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Elecnor Deimos commitment to quality and continuous improvement has been recognized with new ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications, which correspond with the latest versions of these standards.

The renewal of these certificates comes following a complete upgrading and optimization of the Elecnor Deimos Corporate Management System (CMS), and after the third-party audits carried out in November 2016 by Bureau Veritas Certification, a global leader in certification services.

“We are fully devoted to achieving the excellence in our daily work, focused on the continual improvement of our processes, in order to offer the best products and services to our customers. We are always seeking for the maximum efficiency and quality, while taking care of the environmental aspects of our activities. We really trust on ISO standards as the best framework for managing and improving our quality and environment management system” says Luis Castillo Zugasti, Director of Quality at Elecnor Deimos.

The renewal of these certificates comes following a complete upgrading and optimization of the Elecnor Deimos Corporate Management System

ISO 9001:2015 sets out the criteria for a quality management system. The standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, a processes management approach, the leadership of top management and a culture of risks and opportunities management. These principles help to ensure that customers get their requirements and expectations consistently fulfilled with the delivery of top quality products and services.

The standard ISO 14001:2015 maps out a framework that a company can follow to set up an effective environmental management system for minimizing the environmental impact of its activities through a rational and efficient use of resources and the minimization and proper management of the waste generated, ensuring compliance with the environmental law and applicable guidelines for pollution prevention and continuous improvement of environmental performance.

Since the obtainment of its first certification in the year 2005, Elecnor Deimos has sustained its efforts to comply with each version of the ISO standards, since its early versions. The International Organization for Standardization, ISO, is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 163 national standards bodies. It brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.

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The Vendée Globe is the only solo, non-stop, without assistance sailboat race around the world.

The Vendée Globe is the only solo, non-stop, without assistance sailboat race around the world.

Nicknamed “Everest of seas”, only 71 sailors under 138 managed to reach the fish line since its creation.

This figure is showing how difficult this worldwide event is, in which sailors are facing extreme cold, huge waves and threatening sky across the great south.

Extremes conditions involve exceptional means. The race department asks CLS, Collecte Localisation Satellite, a CNES subsidiary, to watch this modern times adventurer from space.

Vendee Globe on live

A race monitored by satellite

Thanks to CLS, sailboats are monitored by satellites throughout the Vendée Globe race.

Each boat is equipped with “MAR YI” a locator and assistance beacon. These beacons are constantly sending messages allowing to track the boat. Thanks to this location, the PC course can rank sailors, provide a map to the public and can also improve skippers safety at sea.

Threatening iceberg detected from space

CLS provides the Vendée Globe its knowledge in processing satellites datas in radar imagery, altimetric/elevation datas (sea level), and ocean currents models to detect iceberg and to prevent ice drift throughout the Antarctica.

On-the-alert 24/7 spatial data center, based in Toulouse and Brest

CLS provides its best teams to serve the race and its safety. Toulouse data center collects datas from nearly 130 satellites. Among these satellites, some of them help to get a real-time location of skippers, to detect threatening icebergs, to collect seas conditions (temperature, currents, etc.) and to get key information to predict dangerous ice drift.

http://course.cls.fr
http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/
Press contact:
Amélie PROUST
aproust@cls.fr
+33 (0) 6 62 80 45 92

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BOREADES is the first French integrated systems targeting illegal drones, developed by CS Communication & Systèmes. It addresses the need expressed by the SGDSN in the framework of the project funded by the ANR (French National Research Agency)

  • Detecting drones, identifying and tracking drones
  • Neutralizing and recovering drones
  • Locating remote pilots

The BOREADES system is able to jam and decoy the drone’s navigation system, making it possible to take control, to select the recovery point, and above all to estimate the location of the remote pilot.

BOREADES is a high-performance scalable multi-sensor and multi-effector system, mainly based on civilian technologies with a very low Total Cost of Ownership. BOREADES is built around a ruggedized console and has 3 core functions:

  • DETECT – short/mid/long-range radar, day/night cameras and UHD video
  • IDENTIFY – spot incoming threats and track them
  • NEUTRALIZE – Counter the threats by jamming and spoofing the remote control and navigation systems.

The hardened real-time supervision system is based on an unique command & control system and a crisis management module developed by CS Group.

Thanks to its flexibility and scalability, BOREADES is available in multiple fixed or deployable configurations, including vehicle integration, designed for civilian or military needs, for the security of critical areas or events protection.

BOREADES: an operational French system to detect & neutralize malicious drones flights
CS has managed the project and is in charge of the integration and supervision of the system. It is supported by:

  • HGH for day/night panoramic thermal detection abilities
  • FLIR Systems for radar detection and day/night optical identification turrets
  • MC2 Technologies for the electromagnetic jamming solution
  • SPECTRACOM for drone navigation neutralization system and location of remote pilot.

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AnsuR strengthens Disaster Risk Reduction with IGAD/ICPAC AnsuR Technologies is proud to have won a contract for IGAD (The Intergovernmental Authority on Development) to strengthening the capacity and awareness of IGAD member states in the use of geospatial technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

The Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) is prone to droughts and floods related to climate extreme events. These disasters have severe negative impacts on key socio-economic sectors of all the countries in the sub-region.

IGAD is an eight-country trade bloc in east Africa. It includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), is one of the specialized institutions of IGAD, with the active participation of the member states, has been involved in consultative work to strengthen the Regional Disaster Preparedness and resilience building.

The contract will implement an IGAD disaster monitoring and reporting mechanism in ICPAC through the IGAD-ASIGN tool. The ASIGN server enables rapid mapping and Live Maps, as it was developed with UNOSAT over the last years. The Live Maps server is hosted by UNITAR-UNOSAT in Geneva and will be transferred to IGAD as part of capacity development on DRR.

AnsuR Technologies AS presents a world-class solution for Governments in their efforts to manage a country’s disaster and environmental challenges. Communication and situational awareness is critical to the success of any disaster response and emergency operation. We have been integrating our ASIGN solution with UN (UNOSAT) since 2008, and currently evolving in the GEO-VISION project, co-funded by the European Commission.

For more information contact:
Dr. Harald Skinnemoen
Founder Managing Director and Chairman
AnsuR Technologies
Mobile: (+47) 928 466 51 / Office: (+47) 64 00 94 56
E-mail: harald@ansur.no / Skype: harald.skinnemoen / Web: www.ansur.no
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As of 1 December 2016, the EU-funded business accelerator KATANA is searching for ambitious entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs with a great vision for the future of agribusiness.

Addressing agrifood, ICT and emerging industries, KATANA provides the best 100 applicants with 2,000 € funding while the best 10 teams in terms of market attractiveness and performance will be granted 100,000 € each. In addition to that, participants receive business services worth 20,000 € including 14 pan-European matchmaking events, a three days onsite Bootcamp as well as an international Investment Forum.

  • What? Financial support up to 100,000 €, business services and coaching worth 20,000 €.
  • Who? Single entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs from agribusiness, ICT and specific
    emerging industries (eco-industries, mobile services and personalised health).
  • When? 1 December to 28 February
  • How? Shoot a two minutes pitch video that highlights: Your background and experience
    Your understanding of the dynamics in the agrifood value chain Your vision for the agrifood sector

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Agroapps P.C. site

A new tool provides easy access to information about water in lakes, rivers and coastal areas around the world based on millions of satellite images

The Global Surface Water Explorer, developed by the European Union and Google, is a new online interactive mapping tool that lets you zoom in on any area around the world. The tool shows the local changes in surface water over the past 32 years.

According to the Commission, the data sets reveal that many of the changes are linked to human activities such as the construction of dams, river diversion and unregulated water use. Other changes are attributed to climate change, including droughts and accelerated snow and glacier melt caused by higher temperatures and increased rainfall.

“This new tool is a goldmine. Large amounts of data is generated every second by satellites. However, turning data into knowledge has long been a challenge,” said EU education commissioner Tibor Navracsics, responsible for the European Union’s Joint Research Centre which developed the tool in collaboration with Google.

While the maps show an increase in surface water across Europe, parts of Asia have recorded important decreases according to the Commission. Over 70 per cent of the net loss is concentrated in just five countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Globally, almost 90.000 square kilometres of land – an area the size of Portugal – have vanished altogether, and over 72.000 square kilometres have gone from being present all year round to being around for only a few months of the year, the Commission says.

The tool is based on satellite scenes collected by the United States between 1984 and 2015. To produce the new maps with surface water data based on the satellite images, almost 2000 terabytes of data had to be crunched by 10.000 computers running in parallel the European Commission says.

Satellite Data

Should NASA’s earth observation activities be scaled back significantly, as promised by incoming US president Donald Trump, Europe may have to step up and increase its efforts in that field to maintain a steady supply of climate data. The European Union’s Copernicus programme – which consists of a complex set of systems that collect data from multiple sources – is already working on this.

Maps accessible through the new surface water tool are a contribution to the Copernicus Global Land Service, which provides free and open access to the entire dataset.

The programme is expanding its network of Earth observation satellites, and also maintains detectors at ground stations as well as airborne sensors and sensors at sea.

Copernicus satellites Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 are set to offer additional radar and optical satellite imagery that will help to further improve the detail and accuracy of the information in the Global Surface Water Explorer in the future.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the programme is teaming up with Climate-KIC, the EU’s climate innovation initiative, to accelerate the use of its data in creating climate change solutions.

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Facebook Connectivity Lab is leveraging DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data (GBDX) initiative

At the Mobile World Congress today, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg announced the Telecom Infra Project, an initiative to develop new technologies and approaches for connecting the 4.2 billion people that still remain offline. To enable this, the Facebook Connectivity Lab is leveraging DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data initiative to determine population densities across vast rural areas in 20 developing nations. If you are going to connect the world, you need to first know where in the world humans live!

Check out Facebook’s white paper, “Connecting the World with Better Maps: Data-Assisted Population Distribution Mapping.”

Existing maps of populations in many parts of the world are too coarse, outdated, and inaccurate. To solve this problem, information from high-resolution satellites proves invaluable; it provides a consistent global information dataset for mapping population locations. This map, in turn, can inform service providers where connectivity infrastructure should be deployed, whether it be fiber networks or wi-fi hotspots, or communication networks with high-altitude balloons or UAVs. The most efficient network technology depends on the ensuring communications networks designed on proximity to population.

This where DigitalGlobe’s content and platform become a critical part in achieving the vision. DigitalGlobe will be completing an accurate mosaic of the globe at 50 cm resolution in the coming months and will be replenishing this basemap of the world on a frequent basis. Further, DigitalGlobe’s Geospatial Big Data platform, GBDX, makes this rich content along with our 15-year digital library of over 90 petabytes of high resolution DigitalGlobe satellite image data available to anyone, for processing in the cloud. Available for use alongside the data are some of our best computer vision algorithms we designed to convert pixels into meaningful data. On the GBDX platform we provide a much richer library by supporting an ecosystem platform which allows experts to bring their own algorithms to the data and share them with others if they so choose.

For Facebook, we combined DigitalGlobe’s GBDX platform with algorithms for mosaicking and atmospheric compensation to provide consistent mosaics of countries that are foundational to extraction population density mapping. Facebook’s convolutional neural nets are using this accurate content to identify populations over a ridiculously large area. And we are just getting started!

By building an ecosystem of algorithms, developers, data partners, and customers, we have a vision of enabling a whole new set of applications that leverage enormous quantities of data along with computation at a scale like never before. As Facebook publishes its results to the community, we aim to make them available on GBDX platform to allow others to build on them and use them to inform their own analysis. Further, we will be placing DigitalGlobe created population estimation tools and feature detection tools at your fingertips for comparison, building on, and innovating.

The industry is at a critical junction where cloud computing and advancements in deep learning are coming together. With accurate content of our planet that is being updated daily and our GBDX platform, we are putting data and our platform at this technological intersection. We can’t do it alone, though. All of you developers, startups, and enterprises are invited to join our GBDX Beta – we can’t wait to see what you will do!

To learn more about GBDX, visit: developer.digitalglobe.com/gbdx/

Dr. Shay Har-Noy is DigitalGlobe’s Vice President & General Manager, Platform

Get invited to the GBDX beta!

(India, 30 Dec 2016) The declared use made of earth observation satellites (Cartosat Series) for facilitating the surgical strikes conducted across the Line of Control (LoC) in September 2016 represents a new precedent. India’s proactive action caught the infiltrators as well as the supporting Pakistani establishment by surprise, in both military and policy terms. However, with no subsequent change in the Pakistani establishment’s strategy of sponsoring and facilitating cross-border terrorism, sealing the Western border is being seen as the next counter step. The Home Minister has announced the government’s intent to seal the border by 2018.

Although sealing the entire border would be a significant challenge mainly due to variations in the terrain and topography, the use of remote sensing systems provides one of the more effective means to overcome it. Attempts at infiltration could be detected by using low earth orbit surveillance satellites, which would in turn enable the blocking of infiltrators through suitable force deployment. In this regard, the active deployment of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which were reportedly used in Operation Ginger in 2011, and High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs that are currently under consideration for procurement, will improve India’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Further, the deployment of high-resolution radar based imaging sensors with all-weather day and night observation capability in the form of the Synthetic Aperture Radar system (SAR sensor platform) would also be advantageous in both the surveillance and active reconnaissance roles. In the aftermath of the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India had benefited from cooperation with Israel in developing RISAT 2 and especially its SAR system. Today, the RISAT 1 and 2 are the only two declared SAR systems in India’s possession for all weather day and night capability with X band and C band sensor systems. India would need to increase the number of such satellites for continuous observation of the western border. In addition, the CARTOSAT is also available for imaging purposes. In fact, ISRO has acknowledged that CARTOSAT was used for imaging areas where surgical strikes were carried out.

Most of India’s present repertoire of 13 operational remote sensing satellites with earth observation payloads, including the RISAT and CARTOSAT series, are assumed to be capable of providing high-quality earth observation imagery ranging from 50m to sub-meter resolution. These have swath coverage in the panchromatic range, from 10 kilometres on the CARTOSAT Series to 250 km in the RISAT series.

Since satellites travel over an observation area in an elliptically linear manner, the curves of a land border are passed over by the satellite in a direct overhead elliptical orbital motion from north to south descending or south to north ascending direction with their respective inclination, azimuth and elevation settings. At a known velocity of 7.5 km/s, these satellites pass over the entire length of the observed Area of Interest (AoI) over the western border of India in three to four minutes or even less. A shorter target region like the border in Jammu & Kashmir would mean an even lesser time for the satellite’s orbital pass. Added to this is the fact that low earth observation satellites do not provide continuous 24×7 observation of the same AoI. On each of its flights over any surface on the earth, the satellite takes snapshots or close earth observation high-resolution images of the area it is ground tracing and this process occurs 14 to 15 times a day (like in the case of Risat-2 satellite), but it may not pass over the same AoI.

The satellite coverage of an AoI, while making an adjacent orbital pass, is dependent on side looking capability of the sensor, its discernible range and angle of view, and the footprint of the satellite. Then there is the aspect of revisit time that allows surveillance for a given period of time till the satellite passes over the same region again. Therefore, the constant monitoring of the AoI requires a constellation of satellites.

At present, there are no satellite constellations that could form a contiguous chain of observation systems to monitor a designated target continuously. Hence, most scenes are individual or a series of observed images. These observations are then analysed with patterns and feature identification processes using photogrammetry tools and other visual aid and identification and digital image processing methods. This process along with inputs from other systems like ground radars and aerial surveillance platforms like the Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AEWACS), manned posts, aerial reconnaissance that render round the clock surveillance capabilities provide confirmation or build the overall picture of the situation.

Given all this, India would need more than one satellite constellation. It would require multiple satellites that repeat their observation of a target area; ideally one after the other in a contiguous form so that one satellite is always present over the AoI. To meet that objective, preferably smaller satellite systems at very low earth orbit to enable short revisits and repeat cycles would be ideal. The construction of nano and pico satellites is within India’s technological capability. It is highly recommended that a range of nano and pico satellites be manufactured and their employment integrated with the border management system.

(*) Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDSA or of the Government of India.

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EARSC Vice-Chairman, Giovanni SYLOS LABINI, presented at the First High Level Forum wich was held in Dubai on 20-24 November 2016. This event was organized jointly by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency

The First High Level Forum aimed to drive debate on the role of space science and technology in fostering global development. The Forum, therefore, represented a unique opportunity for the collective space community to address the future global space governance leading up to the fiftieth anniversary of the First United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space “UNISPACE+50” in 2018.

EARSC Vice-Chairman, Giovanni SYLOS LABINI exposed the view of European SMEs involved in EO services in several pannel discussions.

Dubai Declaration
presentations

October 2016
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
October 20, 2016 Webinar
October 21, 2016 Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
October 21, 2016 October 28, 2016 Songdo City, Incheon Korea
October 24, 2016 October 28, 2016 Kampala, Uganda
October 24, 2016 October 27, 2016 London United Kingdom
October 25, 2016 Brussels Belgium
October 25, 2016 October 27, 2016 Madrid Spain
October 26, 2016 October 27, 2016 London United Kingdom
October 26, 2016 Kampala, Uganda
October 27, 2016 Paris France
October 27, 2016 Berchtesgaden Germany
October 27, 2016 Rome Italy
October 27, 2016 October 28, 2016 Cork Ireland
October 31, 2016 November 4, 2016 La Rochelle France
October 31, 2016 November 2, 2016 Las Vegas USA
November 2016
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
November 1, 2016 November 3, 2016 Bentley USA
November 2, 2016 November 3, 2016 Telford United Kingdom
November 3, 2016 Austria
November 8, 2016 November 10, 2016 ESRI User conference – Middle East & North Africa DeadSea, Jordan
November 8, 2016 November 10, 2016 Dead Sea, Jordan
November 8, 2016 Noordwijk Netherlands
November 9, 2016 November 10, 2016 St Petersburg Russia
November 10, 2016 Brussels Belgium
November 12, 2016 Malta Malta
November 14, 2016 November 15, 2016 Matera Italy
November 14, 2016 November 17, 2016 Venice Italy
November 15, 2016 November 17, 2016 Nairobi, Kenya
November 15, 2016 November 17, 2016 Exeter United Kingdom
November 15, 2016 November 18, 2016 Manila, the Philippines
November 16, 2016 November 17, 2016

16) Workshop on soil spectral data & water extremes management
17) Project consortium working session on the roadmap and action plan for WP4 in light of WP3 outcomes

Limassol Cyprus
November 18, 2016 November 19, 2016 Shenzhen China
November 20, 2016 November 24, 2016 Dubai, UAE
November 21, 2016 November 22, 2016 Helsinki Finland
November 22, 2016 Brussels Belgium
November 22, 2016 Brussels Belgium
November 23, 2016 Brussels Belgium
November 24, 2016 November 25, 2016 Amsterdam Netherlands
November 28, 2016 November 29, 2016 Frascati Italy
November 28, 2016 December 1, 2016 Suva, Fiji Islands
November 30, 2016 December 2, 2016 Valencia Spain
December 2016
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
December 6, 2016 December 7, 2016 Brussels Belgium
December 12, 2016 December 16, 2016 San Francisco USA
December 22, 2016 December 23, 2016 Dubai, UAE
January 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
January 15, 2017 January 18, 2017 Cape Town South Africa
January 17, 2017 January 19, 2017 Frascati Italy
January 22, 2017 January 25, 2017 Hyderabad, India
January 23, 2017 January 27, 2017 Frascati Italy
January 24, 2017 January 25, 2017

link

Brussels Belgium
February 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
February 1, 2017 February 2, 2017 Glasgow United Kingdom
February 13, 2017 February 14, 2017 Frascati Italy
February 16, 2017 February 17, 2017

Information

Brussels Belgium
February 21, 2017 February 24, 2017 Florence Italy
February 21, 2017 February 23, 2017 Frascati Italy
March 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
March 1, 2017 March 2, 2017 Cairo, Egypt
March 6, 2017 March 9, 2017 Washington DC USA
March 14, 2017 March 16, 2017 Frascati Italy
March 20, 2017 March 24, 2017 Banff Canada
April 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
April 24, 2017 April 26, 2017 Cadiz Spain
May 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
May 8, 2017 May 12, 2017 Tshwane (Pretoria), South Africa
May 30, 2017 June 1, 2017 Manchester United Kingdom
June 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
June 3, 2017 June 6, 2017 Milan Italy
July 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
July 2, 2017 July 7, 2017 Washington USA
September 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
September 18, 2017 September 22, 2017 Valencia Spain
October 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
October 10, 2017 October 12, 2017 Berlin Germany
November 2017
Start Date End Date Name Locality Country
November 28, 2017 November 30, 2017 "Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis", Toulouse France