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Category: EARSC Activities

The eoVox consortium has conducted a first consultation round with VA companies and trade associations with the aim to identify industry views concerning common issues across the complete EO service sector and collect their views concerning how common industry positions on these issues can be represented via industry trade associations.

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A total of 60+ VACs have been interviewed by telephone or face to face meetings (for half of them) by three of the Consortium members with the following geographical distribution: Southern Europe (EARSC); Northern Europe (CONTROLWARE) and Canada (C-CORE). In addition, similarly, more than 10 Trade Associations have been contacted (by LOGICA CMG and EARSC) and contributed to the understanding of the position of such Associations. These include international (e.g. ISPRS, EURISY), European (e.g. EUROGI, EUROSPACE), French (e.g. AFIGEO), Italian (e.g. AIPAS) and North American (the Alliance for Earth Observation) associations.
The main elements of the first consultation report indicate key industry issues including for instance issues associated with the available resources of companies to develop businesses and the level of public support to the EO sector; the lack of awareness of the capabilities of the EO service sector; the access to EO missions data (operational supply of EO data today and continuity of EO missions to meet customer expectations in the longer term).
The main logic behind industry representation appears to be the collective issue that the EO service sector is largely dependent upon public financing; this, rather than downstream sector specific (niche) issues appears a strong and collective driver for representation in the eyes of the respondees. The findings of this first consultation round will be provided to the respondees and made available publicly during the course of May 2006. Further consultation and study reports will be issued by the end of Q2 2006 as part of an Open Review Process which will culminate with an Industry Workshop in September 14.

The Industry role in GMES and GEOSS Workshop was held on March 21 in Paris. The presence of 80 industrial actors and organizations have been remarkable being able to exchange their views and make recommendations to clarify and optimise the position of Industry in those complex initiatives.

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The GMES and GEOSS initiatives, in concert with other activities, are creating a paradigm change in geo-spatial and environmental information sharing and recognise that geo-spatial products and services are a key to both economic return and managing global issues. For example, the Geospatial Industry is regarded as one of the top priorities of the US administration High Growth Job Initiative. Earth Observation is an important component of the geospatial industry and consequently an integral part of a Knowledge-driven economy. Nonetheless, these important initiatives are complex. They comprise numerous actors and there is a need for innovative approaches in a wide variety of domains including: political, organisational, technical, economic and financial arrangements.
Since the 1998 Baveno Declaration, European Industry has shown a strong interest in GMES and has supported the steps of the elaboration of a European consensus. However the real present and future role of industry at large in GMES and GEOSS has been little discussed. The success of GMES and GEOSS hinges largely on a proper and efficient role of industry, so that industry must make an overall assessment of GMES/GEOSS opportunities in socio-economic and industrial terms as well as study an action plan which would allow industry to play a role in insuring the success of these initiatives.
To help achieve these objectives the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC) recently convened a workshop where industrial actors were able to exchange views and make recommendations to help clarify and optimise the role of Industry. Recommendations are synthesised below.
1. EO industry in Europe is strategically important and has considerable capabilities and levels of excellence but yet is still vulnerable.
GMES is a key to leverage several decades of industry investment. A major achievement already is the evolving user engagement and market pull. Users are identifying the potential of GMES services for their daily work. Consolidation of this demand through GMES will strengthen industry’s capabilities for Europe and globally.
2. GMES is now the main way forward for the sector and it needs strong EU political leadership.
The GMES initiative is the most important step forward to bring Europe into a leading position globally in the field of geo-information. GMES is an opportunity to stabilise the overall value chain for more continuity, to involve national and regional levels along with the European level and to help unlock the intellectual capital contained, but not necessarily accessible, in the research domain. In this undertaking EU must establish coherent synergies with ESA.
3. Policy makers on a wide basis must be informed of the GMES socio-economic benefits, emphasising the high Value-for-Money potential.
Considering the effective demonstration of the technical feasibility of GMES and the on-going user integration, the next big challenge of GMES implementation must be the sustainable allocation of operational budgets, at EC as well as at Member States level. For this, to occur, information on what GMES is, the value for money it represents and in particular the socio-economic benefits, must be prepared and made widely available for policy makers and citizens alike without delay.
4. EU must secure the availability of operational budgets.
To secure continuation and development of the impressive demonstration of GMES and supporting EO industry capabilities to date, the availability and accessibility of operational GMES budgets must be realized through long term user commitments, thereby allowing industry to make suitable planning and investment – from project to services.
5. EU must be more pro-active to aggregate user demand and to foster focused investment.
One of the main aims of GMES is to set up information gathering infrastructures and services, which includes forecasting natural risks, management of resources, monitoring of international agreements amongst others. EU should gather the user needs enabling and fostering focused investment in GMES, and monitor the gradual evolution of users demand. In particular to foster the development of forecasting tools (such as assimilation, modelling and so on) building on GMES services and capabilities.
6. EU has to evolve in the way it procures services.
GMES represents a concerted attempt to produce better policy relevant information, bringing together data and information from a wide variety of sources and making it available to those who need it most. The simultaneous development of common procurement policies for such services across European members states will generate substantial order volumes and give industry a chance to grow.
7. GMES is user driven and EU and European Institutions at large must stimulate interest more widely amongst potential users to take a leading role and to participate in relevant financial schemes. New suitable economic model and financing schemes must be developed.
Joint stakeholders efforts are necessary, with a detailed action plan and visible benefits to all stakeholders.
8. GMES needs to be linked with existing standards and regulations programs such as INSPIRE and the like in Positioning and Telecommunications to foster the development of applications.
9. EU must tackle carefully the issue of public in-sourcing, preserving public out-sourcing to industry.
It is important to develop further GMES applications jointly with all stakeholders including industry. Industry already provides many GMES and GMES-supporting services and it will be important to avoid any unnecessary competition between public and private service providers for operational deliveries.
10. Foster GMES role on Export Competitiveness.
Identify in particular the services which will create positive effects leading to improved competitiveness of enterprises. Be strong in Europe to be strong worldwide. Explore commercial spin-offs.
In Summary
-The Role of Industry in GMES and GEOSS: Recommendations and Synthesis.
-GMES needs a Long Term Commitment from institutions and users to achieve self-sustainability.
-The expected results will be: stimulated economic growth, increased market size, a more structured offer, the creation of innovative services, industry structure consolidation, improvement of competitiveness and last but not least sustainable development. It will also bring more jobs and better decision capability for Europe, in line with the EU Growth Initiative and the Lisbon principles.
-The involvement of Industry as a partner is crucial at all steps of this undertaking.
WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS at historical news search on EARSC website.

EARSC Board is glad to welcome four new Companies in our Association

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On EARSC behalf, we are certain that new Members will contribute actively to the aims of EARSC enthusiastically involved in coordinating and strengthening the Earth-observation chain and promoting the European Earth observation industry in programmes such as GMES and GEOSS.
EARSC Membership is nowadays increasing which encourage us in the Board of Directors to continue to do our best to fulfill the tasks that you as members could expect of the association. On EARSC behalf, Welcome!
More information about new members:
MEMBERSHIP

EARSC membership represents the entire spectrum of the Earth Observation industry including all sector chain: providers, stakeholders and users. Membership of EARSC is currently €400 per annum. For our members, the annual membership dues are a cost-effective way to stay informed, promote their company, political and institutional representation, networking opportunities with industry players and help support the future of Earth Observation. Industry together could transform activities into meaningful action on behalf of our sector.
EARSC membership is composed by:
Full Members:
Any commercial European company or partnership offering and undertaking consulting and contracting services or supplying equipment in the field of remote sensing which is based in a European Country which contributes to the European Space Agency or which is a member of the European Community shall be eligible for membership.
Observer Members:
Companies from countries associated to European programs but not eligible for full membership. Any active representative organization, institution or association party in the field of Earth observation and not engaged in commercial or profit-making activities such as Public/Governmental Bodies, International Organisation, International Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Private Non Profit Organisation/Foundation, Network/Association/Aggregation of Intermediaries(profit or non profit), Business Association, Universities, other?) with interest in Earth Observation.
More information on membership at EARSC http://www.earsc.org/web/template.php?page=jointous

EARSC and AAAF are pleased to announce a one-day workshop dedicated to the
subject of “Industry‘s role in GMES”.
The workshop is to be held in Paris on March 21st 2006.

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The role of Industry in GMES and GEOSS
The GMES and GEOSS initiatives are complex ones where actors are numerous and where innovative approaches have to be taken in a wide variety of domains such as political, organisational, technical, economic and financial to name just a few. Since the 1998 Baveno Declaration, Industry has shown a strong interest in these initiatives and has supported the various steps of the elaboration of a European consensus. However it must be recognised that the real present and future role of industry at large in GMES and GEOSS has been little discussed.
Considering the fact that in a large part the success of GMES and GEOSS hinges on a proper and efficient role of industry, it is high time for industry to get together to evaluate the present situation, to make an overall assessment of GMES/GEOSS opportunities in terms of socio-economic and industrial terms as well as to study an action plan which would allow industry to play a role in insuring the success of these initiatives.
To achieve those objectives EARSC is organising on March 21st in Paris a workshop where all industrial actors will be able to exchange views and make recommendation to clarify and optimise the role of Industry. Those recommendations will be fed into the GMES GRAZ Symposium organised in April 2006 under the Austrian presidency of the European Union.
This workshop will take the form of four round tables as defined in the attached program. It is open to all European or non-European participants. It must be emphasised that attendance will be limited because of logistics accommodations and that quick registration is required to ensure participation.
Make sure that this event is included in your agenda!!! DEAD LINE: March 7th
Attendance is free for EARSC members while registration fee is 100 for non-members. This includes participation in the sessions, coffee breaks and access to the proceedings.
PRACTICALS
The workshop will be held in Paris on March 21st 2006 at EUROSITES, 28 Av. George V.
Preliminary programme
(Presentation & Round tables)
09h15: Welcome
09h30: Introduction to GMES status
09h45-10h15: Session 1
The Status of European EO Industry: Strong or weak?
Coffee Break
11h15-12h30: Session 2
The GMES Socio-Economic Benefits: Where are they?
Lunch Break
13h30-15h30: Session 3
European earth Observation Industry Evolution to foster GMES Socio-Economic Benefits: Can and should industry evolve?
Coffee Break
16h00-17h00: Session 4
Elaboration of Recommendations and Input for the Budapest workshop and GRAZ Symposium
Registration info to submit at EARSC
FEE:
-Participation free for EARSC & AAAF members ( )
-100 Euro fee for non EARSC or AAAF members ( )
- First name
- Surname
- Company/Organization
- Funtion
- Full Address
- Country
- Tel
- Fax
- Email
- Website

Following a Membership Campaign, the EARSC Board is glad to welcome 16 new Companies and Organizations in our Association.

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On EARSC behalf, we are certain that new Members will contribute
actively to the aims of EARSC enthusiastically involved in coordinating
and strengthening the Earth-observation chain and promoting the
European Earth observation industry in programmes such as GMES and
GEOSS.
Up to now, EARSC has grown 50% in 2005,
which encourage us in the Board of Directors to continue to do our best
to fulfill the tasks that you as members could expect of the
association. On EARSC behalf, Welcome!
More information about new members at:
INSA S.A. (SP)
INTA (SP) (OBSERVER)
MDA Geospatial services (CND) (OBSERVER)
PCI Geomatics (CND) (OBSERVER)
SARMap (CH)
SERTIT-ULP (FR) (OBSERVER)
Tragsatec (SP)
VisioTerra (FR) – www.visioterra.com
EARSC membership is composed by full members (1) and observer members (2)
(1) Any commercial European company or
partnership offering and undertaking consulting and contracting
services or supplying equipment in the field of remote sensing which is
based in a European Country which contributes to the European Space
Agency or which is a member of the European Community shall be eligible
for membership.
(2) Companies from countries associated to
European programs but not eligible for full membership. Any active
representative organization, institution or association party in the
field of Earth observation and not engaged in commercial or
profit-making activities such as Public/Governmental Bodies,
International Organisation, International Non Governmental Organisation
(NGO), Private Non Profit Organisation/Foundation,
Network/Association/Aggregation of Intermediaries(profit or non
profit), Business Association, Universities, other?) with interest in
Earth Observation.
(Credits EARSC)

The European Space Agency (ESA) has recently concluded an in-depth survey of the European and Canadian EO service industry. Some 75 small Value-Adding Companies (VACs) participated in the survey to produce the most detailed picture to date on the state and health of this industry sector. One of the results that emerge is that the industry is facing a number of challenges concerning its structure/scale, its service offerings and its industrial presence (see eomd.esa.int).

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The eoVox initiave
Following on directly from the industry survey, ESA is initiating activities to further explore issues that affect the complete EO service industry sector; eoVox is one of these activities.
Within eoVox, the types of issues to be looked at are : What total service capabilities does this industry sector offer and how can these be best communicated? What are the common problems that companies face in developing business and how can public-sector development be best-structured to help the industry grow?
eoVox aims to gather views and comments from all companies within the industry and investigate how the common industry positions can be represented via an industrial trade body.
eoVox is therefore an opportunity for all companies to voice their viewpoint on the future of the industry. The results will be looked at carefully by ESA in planning for the period 2008-13 to make sure that the needs of the industry are supported at the right scale, with the right mechanisms and of adequate duration.
How to contribute to eoVox
The eoVox team will be undertaking a wide consultation exercise during 2006. As part of this process the team will interview key European and Canadian value adding companies in the first quarter. In addition, the eoVox consortium welcomes direct enquiries and contributions from the Earth Observation community in general and the Canadian and European Value adding Companies in particular.
All views will be listened to and recorded in an open and transparent process. All results from this work will be published on the Internet for feedback and comment.
The eoVox consortium & contacts
The eoVox consortium comprises LogicaCMG and EARSC, the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies along with consultants from ESYS and Controlware and value adding companies Metria and C-Core.
Contact points regarding the initial consultation are as follows:
Northern Europe: Birgitte Holt Andersen
Southern Europe: Mónica Miguel-Lago
Canada: Des Power
Contact point for general enquiries:
European Space Agency: EOMD
eoVox Project Manager: Chetan Pradhan

Letter on behalf of EARSC member companies concerning the GMES
programme and in particular the anticipated forthcoming decisions in
the EU and ESA Ministerial Councils.

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Dear Heads of National Space Delegations,
I am writing concerning the GMES programme
and in particular the anticipated forthcoming decisions in the EU and
ESA Ministerial Councils.
The European Association of Remote Sensing
Companies, EARSC, is an Association of over 50 European value added
industries. Founded in 1990, it has as members both large companies
including major satellite providers and small (SME) companies providing
specialised EO information services. Generally, EARSC has the
responsibility to represent the Earth Observation services industry in
Europe.
We consider that over the next few years
the development of geo-spatial information services will become
increasingly important to Europe’s growth. A key driver is the GMES
initiative that is intended to ensure that Europe has effective access
to high quality information products. In our opinion, this is a
critical moment for GMES with decisions expected in the EU
Competitiveness Council (November) concerning the structure and
governance of a programme and in the ESA Ministerial Conference
(December) for the development of new satellites.
On behalf of our members, EARSC would
like to express its strong support for the GMES programme. We are very
supportive of the GMES philosophy and of the Sentinels concept.
Satellite-derived EO data forms a major and essential input to the
services that our companies offer, and we welcome this proposal that
will expand the data available and hence our potential services.
We are also convinced that the
preparatory work carried out by ESA in the GMES Service Elements (GSE)
programme provides an excellent base on which to proceed. The European
Commission is just in the process of establishing a mechanism to ensure
there are clear links between the services required by the EU and the
new satellite capacities that will be provided by the Sentinels. Whilst
we regret that this has not been instigated earlier, we do believe it
to be of crucial importance now and would urge that you give your full
support to these proposals. This would also provide a positive signal
from the space community of their support to the EC actions.
EARSC is convinced that national
governments should maintain their commitment to GMES, thereby ensuring
that public policies at all European levels can benefit from space
applications. We would like to ask the ESA delegations and the ESA
executive to ensure that the objectives of the GMES program are
preserved from its early phases and that the next Ministerial
conference endorses a program development in line with the quick
development of sustainable operational products.
Please be assured of our continuous
interest and of our full availability to help build this unique program
which has the capability to bring to Europe both high level capacity
and leadership.
Looking forward to a successful Ministerial conference, please accept our respectful regards
Yours sincerely,
EARSC Chairman

Following a Membership Campaign, the EARSC Board is glad to welcome
Critical Software S.A. and ReSAC (Observer status) in our Association.

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On EARSC behalf, we are certain that new Members will contribute
actively to the aims of EARSC actively involved in coordinating and
strengthening the Earth-observation chain and promoting the European
Earth observation industry in programmes such as Global Monitoring for
Environment and Security (GMES).
On EARSC behalf, Welcome!
More information about new members at EARSC website,
EARSC membership
EARSC
membership represents the entire spectrum of the Earth Observation
Industry including all sector chain: providers, stakeholders and users.
Membership of EARSC is currently € 400 per annum. For our members, the
annual membership dues are a cost-effective way to stay informed,
promote their organization, political and institutional representation,
networking opportunities with industry players and help support the
future of Earth observation. Together could transform activities into
meaningful action on behalf of our sector.
EARSC membership is composed by full members (1) and
observer members (2)
(1) Any commercial European company or
partnership offering and undertaking consulting and contracting
services or supplying equipment in the field of remote sensing which is
based in a European Country which contributes to the European Space
Agency or which is a member of the European Community shall be eligible
for membership.
(2) Companies from countries associated to
European programs but not eligible for full membership. Any active
representative organization, institution or association party in the
field of Earth observation and not engaged in commercial or
profit-making activities such as Public/Governmental Bodies,
International Organisation, International Non Governmental Organisation
(NGO), Private Non Profit Organisation/Foundation,
Network/Association/Aggregation of Intermediaries(profit or non
profit), Business Association, Universities, other?) with interest in
Earth Observation.

Letter on behalf of EARSC member companies concerning the EOMD
programme in the framework of the anticipated forthcoming decisions in
the ESA Ministerial Councils.

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Dear Dr. V. Liebig – Director of ESA´s Earth Observation Programme,
I am writing on behalf of our member
companies concerning the EOMD programme in the framework of the
anticipated forthcoming decisions in the ESA Ministerial Councils.
As you know very well the members of our
association as well as our Association as such, have had and are having
very close collaborations with your Directorate’s teams. Among the many
programs supporting this collaboration, the “Earth Observation Market
Development” program is highlighted by our members.
Indeed the EOMD program, which was
presented to our members at several of our Annual General Meetings and
in which many of our members are involved, is seen by us both as a very
needed and a very innovative one. Very needed indeed, since the role of
space data in the growth of the remote sensing market and the
development of new services needs to be strongly fostered. Very
innovative also since the mechanisms proposed in EOMD to foster this
evolution have never been tried in Europe before. The EOMD program,
quite ambitious in its objectives in a very difficult environment, and
with limited budgets (of about 3 to 4 Meuros per year so far), has
already achieved some successes but can still be considered only in its
early phases. In the next few years the development of geo-spatial
information services will become increasingly important to Europe’s
growth and the parallel development of GMES and EOMD (as well as DUP)
is an opportunity for Europe.
In particular the development of new
applications of space borne remote sensing data and the development of
operational and commercial products are at the core of the success of
the GMES initiative and of the recognition of its place in GEOSS.
The dynamics and hopes triggered by this
program must not be abandoned. Thus, in the framework of the
preparation of the coming Ministerial conference as well as considering
the risk of a drop in EOMD budgets in 2006, EARSC members are strongly
urging the ESA Executive and the member states to continue and increase
their support to the EOMD program beyond 2005.
Please be assured of our continuous interest and of our full availability to help strengthen the EOMD program .
Looking forward to opportunities to meet with you and your team, please accept our respectful regards.
Yours sincerely,
EARSC Chairman
**
EARSC, the European
Association of Remote Sensing Companies is an Association of over 55
European value added industries. Its members include both large
companies including major satellite providers and small (SME) companies
providing specialised EO information services. Generally, EARSC has the
responsibility to represent the Earth Observation services industry in
Europe.