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Can more rigorous Quality Assurance (QA) and uncertainty evaluation of the EO end-to-end supply chain play a role in increasing the uptake and overall value/benefit of EO based products and services? And could this be further enhanced by the creation of some form of ‘certification’. This workshop should explore existing insufficiencies, roles and responsibilities of various actors along the chain, opportunities for improvement and a road map for implementation.

Register to the workshop here: https://goo.gl/forms/A4m2TU9MX5RlLdup2

Context and Background:
The EO services sector is changing very rapidly. New data sources, cloud storage and processing, artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies are all dramatically altering the businesses working in the sector. New entrants are challenging the established players and many new services and business models are emerging. There is a clear trend to on-line services which was confirmed by the EARSC “MAEOS” survey of stakeholders and during a recent workshop held by EARSC.

The digital societal trend is to throw new products and services out there and promote them for users to pick up and exploit. Whilst this works for consumers who prefer to pay less but with uncertain quality, it is less clear that it will work in the business-to-business or business to government markets where quality has a higher value and may in the former case, if left unchecked, ultimately lead to damage for the market as a whole.

In this context, we need to consider if a QA system facilitating more rigorous assessment and more comprehensive/consistent reporting of quality metrics at all stages of the data/information production process is in practise an enabler of market growth? Not only does it remove the need for costly, often duplicated QA, at the various stages of product development it also removes a potential barrier to free and open competition by enabling informed customer choice. A European led QA system, potentially underpinned by a formal certification schema could provide competitive advantage for early adopters as they seek to address needs of discerning (risk/high value/public sector) customers and their intermediaries.

Quality assurance should demonstrate that the data are consistent with their claimed performance and contain enough information to allow them to readily assessed for their ‘fitness for purpose’. Data integrity will play a key role: at the highest level, data integrity is taken to mean “a measure of confidence in the data, arrived at by characterising and monitoring quality at specific points along the production and dissemination chain”. Data Integrity (DI) includes the analysis of:

- Quantitative ‘traceable’ error/uncertainty information contained within the data and its basis;
- Data quality – based on the documented and accessible results of routine Quality Control checks and calibration and validation activities;
- Data accuracy – based on specialised data evaluation and comparison exercises;
- Data availability – considering the length, coverage and operational scenario of each mission and the performance of data production within the ground segment;
- Data accessibility – considering data policy issues and the practical implications of accessing data;
- Data provenance – considering the origin, evolution and status (e.g. uncertainty evaluation) of the algorithms and processes applied to the data.

All of the above will contribute towards an overall view of the data’s fitness for purpose for a given application.

On data provider side, in the context of QA4EO (Quality assurance framework for earth observation, http://qa4eo.org/ developed by international consensus in the context of CEOS), previous work has been carried out by ESA with the support of National Metrology Institute (NMI like National Physical laboratory in UK). In particular, the process related to quantitative error/uncertainty estimates for core EO products was discussed in a workshop at ESA on 24/25 October 2017: Workshop on Uncertainties in Remote Sensing. Click here ESA has also initiated support activities through its FRM series of projects and is looking to build on QA initiatives developed in the context of the ESA CCI program and also pioneered in EU projects such as QA4ECV, GAIA-CLIM and FIDUCEO.

On the service side, previous work on this carried out by Hollidge Consulting Limited (IE) on behalf of ESA and EARSC has firstly focused on:

1. Management process where a dedicated scheme was introduced to streamline or prepare for full ISO9000 certification and the concept of the ‘Product Specification’ introduced for EOP Products

2. Some initial thinking around product certification including consultation with user communities on their interests. A product certification scheme has been investigated as a result.
Two workshops were held to test and consult on the proposed scheme; in April 2013 which initiated the work and a second one in November 2014. The latter was held in co-operation with the International Oil & Gas Producers Association; one of the key user sectors with an expressed interest in certification and this exchange will be further expanded in this workshop.

During these discussions, a clear need to provide “certified” quality information for the complete EO end-to-end chain has been expressed.

In a parallel activity NPL is also leading a program of work to establish a QA framework for the Copernicus climate change service.

The workshop will look to build upon this current basis, as outlined above, in conjunction with key stakeholders from the risk sensitive and high commercial value sectors, but will also encourage input from other public and private sectors as well as service providers and developers , . The main goal will be to gather the views of the various stakeholders and to establish what next steps in QA, Uncertainty evaluation and reporting and/or certification would be perceived advantageous for them (if any).

Stakeholders:

Three communities of stakeholders should be involved:
• EO service companies
• Suppliers to the EO service companies i.e. data suppliers, satellite operators
• Clients of the EO service companies i.e. users.*

Each element of the supply chain should be explored. The workshop should look at:
• What is wanted by the EO Service Companies from the suppliers of satellite data and/or lower level products
• What is expected by end users/customers
• What requirements do EO Service Companies place on themselves with respect to quality (Approaches to product output validation and the proof of product/service performance vs. claims)
• What level and nature of governance if any should be implemented
Size and Location

You can register to the event here: https://goo.gl/forms/fMRSfeAcBZ8seMiQ2

The European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) is a trade association based in Brussels. negotiation Primarily a membership focused organisation, EARSC has recently been successful in winning contracts to expand its activities to support the industry which it represents. In consequence we are now seeking a Project Officer to increase the core team.

About EARSC:

EARSC – the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies – is a non-profit trade association working on behalf of the geospatial information services industry in Europe; in particular the EO services sector which comprises companies generating information using satellite imagery. Established 30 years ago, today, EARSC has over 100 members from throughout Europe and is gaining wide recognition as a key actor in the sector.

Of particular importance is the European Union flagship programme, Copernicus. This is offering new opportunities to the sector to help develop a commercial market and new commercial services. EARSC plays a key role as an interlocutor between the industry and the public stakeholders responsible for driving the Copernicus programme.

As well as a lobbying role, EARSC’s main effort is focused on helping to open up and develop the market for the products and services which the companies offer. We seek to understand and develop close links with other sectors in Europe and internationally which are (potential) users of these products and services.

The Role:

The Project Officer will work in a small team out of our office in Brussels. Their duties will include leading or supporting the EARSC activities within the secretariat and specifically those linked to a major European project contributing to global business. It will involve significant interaction with other organisations throughout Europe and requires initiative and innovation.

The job will include a certain amount of travel, mainly inside Europe, with much activity being focused around Brussels and the European institutions which are strong influencers for our technology and its markets.

The position will offer a variety of work and represents an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience of working with EU bodies from an industry perspective. Suitable support will be given to the candidate by senior members of the team and there is significant possibility to shape the job to suit the skills of the person recruited.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will be responsible for:
• Co-ordinating a small team working on a key European project aiming to support companies and entrepreneurs (start-ups) develop their businesses
• Co-ordinating access to specialist expertise on markets, finance, technical and legal matters
• Ensuring the co-ordination with other project partners working to develop pilot applications
• Working with experts across Europe to evaluate proposals for new pilots
• Supporting young companies in their early growth stages
• Mapping European resources available to help the new businesses grow

Qualifications:
• A relevant university degree plus several years of experience
• Business knowledge preferably with direct business experience
• Excellent level of spoken and written English. Other languages are an advantage
Further qualities:
• Evidence of creative thinking and innovation; ability to take initiatives
• An ability to network and build good working relationships
• Ability to perform research tasks using both Internet tools and other direct methods.

Candidates are invited to submit their CV together with a letter of motivation to EARSC at info@earsc.org.

The European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) is a trade association based in Brussels. Primarily a membership focused organisation, EARSC has recently been successful in winning contracts to expand its activities to support the industry which it represents. Some of these contracts involve the development of digital tools to achieve these ends. In consequence we are now seeking a Product Manager to increase the core team.

About EARSC:
EARSC – the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies – is a non-profit trade association working on behalf of the geospatial information services industry in Europe; in particular the EO services sector which comprises companies generating information using satellite imagery. Established 30 years ago, today, EARSC has over 100 members from throughout Europe and is gaining wide recognition as a key actor in the sector.

Of particular importance is the European Union flagship programme, Copernicus. This is offering new opportunities to the sector to help develop a commercial market and new commercial services. EARSC plays a key role as an interlocutor between the industry and the public stakeholders responsible for driving the Copernicus programme.

As well as a lobbying role, EARSC’s main effort is focused on helping to open up and develop the market for the products and services which the companies offer. We seek to understand and develop close links with other sectors in Europe and internationally which are (potential) users of these products and services.

The Role:
The Product Manager will work in a small team out of our office in Brussels. Their duties will include leading or supporting the EARSC activities within the secretariat specifically associated with digital tools to support our members, particularly eoMALL, a digital marketplace currently under development through which companies can offer their on-line services. Leading the development of this product will involve significant interaction with other organisations throughout Europe and requires initiative and innovation. This will require a blend of technical understanding and ‘soft’ skills to ensure that the resulting software meets user needs.

The job will include a certain amount of travel mainly inside Europe with much activity being focused around Brussels and the European institutions which are strong influencers for our technology and its markets.

The position will offer a variety of work and represents an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience of working with EU bodies from an industry perspective. Suitable support will be given to the candidate by senior members of the team and there is significant possibility to shape the job to suit the skills of the person recruited.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include:
• Working with the platform developers to tune the platform and make it attractive to both EO service providers and their clients
• Promoting the value offered by the site towards potential users
• Attracting additional service providers to offer their services through the marketplace
• Supporting development activities with digital insights surrounding on-line services
• Liaising with other project teams to create new features for the Marketplace responding to their specific needs

Qualifications:
• A relevant university degree plus several years of experience
• Business knowledge preferably with direct business experience
• Excellent level of spoken and written English. Other languages are an advantage

Further qualities:

• Evidence of creative thinking and innovation; ability to take initiatives
• Knowledge of digital marketplaces or commercial internet services
• An ability to network and build good working relationships
• Ability to perform research tasks using both Internet tools and other direct methods

Candidates are invited to submit their CV together with a letter of motivation to EARSC at info@earsc.org.

The IDEEO project is funded under the COSME Cluster Go International action. It promotes internationally the use of Earth Observation in different sectors. Join us!

You can register to the event here: https://goo.gl/forms/x7AWuvByYe2e2mio2

Agenda

8h30 – 9h00 Registration & Coffee

9h00 – 9h10 Welcome – EARSC

9h10 – 9h30 EC Perspective on EO sector – Thibaud Delourme

9h30 – 9h50 How does the EC support internationalisation? – Astrid-Christina Koch

9h50 – 10h10 Geoscience Australia – TBD

10h10 – 10h30 Eurochile – Linnet Solvay

10h30 – 10h50 EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation – Fabrizio Mura

10h50 – 11h20 Coffee Break

11h20 – 12h30 Business support services

CEO Javier Echarri – EBN innovation network
– National Trade Promotion Agency

12h30 – 14h00 Lunch & networking

14h00 – 14h20 IDEEO: Internationalising European Earth observation companies

– Phil Monbet – Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique

14h20 – 14h40 ESA perspective and internationalisation support – TBD

14h40 – 17h00 Success stories of international EO companies

– Marc Tondriaux – Terranis
– Tarek Habib – CLS
– Domenico Grandoni – e-GEOS
– Massimo Zotti – Planetek
– Agnieska Lukaszczyk – Planet
– Celestino Gomez – GMV
– Steve Lee – Astrosat
Round-table and Q&A
Networking

Mercator Ocean International and the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) are pleased to invite you to the kick-off event of a partnership signed between the two entities in the context of the Copernicus Programme. The Partnership is the first one of its kind with EARSC in the Copernicus Ecosystem. It will be signed during the 11th European Space Policy Conference, on 22nd January 2019 in Brussels, Belgium.

This partnership envisioned by Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International and Geoff Sawyer, Secretary General of EARSC is meant to foster Copernicus Marine Service’s market and user uptake among a few hundred private companies of the Earth Observation (EO) downstream sector. By boosting the EO sector through the provision of free and open marine data, the partnership will also stimulate the blue growth which is an EU key economic sector with 500 billion € revenue and 5 million jobs.

EARSC will establish an unrivalled channel to reach out to and serve the EO Industry in the EU Pierre Bahurel said.

The European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) is the only European non-profit organization promoting the use of Earth Observation (EO) technology and especially the companies in Europe which offer EO-related products and services. They are a membership based organization with the mission to foster the development of the European EO geoinformation services industry. They are for years an essential pillar of the Copernicus Ecosystem. http://earsc.org/

Contact: rory.donnelly@earsc.org

Mercator Ocean International’s is a WW leading company in Global Ocean Forecasting. The non-profit company, owned by 9 international players in Ocean Science, has been entrusted by the European Commission in 2014 to implement and to operate the EU Copernicus Marine Service. It delivers more than 16 000 subscribers worldwide needing reliable, up to date and free ocean data, information and indicators (science, business, public services, ngo…). Marine.copernicus.eu
https://www.mercator-ocean.fr/en/

Contact: cecile.thomas-courcoux@mercator-ocean.fr

Meet Penta Technology, a Consulting and Software Engineering operating in Italy since 2010, developing cutting-edge ICT solutions that create value and contribute to the improvement of processes and the digital transformation of the client companies.

1) Tell us a bit about the history of your company

Penta Technology was born as a consulting company in the ICT area engaged as a solution and system integrator, gaining considerable experience in the activities of digital & cloud transformation and in the use of systems based on neural networks to support the processes of automatic detection and classification on images. The company’s activities have always been complemented by continuous investment in research and development activities to increase the level of expertise of its team and to find new solutions to the problems of its customers. Three years ago, the shareholders decided to progressively transform the company from a consulting company to a product/solution company, identifying the earth observation sector as a great opportunity, leveraging the more than ten years of experience of some of them on projects in the field of space and earth observation. The idea behind the transformation of the business model was to combine technological expertise in cloud technologies and artificial intelligence sectors with the experience in space-based solutions. At the moment this is a bet on which the company aims to scale quickly in the national and international market in the next years.

2) Describe your services and products

The company’s research and development activities have led to the creation of the EarthAlytics platform, with the paradigm “analytics as a service”, able to offer integrated geoinformation services based on the complete control of the service value chain, from the acquisition and processing of images, in virtual multi-constellation logic and merging together information from optical and radar sensors, then moving on to the extraction of information of interest through the use of a system of convolutional neural networks, capable of recognizing objects, classifying phenomena and creating data fusion with information from IOT sensors or external data streams (for example weather forecasts or data from the customer’s information systems) and finally offering a representation of the information collected through graphical interfaces that are easy to consult or through the use of a cartographic system.

The basic technological solution, the EarthAlytics cloud platform, is then completed with a series of vertical applications, which combine the different internal service blocks, creating solutions for specific business needs of our customers from monitoring water pipes (and critical infrastructure in general) to urban planning, up to innovative solutions to support marketing planning in the retail sector. The last solution in order of time is that relating to new algorithms to support the insurance sector based on the analysis of satellite images.

The application of artificial intelligence, deep learning and big data analysis solutions have allowed us to explore a number of markets not yet fully reached by solutions based on earth observation (not space users) and provide an innovative solution, minimally invasive and quickly usable to solve some problems that customers encounter in their daily activities.
Finally, our position as a solution of analytics allows us to make the customer independent from the knowledge of the problems involved in the processing of satellite images, leaving it to focus on the business application and automatically managing the provisioning of the image with providers in relation to the vertical application needed.

3) What makes you different from other EO companies?

The downstream sector of the earth observation market is showing a strong competitive push, the sector’s startups are rapidly gaining positions compared to traditional players in the same market, still very focused on an image-oriented business model. Our marketing team analyses the competitive scenario on a daily basis and always discovers new competitors with interesting solutions and innovative business models.

Penta Technology has decided to compete in the market segment of Analytics-based solutions, where technology and the ability to provide a vertical solution represent one of the keys to market success. In this segment, we believe that we have a high-performance solution that can adapt very accurately to the needs of our customers. The unique selling proposition of Penta Technology is based on the ability to integrate solutions, which leverages on our background as system integrator, and on the level of service that will always have a specialist, with experience on the technology domain, able to support the customer in the analysis of data and understanding of phenomena.

4) What are your future projects?

Penta Technology has launched a three-year investment programme on the EarthAlytics platform with the aim of making the provisioning of services and the use of vertical applications even easier. The investments will make the platform an open system able to allow customers to build vertical applications independently from the building blocks of the system, combining them dynamically with a system based on rules, to build the solution that best suits the specific needs of the business model. Our goal is to become in the next three years a reference point for geoinformation services based on analytics at European level.

In the near future we will invest heavily in the international development of the business to consolidate the investments in technology, we want to attract the best talent in the field of geoinformation and put them at the service of solutions for our customers.

5) What would be your advice to someone who wants to start their own EO company?

The challenge to enter this market is increasingly complex, with an increasing number of competitors. The suggestion for new entrants is to focus on problem/solution fit, then start from the problems of a specific market segment and build a solution around these problems and, finally, to adopt a lean startup approach, which allows you to constantly validate your solutions with an audience of early adopters. Learning from errors is the best way to succeed in this market.

For more information about Penta Technology visit their website: http://www.pentatechnology.it/

CybELE, short for Cyber Environmental Law Enforcement, was announced as the overall winner on the 4th December 2018 night at the Copernicus Masters Awards Ceremony in Marseille, France.

The competition awards outstanding ideas and applications using Earth observation data to tackle environmental challenges faced by society.

CybELE has been honoured twice within this year’s Copernicus Masters B2B and Overall Winner Awards. CybELE solution aims to use satellite data to empower experts, especially in the private sector (law firms and insurance), with the management of their legal environmental cases.

Indeed, environmental crime, such as illegal landfill and forestry crimes, is a growing problem worldwide and an expensive one as well. At a global scale, environmental crime increases by an average of 5-7 % annually. Following an increase of 26% in 2014, it is estimated that in 2016 alone, environmental crimes incurred a global cost of between $91 billion and $258 billion.

To solve this problem, CybELE provides quick access to environmental crime reports for law firms and insurance companies. Saving time and money usually spent on research, the reports constitute crucial evidence of infringement of environmental laws and assess the cost of environmental damage.

The reports are based on an analysis of satellite data notably from Sentinels-1, -2, -3 and -5. They are drafted in a comprehensive manner to constitute a crucial evidential basis in the frame of judicial proceedings like litigation or dispute settlement.

The service finally enables companies or their clients to alleviate time and money consuming research required to support their cases. The reports are also improving the legal predictability of environmental cases and strengthen the client’s environmental claims.
ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Josef Aschbacher, said, “Copernicus is Europe’s route to the future and it is the most ambitious Earth observation programme ever conceived.

“CybELE demonstrates its potential by using data from all active Copernicus Sentinels to optimise the management of legal environmental cases.”

“With applications like this, it is clear that the Copernicus Masters drive innovative use of Earth observation data and make the Copernicus programme accessible to new user groups.”

Introduction and demonstration of SAR interferometry services for monitoring of transport infrastructure has been selected as the best project funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic in the Governance category.

Capabilities of SAR interferometry (InSAR) were demonstrated to the Czech Road and Motorway Directorate on multiple highway bridges in the Czech Republic. Pilots have been conducted in the framework of applied research project funded by the BETA Programme of Public procurement in research, experimental development and innovation for the government and the pre-operational feasibility studies were funded by the Czech Road and Motorway Directorate.


Mr. Jan Kolomaznik, project manager of GISAT, takes the Best Czech Applied Research Project Award from Mr. Andrej Babis, the Czech Prime Minister (right), and Mr. Petr Konvalinka, the Chairperson of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (left).

Interferometric deformation model considered complex construction behaviour assuming both linear displacements and cyclic thermal dilations as a result of temperature fluctuations. Various deformation behaviours were detected for different bridges and parts of their construction as a result of variability of bridge constructions, structural stability and orientation. The most notable deformations were detected especially in areas of bridge closures, which generally suffer from high subsidence rates resulting from compaction of subsoil material. These deformations affect adjoining parts of bridge construction and require regular monitoring followed by corrective measures (e.g. rectifications). Furthermore, it has been proved that both these subsidence and uplift deformations resulting from subsoil swelling can be also monitored indirectly by detecting displacements of supporting walls and noise barriers attached to the road body.


Cross-validation of InSAR results obtained by analysis of Sentinel-1 (left) and VHR SAR (right). D1-433 bridge, Czech Republic

Apart from demonstration cases comprehensive methodology for feasibility assessment of transport infrastructure InSAR based monitoring was prepared. In addition, suitable Artificial Corner Reflectors (ACRs) were designed, manufactured and installed as the attachment to bridge construction in compliance to requirements of the Directorate and applicable legal scope.

In the frame of this research project Gisat has introduced the methodology aiming at provision of common framework for selection of interferometric data and methods in support of subsidence and deformation risk monitoring within the transportation sector by means of persistent scatterers interferometry. Development of sustainable services based on InSAR approach shall provide temporally-rich information and cost-effective tools supporting early detection of potential risks and threads related to operation of transportation infrastructure in the Czech Republic.

About Gisat:

Gisat provides wide range of geoinformation services based on Earth Observation technology. It focuses on operational application of satellite mapping to monitor various aspects of our environment and development of dedicated web based platforms for geoinformation analysis and assessment.
Web: www.gisat.cz * E-mail: gisat@gisat.cz * Tel: +420 271741935 * Fax: +420 271741936

In 1994, four young professionals believed in the potential of Earth Observation and geospatial information to do business with and founded Planetek Italia, establishing their activities in Bari, Italy.

So, 25 years ago on January 14th, Giovanni Sylos Labini, Mariella Pappalepore, Sergio Samarelli and Vincenzo Barbieri started providing products and services in the fields of Earth Observation and Space. And this is still the company’s challenge.

Nowadays, Planetek Italia employs 50 men and women, passionate and skilled in Geoinformatics, Space Solutions and Earth Sciences. The company leads a group of companies based in Italy and Greece and is active in both national and international markets.

There are a lot of milestones in the Company’s history. The EARSC European EO Services Company of the Year Award for 2017 represents a special reward for its unceasing commitment in EO and Space sectors.

Celebrating 25 years in business
Throughout 2019, Planetek Italia will celebrate its 25-year long history in business by promoting a series of events at national and international levels. Stay tuned with Planetek’s activities and support us with your likes and comments, following #Planetek25 and #BackToTheFutureEO hashtags on our channels:

https://www.planetek.it
https://www.linkedin.com/company/planetek-italia
https://www.twitter.com/Planetek
https://www.facebook.com/Planetek

Sinergise introduced the BlueDot Water Observatory service based on the Copernicus satellite imagery that provides timely information about water levels of lakes, dams, reservoirs, wetlands and similar water bodies globally. The BlueDot provides useful information and easy-to-use services on its own, but it can also serve as a starting point, a reference, around which a larger, predictive analytics-oriented business focused on exploitation of satellite imagery can be built.

Water crises are one of the Sustainable Development Goals, and have been ranked by the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Risks report as one of the top ten most serious societal risks facing the world. As water is expected to become increasingly scarce in the future, governments will need all the help they can get understanding their water challenges, predicting risks, and tackling any existing water problems. Implementing ground-based water monitoring and measuring networks is costly and due to networks deterioration in some cases also unreliable. Developing countries in particular need affordable, yet reliable solutions and tools for monitoring available water resources.


Landsat 8 data courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey Processed by Pierre Markuse

The key benefit of the BlueDot service is the accumulation of current and historic global water level data in one place. Because of its cost-effective approach anyone is able to access this valuable information freely. Not only water authorities but also citizens can now better understand the state of their local and global environment.

The goal of the BlueDot is to monitor the water levels of over ten thousand water bodies in near real time across the planet. All observations are provided and can be explored interactively through the BlueDot Water Observatory Dashboard. More than 7,000 water bodies are currently already available. New data are constantly being added according to the water risk ranking map from the Aqueduct project provided by WorldResources Institute.


_Thanks to the wet winter season 2018 in Western Cape the prospects for Day Zero in Cape Town in 2019 are very low. The water levels of the Theewaterskloof Dam acquired through the BlueDot web application

The BlueDot service was developed based on available research in Earth Observation (EO), which is unfortunately still not exploited efficiently. This solution builds on top and is complementary to previous projects like Global Surface Water Explorer (by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and Google) and demonstrates the possibility of building an efficient global EO service, freely available and practically fitting into your laptop.

Everyone can Benefit from the Water Observatory

Beside already mentioned, the BlueDot Water Observatory provides an important service to local authorities, governmental agencies, natural parks and reserves, agricultural ministries and agencies, stakeholders in food production, and citizens alike. They can use the data provided by the Water Monitor through the RESTful API as an important input in their decision-making process, planning, or simply to display water levels of water resources of their interest on-line.

Technology Used

The BlueDot Water Observatory is based on the following key technologies and data sources:

• Satellite imagery is acquired using sentinelhub Python package, which uses Sentinel Hub services.
• Cloud masking is performed using s2cloudless Python package developed by Sinergise.
• The list of monitored water bodies is based on GWSP’s Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanDv1.01) database, and WWF’s Global Lakes and Wetlands Database (levels 1 and 2). The polygons outlining the nominal water extent of majority of water bodies in our database have been replaced with data from OpenStreetMap. We used simplified feature maps prepared by Geofabrik. The database of water bodies is available for download.


Image shows the Folsom Lake, U.S. on November 6, 2018. The shape files of water areas from OpenStreetMap are visualized in blue. The BlueDot Water Observatory application provides the shape files of the current state of the water body based on cover classification, which are visualized in orange.

• Vector data manipulation is done using geopandas and shapely Python packages.
• Vectorisation of detected water extent is done using rasterio Python package.
• Current water levels are displayed in map using mapbox GL and the dashboard displaying the historic data (time-series) results has been developed in-house.


_The water levels of the Folsom Lake, U.S. from January 2016 up to date (inspect the data in the BlueDot Water Observatory

BlueDot as Open-Source

BlueDot technology is open-source, so that anyone can use it and build a similar service for other use cases as well. The technical description will follow in the future, but for those interested you can find the latest development version of the source code on Sinergise’s Github: open-sourced code for water detection algorithm and front-end dashboard.

At Sinergise they believe that the BlueDot Water Observatory will take an important role in providing a relevant data base of water bodies combined with the full archive of satellite imagery up to date.

For more information about the BlueDot project go to the official page and freely explore all currently available data through the Dashboard. If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback, send an email to info@blue-dot-observatory.com or contact the creators of the service via Twitter!