signature, and after-sales support
-Optimization of group internal marketing and sales processes
-Office location: initially at one of the EADS/Astrium/Infoterra sites in Europe, in a next step at an appropriate place in the region, preferable attached to EADS International offices.

Required skills
Preferably you will have a strong background in GIS/IT plus Geo-information market domain experience, gained by working on the job, supplemented either by commercial experience, ideally of GIS solutions and services, or a sound knowledge of the application of GIS in a given domain (either of Remote Sensing/Cartography/Cadastre/Agriculture/Risk/Surveillance and Reconnaissance).

You should have solid experience of selling solutions to major clients in your particular sector.

You personal skills include:
-Being self motivated with the ability to work with minimal direct supervision to achieve demanding targets
-Strong communication and team working skills to build partnerships with colleagues in a complex matrix and international organization (and with clients alike).
-Fluent in English and (Spanish for Latin America, Russian for Eastern Europe, French for Africa)
-Social and intercultural competence
-University degree in Business, Engineering, Geography or related science (or equivalent work experience)

Application
In case of interest, please send your application (cover letter and curriculum vitae) to
Lydie Laloum:lydie.laloum@astrium.eads.net

Market Sector Manager

As a business division of Astrium Services, Infoterra Group is a leading provider of geo-information products and services for managing the development, environment and security of our changing world. Infoterra Group is a federation of fully owned SME companies in France, Germany, Spain, Hungary and the United Kingdom. The group also owns major shareholding in others GIS related companies, including Spot Image. Infoterra Group customers include international companies, national, regional and local governments and authorities throughout Europe, and worldwide.

Infoterra operates across a comprehensive range of markets – communications, environment, security, agriculture, defense, oil & gas exploration and many more. Furthermore, Infoterra holds the exclusive commercial exploitation rights for the German radar satellite TerraSAR-X, and plays a leading role in Geo-Information Services within the European GMES Initiative of EC and ESA.
In 2008 Infoterra is implementing an Export Directorate on group level to strengthen our success in regional markets as complement to the vertical market approach of Infoterra entities.
In this frame we are earliest looking for a

Market Sector Manager
for addressing global player companies using Geo-Information to do their core business
(e.g. Infrastructure builders, Oil, Gas & Mining Companies).

Job
Taking ownership of key accounts (private global companies) whose core business require vast need for geo-information (eg; mapping campaign for road construction), the successful candidate will identify, prioritize and pursue new and existing opportunities up to order booking.

Roles require ability to quickly understand new technologies and business models and be able to evaluate their relevance to client’s vision.

Likewise, you will be expected to generate own ideas and initiatives that capitalise on existing and prospective strengths (both within Infoterra entities and external partners) to drive substantive, additional benefit to clients. You will play an integral role in the success of the Group and be specifically responsible for:

-Delivering over-target order results
-Managing named key account(s) for new business and mining existing opportunities
-Developing strong relationships with clients leading to deep understanding of their products and long-term business strategies
-Work closely with delivery functions (Infoterra entities) in ensuring successful execution of projects, allowing complete tracking of engagement against business parameters.
-Development and implementation of Infoterra Group’s sales strategy
-Analysis and monitoring of the competitive environment and market research
-Representation of Infoterra Group at trade fairs, symposia and regional events
-Building and maintaining a network of public and private customer contacts and partners in the region
-Pro-active cooperation with Infoterra entities vertical market sales and expert team leading to contract signature, and after-sales support
-Optimization of group internal marketing and sales processes
-Office location: initially at one of the EADS/Astrium/Infoterra sites in Europe.

Required skills
Preferably you will have a strong background in Geo-information market domain experience, gained by working on the job, supplemented either by commercial experience, ideally of GIS solutions and services, or a sound knowledge of the application of GIS in one of the “global player” domain (either of Oil&Gas/Mining/Infrastructure).

You should have solid experience of selling solutions to major clients in your particular sector.

You personal skills include:
-Being self motivated with the ability to work with minimal direct supervision to achieve demanding targets
-Strong communication and team working skills to build partnerships with colleagues in a complex matrix and international organization (and with clients alike).
-Fluent in English
-Social and intercultural competence
-University degree in Business, Engineering, Geography or related science (or equivalent work experience)

Application
In case of interest, please send your application (cover letter and curriculum vitae ) to
Lydie Laloum:lydie.laloum@astrium.eads.net

Export Back-Office Manager

As a business division of Astrium Services, Infoterra Group is a leading provider of geo-information products and services for managing the development, environment and security of our changing world. Infoterra Group is a federation of fully owned SME companies in France, Germany, Spain, Hungary and the United Kingdom. The group also owns major shareholding in others GIS related companies, including Spot Image. Infoterra Group customers include international companies, national, regional and local governments and authorities throughout Europe, and worldwide.

Infoterra operates across a comprehensive range of markets – communications, environment, security, agriculture, defense, oil & gas exploration and many more. Furthermore, Infoterra holds the exclusive commercial exploitation rights for the German radar satellite TerraSAR-X, and plays a leading role in Geo-Information Services within the European GMES Initiative of EC and ESA.
In 2008 Infoterra is implementing an Export Directorate on group level to strengthen our success in regional markets as complement to the vertical market approach of Infoterra entities.

In this frame we are earliest looking for a

Export Back-Office Manager
for the administration and control of all regional sales and market sector activities of Infoterra Group

Job
-Development and implementation and supervision of all group level export sales processes
(F&C, export internal communication, meetings, reporting)
-Building and maintaining a network of export stakeholders in Infoterra, Astrium and EADS
-Pro-active cooperation with and support of Infoterra regional sales managers, entities sales and expert team during acquisition, proposal preparation, and after-sales
-Editor of Infoterra Group Export Handbook
-Optimization of group internal marketing and sales processes
-Office location will be at Infoterra GmbH site in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Required skills
-Highly motivated team player with emphasis on loyalty
-University degree in Business, Engineering, Geography or related science
-First international business experience appreciated but not required
-Good negotiation and presentation skills
-Fluent in English, German of French appreciated but not required
-Social and intercultural competence

Application
In case of interest, please send your application (cover letter and curriculum vitae ) to
Lydie Laloum:lydie.laloum@astrium.eads.net

Japan: The priority has been how research funds should be invested, but the standout characteristic for fiscal 2008’s budget looks to be returning benefits of research back to society.

Since the mid-1990s, when Japan set a goal of becoming a world leader in science and technology, budgets for that purpose have been lavishly appropriated. The priority has been how research funds should be invested, but the standout characteristic for fiscal 2008’s budget looks to be returning benefits of research back to society.

The fiscal 2008 budget for science and technology is about 3.57 trillion yen, an increase of about 60 billion yen, or 1.7 percent, from fiscal 2007. Since the enactment of the Science and Technology Basic Law in 1995, the government has formulated a science and technology basic plan every five years and has appropriated budgets guided by these plans.

Even during times of penny-pinching, budgets for science and technology have been treated preferentially as “investments for tomorrow.” But starting in fiscal 2004, they saw slight year-on-year declines. This means the fiscal 2008 turnaround comes as a boon to researchers and others in the field. But when looking at the content of the appropriations, things are a bit different, because the Cabinet Office in charge of such budgets has changed the way it tabulates such budgets.

Take the appropriations for space development. Conventionally, spending for the development of satellites and rockets was a major chunk of these appropriations. But starting with the fiscal 2008 budget, tabulations also heavily factored in fields of application.

This includes spending on images taken by foreign Earth observation satellites for research purposes. Other cases include spending for research and publication of patented technologies.

“We want to change the public’s concept of science and technology investment,” a Cabinet Office official said.

In the first basic plan for fiscal 1996-2000, the government allotted about 18 trillion yen over a broad scope of research, much of which was denounced as pork-barrel spending. Given this, the second basic plan for fiscal 2001-05 called for intensive investment in specific research fields, creating different levels of investment between favored and unfavored areas. The third five-year plan, starting in fiscal 2006, gives a detailed list of investments in such classifications as “state key technology” and “science and technology with strategic importance,” but still presents a blurry overall impression.

In fiscal 2008, the third year of the third basic plan, the government aims to boost support for science and technology investment by strongly calling for technological developments to yield returns to society.

There has been a trend in research to only announce achievements that are covered in research papers or get patents, a Cabinet Office official pointed out. Masuo Aizawa, a member of the Council for Science and Technology Policy, said: “There’s no science and technology that is just for science and technology’s sake. It benefits society, and there should be a system to help science and technology benefit society.”

To do this, it is necessary to reform approaches toward research.

“Japan’s research and development of technology for robots is splendid, but to apply such technology to household chores and medical treatment, it’s necessary to take a comprehensive approach involving the cooperation of various fields,” one expert said. This means it is essential to establish a flexible system free of the shackles of organizational interests and to also fund it well.

As a first step in that direction, the government has put forth a policy of financially supporting a project by Kyoto University Prof. Shinya Yamanaka, who announced in December that his team had successfully produced induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. His request for full support was given an immediate response.

A new strategy of using science and technology for diplomacy also has emerged. Starting in fiscal 2008, the Foreign Ministry and the Education, Science and Technology Ministry will provide cooperation in science and technology to developing countries by using official development assistance and other means. This is a deliberate departure from the image of ODA being mostly for constructing roads and bridges.

While it may appear otherwise, the government is having trouble landing all of the 24 trillion yen targeted in the whole of the third basic plan.

There are a host of problems that cannot be resolved by the aforementioned measures. For example, budget allocations to cover state universities’ fundamental expenses for education and research have been decreasing annually. Such budgets for fiscal 2008 are set to be cut by about 23 billion yen, or 1.9 percent, from the previous fiscal year. Another problem is the difficulty young researchers are having landing jobs after finishing doctorate courses.

Work on the fourth basic plan will begin in fiscal 2008. The plan must be studied steadily from the viewpoint of future benefits to society while also conducting fact-finding surveys and collecting opinions from researchers.

GeoVille supports CORINE land cover implementation in the West Balkan countries

GeoVille Group is formed of Austrian and Luxembourg based service companies specialising in geoinformation, earth observation and environmental applications.

Since mid 2007, GeoVille is Europe’s leading “SME” in the field of satellite based land monitoring applications and has been rewarded with the “Definiens-GMES-Award” for innovative land cover mapping applications.

In the second half of 2007 GeoVille Environmental Services Sàrl signed a contract with the European Environment Agency to implement CLC2006 in the West Balkan countries. GeoVille is responsible for project management and implements together with two European Topic Centre partners the training, verification and acceptance of the CLC2006 update for Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

The interpretation of land cover changes in Albania is performed by GeoVille Information Services GmbH in collaboration with local experts.

For the first time ever CORINE will be complemented by a high resolution urban layer based on SPOT-MS and IRS-LISS data covering 38 European countries. In this pan-European land cover mapping project GeoVille is responsible for mapping 12 countries, for training the consortium partners and acts as thematic and scientific advisor to the consortium.


Start Date End Date Event Web Venue
15-jan-08 16-jan-08 Information day on ESA integrated Applications Promotion Initiative (IAP) web Brussels, Belgium
16-jan-08 17-jan-08 Workshop for the Earth Science Community web Frascati, Italy
21-jan-08 24-jan-08 Second International Conference on Cartography web Borovets, Bulgaria
21-jan-08 24-jan-08 DGI Europe 2008 web London, UK
21-jan-08 24-jan-08 International Conference cartography web Borovets,
Bulgaria
21-jan-08 25-jan-08 SeaSAR 2008 web Frascati, Italy
27-jan-08 30-jan-08 GIS Ostrava 2008 web Ostrava, Czech Republic
07-jan-08 25-apr-08 Postgraduate course: EO and GIS- Integrated Water Resources web Nairobi,
Kenya
06-feb-08 07-feb-08 Interoperability: Key to International Business web Warsaw, Poland
06-feb-08 08-feb-08 Map India 2008 web New Delhi, India
11-feb-08 13-feb-08 EARSeL:Remote Sensing of Snow and Glaciers: Changing Climate – Changing Cryosphere web Bern, Switzerland
18-feb-08 21-feb-08 International Congress on Geomatic & Surveying Engineering web Valencia, Spain
19-feb-08 20-feb-08 Intergeo-East 2008 web Belgrade, Serbia
19-feb-08 21-feb-08 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit web Munich, Germany
20-feb-08 22-feb-08 EuroSDR und ISPRS-Workshop “Geosensor Networks” web Hannover, Germany
21-feb-08 22-feb-08 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit web Denver, Colorado USA
20-feb-08 22-feb-08 ISU: Space solutions to Earth´s global challenges web Strasburg, France
20-feb-08 22-feb-08 Spatial data Infrastructure web Augustine,Trinidad
25-feb-08 29-feb-08 Spatial data Infrastructure web Augustine,Trinidad
28-feb-08 29-feb-08 Cities Revealed Event 2008 web Cambridge,UK
04-mar-08 05-mar-08 ESA-EUSC 2008 Conference: Image Information Mining web Frascati, Italy
05-mar-08 07-mar-08 EARSeL:New Challenges of High Resolution Remote Sensing web Bochum,
Germany
09-mar-08 12-mar-08 GITA Annual Conference web Seattle,
USA
10-mar-08 11-mar-08 RSPSoc Annual Student Meeting 2008 web New Forest, UK
10-mar-08 11-mar-08 Local and regional risk management. Integrated use of satellite information and services web Sinaïa, Romania
11-mar-08 14-mar-08 Geotech 2008 web Moscow,Russia
16-mar-08 19-mar-08 EARSeL 6TH SIG Imaging Spectroscopy Workshop web Tel-Aviv,
Israel
19-mar-08 19-mar-08 EARSC:Is GMES an opportunity for the service industry? web Brussels, Belgium
08-apr-08 10-apr-08 Geo-evenement 2008 web Paris, France
09-apr-08 10-apr-08 GEO-8, GIS Innovations and World of Geomatics web Conventry, United Kingdom
16-apr-08 18-apr-08 2nd International Conference Remote Sensing – the Synergy of High Technologies web Moscow Region, Russia
16-apr-08 18-apr-08 Disaster Management 2008 Exhibition & Conference web Maidan, India
22-apr-08 25-apr-08 Toulouse Space Show web Toulouse,
France
22-apr-08 25-apr-08 NeoGeography XXI-2008 web Moscow, Russia
27-apr-08 02-may-08 ASPRS 2008 Annual Conference web Portland, OR,USA
29-apr-08 30-apr-08 AED-SICAD European Utility Forum 2008 web Vienna, Austria
29-apr-08 01-may-08 1Spatial 2008 Conference web Stansted Airport, UK
06-may-08 08-may-08 11th AGILE 2008 Conference on GI Science web Girona, Spain
14-may-08 16-may-08 GMES conference: “Bridging the gap”-TBC web Portrose, Slovenia
21-may-08 23-may-08 MapWorld 2008 web Las Vegas, U.S.A
02-jun-08 05-jun-08 Intergraph 2008 – Int’l Users Conference web Las Vegas, U.S.A
02-jun-08 06-jun-08 28th EARSeL Symposium and Workshops: “Remote Sensing for a Changing Europe” web Istanbul,
Turkey
23-jun-08 25-jun-08 Spatial Data Handling Conference 2008 web Montpellier, France
24-jun-08 26-jun-08 INTERCARTOINTERGIS 14 web Saratov, Russia
01-jul-08 04-jul-08 GI Forum 2008 web Salzbug University, Austria
03-jul-08 11-jul-08 ISPRS 2008 web Beijing, China
07-jul-08 11-jul-08 IGARSS 2008 web Boston, MA, USA
13-jul-08 20-jul-08 COSPAR 2008 web Montreal, Canada
21-jul-08 25-jul-08 GeoWeb 2008 web Vancouver, Canada
04-aug-08 08-aug-08 ESRI UC 2008 web San Diego, CA, USA
25-aug-08 29-aug-08 International Disaster and Risk Conference web Davos, Switzerland
08-sep-08 11-sep-08 SPIE´s Europe Remote Sensing Symposium web London, UK
08-sep-08 11-sep-08 10th International Symposium on High Mountain Remote Sensing Cartography web Kathmandu, Nepal
15-sep-08 17-sep-08 RSPSoc Annual Conference 2008 web Exeter, UK
16-sep-08 18-sep-08 GMES conference “The operational phase”-TBC web Lille,
France
17-sep-08 19-sep-08 GEO India 2008 web New Delhi, India
22-sep-08 24-sep-08 EARSeL: Remote Sensing Techniques in Disaster Management and Emergency Response in the Mediterranean Region web Zadar,
Croatia
29-sep-08 03-oct-08 Free and Open Source Geospatial 2008 (FOSS4G2008) web Cape Town, South Africa
30-sep-08 30-sep-08 5th ESA/EC joint Space Council-TBC web Brussels,
Belgium
30-sep-08 02-oct-08 Intergeo 2008 web Bremen, Germany
06-oct-08 10-oct-08 19th Ocean Optics Conference web Barga, Italy
07-oct-08 09-oct-08 EuNavTec, 1th International Specialist Trade Fair for Satelite Navigation web Dresden, Germany
07-oct-08 10-oct-08 The 46th Annual Conference of the Urband and Regional Information Systems Association web New Orleans, U.S.A.
27-oct-08 31-oct-08 7th International Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE)-2008 web Accra, Ghana
08-oct-08 09-oct-08 10th International Symposium on High Mountain Remote Sensing Cartography web Kathmandu, Nepal
25-nov-08 26-nov-08 ESA Council meeting at ministerial level web The Hague,
Netherlands
02-dec-08 02-dec-08 GEO Expo China web Shanghai, China

Commission in December 1992 in order to improve the monitoring of the economic performance of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe. Its task is to provide information on SMEs to policy-makers, researchers, economists and SMEs themselves.

2007 Observatory survey

This latest Observatory survey was carried out end of 2006 and early 2007 in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU), as well as in Norway, Iceland and Turkey – in the countries participating in the Multiannual Programme for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship. It included for the first time large-scaled enterprises (employing at least 250 persons) in its sample, to allow an identification of the specific performances, behaviours and problems of SMEs. Altogether, 16 339 SMEs (17 283 enterprises in total) were interviewed. The survey was primarily enquiring general characteristics of firms active in the countries surveyed, perceptions on business constraints, competition and human resources problems and data on internationalisation and innovation.

In this way, it provides an empirical foundation for the design of SME policies – which are one of the key components of the revised Lisbon Strategy – at the national and the EU level.

The main findings are:

1. Exports

Fewer than one in ten EU SMEs (8%) reported turnover from exports, which is significantly lower than the respective share of large enterprises (28%). The main export obstacle for SMEs is the lack of knowledge of foreign markets (13% of exporting SMEs mentioned this as their prime obstacle), followed by import tariffs in destination countries and the lack of capital (both 9%).

2. Relocation/subsidiaries abroad

Only 5% of EU SMEs have reported that they have subsidiaries or joint ventures abroad. These foreign business partnerships seem to have a positive direct impact on employment in the home countries of EU SMEs: 49% of the involved SMEs confirmed that their partnership does not affect employment in their home country, while 18% reported that it increases and 3% that it decreases their respective employment in the home country. The main reason for SMEs to invest abroad is the geographic proximity as supplier to other enterprises.

3. Strategies against increasing competition

While two thirds of SMEs in the EU believe that competition in their markets has increased over the past two years, the primary strategy of SMEs to face increasing competition is the improvement of product quality; increasing working hours, looking for new markets abroad, and especially cutting production are seen as last resort strategies.

4. Innovation: New products in enterprise portfolio

About 3 in 10 SMEs indicated that they have new products or that they do have income from new products. The share of SMEs which reported innovations is higher in the old EU Member States than in the new Member States.

5. Barriers to innovation

SMEs regard four factors as constituting equally important barriers to innovation: problems in access to finance, scarcity of skilled labour, a lack of market demand and the high cost of human resources.

6. Energy efficiency

Comprehensive systems for energy efficiency are much less in place in SMEs (4%) than in large enterprises (19%); the same applies for simple measures to save energy, which are used by 30% of SMEs but 46% of large enterprises.

7. Dependency from regional markets

The survey confirms that SMEs (89%) are much more dependant on the regional labour market than large enterprises (77%).

8. Availability of an appropriate workforce

More than half of SME managers said that they have recruitment problems. A primary problem is the availability of an appropriate workforce; excessive wage demands are a relatively distant second issue. Finding and hiring the appropriate workforce is a challenge for many SMEs in the EU. Especially in the new Member States, a significant number of jobs remain unfilled.

9. Administrative regulations

Beyond the limitations of the demand side, the most important individual business constraint reported by SMEs is the compliance with administrative regulations; 36% of EU SMEs reported that this issue constrained their business activities over the past two years. This judgement is linked to the appraisal that 44% of SMEs consider themselves as operating in an over-regulated environment. Furthermore, SMEs perceive an overall deterioration in terms of administrative regulations.

More info and documets at
EUROPA

New ways to monitor the Earth’s ailing health will top the menu this week at a gathering of ministers and officials from over 100 governments and international bodies in Cape Town.

The three-day meeting starting Wednesday and organised by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) will review progress in the global integration of national environmental monitoring systems.

“Concerned that climate change, deforestation, desertification, water scarcity and other human-induced pressures risk causing an environmental collapse, governments are collaborating through the (GEO) to secure comprehensive and near-real-time information about changes in the Earth’s land, oceans, atmosphere and biosphere,” said a statement by the GEO secretariat.

“This will be achieved by interlinking the world’s ocean buoys, weather stations, satellites and other Earth observation instruments into one fully coordinated system.”

The resulting GEO System of Systems (GEOSS) should enable countries to reduce their vulnerability to environmental change and disasters and improve their management of agricultural, energy and other resources.

The meeting will assess 100 “early achievements” in a ten-year plan running to 2015, the statementsaid.

These include the first steps towards a global drought early warning system and the introduction of daily fire danger maps for Africa.

“Climate change cuts across and encompasses many other issues, including disaster management, biodiversity loss, food security, and emerging health risks,” said Jose Achache, director of the GEO secretariat.

“Adapting to these expected impacts will require sophisticated environmental intelligence on how the Earth system responds to both climate change and adaptation policies.”

The GEO meeting would be attended by representatives of 72 national governments, the European Commission and 46 international organsiations.

It opens a few days before a UN Climate Change Conference on the Indonesian island of Bali.

“The GEOSS will revolutionise the way decision-makers craft both national and international policy,” said Achache.

“This emerging public infrastructure could prove as essential to economic and social progress in the 21st century as new transport and communications systems were in the 20th.”

Earlier this month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its starkest warning yet on global warming, saying no country would be spared its “abrupt or irreversible” impact.

It warned that global average surface temperatures could rise by between 1,1$deg;C and 6,4°C by 2100, and sea levels by at least 18 centimetres.

Heatwaves, rainstorms, tropical cyclones and surges in sea level would become more frequent, more widespread and more intense, the group said.

More info at GEO

Integrated use of satellite information and services. Case studies and best practice. 10 – 11 March 2008 – Sinaia, Romania.

In recent years, natural or man-made risks for population, property and environment have become increasingly complex given factors such as demographics, urbanisation, industrial activity, climate change and the more recent menace of terrorist attacks on a global scale.

Local and Regional Authorities, thanks to their proximity to citizens and their knowledge of local terrain, are often in a best position to provide emergency planning and response. As underlined1 by the Committee of Regions (CoR), “local and regional governments constitute an important structural and organisational model framework for modern and effective civil protection in Europe”. Moreover, resource pooling, interregional coordination and mutual assistance within the EU and beyond for more efficient management of emergencies is required. This is reflected, for example, in the implementation of the EU Civil Protection Action Programme2 and the Civil Protection Financial Instrument.

At the same time, a range of innovative technological solutions and tools for dealing with these risks have become available, which, used in an integrated manner can help Regions improve their prevention and response action plans. Indeed, they can help to correctly identify and assess vulnerabilities, to efficiently mobilise resources and coordinate operations in case of emergencies. Quite often, the considerable impact of such disasters implies a need for substantial efforts in rebuilding essential infrastructure within the affected communities. Such solutions can also be used in the emergency aftercare and recovery process. Among them, satellite based information and services provide particularly efficient tools for regions.

The aim of this workshop is to provide a forum for regions to exchange know-how, best-practices, and lessons learned in integrating and using satellite information and services in their management systems for the mitigation, preparation and response to emergencies (floods, fires, earthquakes, landslides, oil spills, public health issues, industrial accidents, etc.). This will not only be an opportunity to disseminate information on strategies that work, but also one for local and regional authorities to identify how their respective capacities for emergency planning and response are complementary, to increase co-operation, and lay grounds for future interregional projects.

In addition to structural issues, non-structural ones (national and EU policies, financial and cooperation mechanisms, insurance issues, etc.), will be discussed in the presence of stakeholders, EU and national decision-makers as well as participants from the private sector.

Practical Details

-Target Audience: Local and Regional Authorities involved in emergency and risk management, experts, policy-makers, representatives of the private sector, institutions interested in regional policy.
-Format: End-user presentations by representatives of local and regional authorities, Round Tables
-Venue: Sinaia, Romania
-Working language: English
-Registration: Registration is already open. See separate Registration Form which is also available on Eurisy Website.

For further information, please contact Eurisy
94 bis Avenue de Suffren– 75015 Paris, France
Tel. + 33 (0) 1 47 34 00 79 – fax : + 33 (0) 1 47 34 01 59
romania2008@eurisy.org