Category: Member News

SpaceSUITE 

SpaceSUITE is an Erasmus+ Blueprint project for the development of innovative resources for education and training to bridge the gap between the supply and demand of skills in the ever-growing downstream space sector. The project was kicked off in January 2024, and it will end in December 2027. It integrates 29 partners,  including 3 affiliated entities, from Academia, vocational education and training  (VET) providers, associations, and representatives of industry companies. The  project is grounded in and promoted under the SPACE4GEO Largescale Skills 

Partnership on Space Data, Services and Applications, funded under the European  Commission’s Pact for Skills initiative. SpaceSUITE builds on the foundations of the  earlier EO4GEO project, extending its scope to include satellite communication and positioning/navigation alongside Earth observation and geoinformation. Its overarching objective is to empower the European downstream workforce by supporting curriculum development, innovative training resources, and sectorwide collaboration for professionals, students, graduates, and employers alike.  

SPACE4GEO, for its part, brings together stakeholders from academia, industry,  research and public institutions to monitor, analyze and contribute to workforce development strategies for Europe’s space downstream and geoinformation sectors. As a Large-scale Skills Partnership under the Pact for Skills, SPACE4GEO  promotes activities designed to upskill, reskill and attract new talent to these fields,  facilitating exchange and cooperation across value chains and institutional levels.  

Recent events and milestones shows that SpaceSUITE is transitioning from  foundational activities toward visible implementation and engagement. On  10 December 2025, SpaceSUITE organized a dissemination event in Monte de  Caparica, Portugal, entitled “Core space occupational profiles and the training  offer: What’s new and what’s next?” Hosted at FCT-NOVA, this event presented  emerging occupational profiles and discussed educational offerings linked to  downstream space skills development. In November 2025, SpaceSUITE was  featured at the European Education & Skills Summit in Brussels, the European  Commission’s principal annual forum on education, training and skills, in a panel  focused on strengthening cooperation between education systems and industry  for upskilling and reskilling. During this session, representatives highlighted  SpaceSUITE’s role in operationalizing aspects of the Pact for Skills by developing  targeted training programs and supporting learners across skill development  pathways. In May 2025, SpaceSUITE partners participated in the GEO Global Forum  2025 in Rome, where sector stakeholders debated pathways for aligning skills  development with technological advancements and workforce expectations in  Earth observation and related domains. In June 2025, SpaceSUITE was represented  at the AGILE International Conference on Geographic Information Science in  Dresden, where partners led workshops showcasing the GeoSpace Body of  Knowledge and associated educational tools, including curriculum design and  training-material development interfaces. A significant structural advancement for  SpaceSUITE has been the strengthening of governance around the Body of  Knowledge (BoK), a reference framework for competencies in Earth observation,  geoinformation, satellite communication and positioning/navigation. In late 2025,  this resource was rebranded and repositioned as the GeoSpace Body of Knowledge,  complete with a dedicated platform and expanded scope, under a working group  supported by SPACE4GEO coordination. 

Sources: 

- https://www.spacesuite-project.eu/ - SpaceSUITE Grant Agreement

SPACE4GEO 

The Large -scale Skills Partnership (LSP) for Space Data, Services and Applications  (SPACE4GEO), promoted under the European Commission’s (EC) initiative Pact for  Skills, aims to empower workers with the skills needed for the development of future innovations and to achieve the aims of the EU's Space strategies. 

In line with the principles governing the Pact for Skills and its Charter, the proposed  LSP wishes to ensure continuous exchange and cooperation among stakeholders from the academic, private, and public sectors on skills development and requirements. 

SPACE4GEO’s recent activities focus on consolidating the partnership’s strategic role in shaping skills agendas and strengthening multi-stakeholder alignment. In  January 2026, SPACE4GEO organized a panel at the 18th European Space  Conference, bringing together representatives from industry, academia,  policymaking bodies and research institutions to address workforce development challenges and the skills requirements of Europe’s space downstream sector. In  September 2025, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) joined the SPACE4GEO  partnership, adding expertise in education policy and strategic analysis to the alliance. ESPI’s participation emphasizes the growing recognition that coordinated efforts are needed to respond to skills demands and to integrate space education priorities into broader European space strategies.  

Structuring Strategic CollaborationTogether, SpaceSUITE and SPACE4GEO represent a coordinated European response to the downstream space sector’s skills challenges, translating political commitment, strategic vision and multi-stakeholder cooperation into concrete actions, events and resources.  Through structured dissemination, participation in influential conferences, and the development of knowledge frameworks and training tools, the initiatives are contributing to a more resilient and agile space workforce, better aligned with evolving technological and market demands. 

Source: 

https://pact-for-skills.ec.europa.eu/about/industrial-ecosystems-and partnerships/aerospace-and-defence_en

Landfills sit squarely in the methane reduction conversation, as waste disposal emits methane, and multiple assessments place the waste sector at roughly a tenth of anthropogenic methane emissions globally.

But turning “methane awareness” into “methane action” is not straightforward in the waste sector.

Unlike a single isolated component leak, landfill methane can be diffuse and influenced by day-to-day site activity as well as weather and ground conditions. This complexity makes monitoring strategy just as important as monitoring technology, especially when the objective is not only detection but also verification that remediation is effective and durable.

For cities working to reduce emissions, what matters is understanding whether emissions persist, where interventions will make the greatest difference, and whether repairs actually hold over time. That shift is transforming methane monitoring from a measurement exercise into an operational decision tool.

A recent monitoring campaign at the Las Dehesas landfill outside Madrid demonstrates what this shift looks like in practice. Supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) in partnership with GHGSat—a global leader in emissions monitoring that uses high-resolution satellites and aircraft to detect and quantify greenhouse gas emissions—the initiative brings together researchers from the University of Leicester, Madrid City Council, and landfill operator Urbaser. The Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) contributes scientific expertise, while the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) serves as ESA project coordinator, supporting efforts to understand how sustained monitoring can enable real-world mitigation.

Since spring 2025, researchers have been collecting concurrent methane measurements using ground and airborne surveys and satellites, with a clear operational aim: detect methane emission sources and then assess whether repairs have worked.

The defining feature of the campaign is its multi-layer monitoring strategy. Different observing systems answer different operational questions. 

ESA’s Sentinel-5P provides a broad regional context, offering wide-area coverage. GHGSat’s satellite-based emissions monitoring solution, DATA.SAT, with its proprietary sensors, supports facility-level plume detection. Aircraft surveys complemented this view with sub-meter-scale mapping capable of detecting smaller emission sources, adding granular diagnostic clarity to guide field response.

This layered workflow reflects a “tip-and-cue” approach in which broad detection is followed by targeted, high-resolution follow-up, an approach increasingly used to get a comprehensive view of the emissions footprint.

Within this framework, GHGSat’s high-resolution observations captured methane plumes over the landfill at approximately 25m resolution, identifying localized leaks on the order of ~100 kilograms per hour. 

“By combining the frequency of high-resolution satellite measurements with the targeted view of high-resolution airborne measurements, we’re able to gain an unprecedented understanding of how landfill methane behaves. This level of insight empowers operators to target solutions more effectively and ultimately drive meaningful emissions reduction,” said Dan Wicks, UK Managing Director, GHGSat.

If the goal is real mitigation, monitoring must connect three steps: detection, remediation, and verification that mitigation is robust over time. This operational loop was also central to the Madrid campaign.

Operationally, the story did not stop at “we saw a plume.” 

The surveys were repeated in September and October 2025 to assess the impact of repair work that included maintenance of gas collection wells and pipelines and adjustments to how the landfill surface is managed—precisely the kind of interventions that benefit from measurement-informed prioritization and remeasurement.

The project emphasizes that openness and strong collaboration between municipal leadership, the landfill operator, and research partners enabled success because timing site activity against airborne and satellite observations gave researchers crucial context, while rapid data delivery helped identify emission sources and persistence to guide remediation.

Remote sensing does not replace ground monitoring. It strengthens operations.

The collaborative approach is particularly important because the waste sector has long faced a measurement challenge. Multiple satellite-based studies have found that facility-scale methane signals can diverge from reported or modelled emission estimates, creating uncertainty that complicates mitigation planning. 

The campaign also reflects a broader evolution in Europe’s methane monitoring ecosystem. Through ongoing collaboration with ESA programmes and research initiatives, GHGSat has supported access to high-resolution emissions data that complements public missions and helps bridge the gap between atmospheric observation and operational decision-making.

As European institutions, municipalities, and operators work to refine monitoring approaches, similar monitoring frameworks will support future collaborative initiatives, including wastewater treatment plants and sludge processing facilities, where verifying mitigation outcomes remains a challenge. 

The Madrid campaign offers a model that many cities and waste managers can replicate: layered observing, rapid analysis, and collaboration that translate observations into practical action.

Those interested in learning more about the Madrid campaign or exploring opportunities for collaboration can connect with Carles Debart at GHGSat.

About GHGSat

GHGSat is a global leader in emissions monitoring with pioneering capabilities that drive industrial efficiency with positive impact. Harnessing the power of satellites and aircraft, GHGSat traces emissions directly to their source at an unmatched speed, delivering the data and insights required to take action. A trusted partner for organizations around the world, GHGSat empowers decision-makers to tackle emissions, accelerating progress towards a resilient energy future.

 www.ghgsat.com  

Short Excerpt: A monitoring campaign near Madrid is demonstrating how public satellite missions, commercial high-resolution observations, and airborne surveys can be combined to support real-world methane mitigation. The initiative shows how layered Earth observation data can move beyond detection to verification, helping municipalities turn measurements into operational decisions.

As part of the ESA ScaleUp Programme, ESA Phi-Lab Spain accelerates the commercialization of space technologies for climate resilience. Supported by the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) and the Government of Catalonia, and coordinated by the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), the programme manages a robust ecosystem of research organizations and industry leaders focused on enhancing climate resilience through space technologies.

As the first quarter of 2026 approaches, four key projects within the ESA Phi-Lab Spain portfolio are demonstrating the maturity of downstream applications in addressing climate resilience challenges.

Addressing operational "Blind Spots" in coastal resilience
Coastal management has traditionally struggled to balance large-scale coverage with the need for high-level detail.While satellite imagery provides global coverage at low resolution, traditional field surveys are costly and often cannot access high-risk, shallow, or rocky zones. The WAVESS project, led by Spascat Technologies in partnership with GPA Seabots and CTTC, addresses this through a hybrid calibration model. By deploying Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) as mobile "ground truth" stations, the project correlates satellite data with high-accuracy bathymetric data in near real-time. This modular approach provides a scalable framework for monitoring sediment concentration and sea-level impacts, essential for long-term coastal protection.

Quantifying risk in agriculture: the role of explainable AI
For the food, pharmaceutical, and textile industries, climate resilience is inseparable from supply chain stability. RISKCHAIN, led by EarthPulse in collaboration with Eurecat and the Fundación Empresa y Clima, operates as a simulation environment that integrates EO and socioeconomic variables to model "what-if" scenarios regarding extreme weather and regulatory shifts. The technical differentiator is the application of Explainable AI. Instead of providing an opaque risk score, the platform identifies specific drivers such as soil moisture anomalies or drought patterns allowing stakeholders to anticipate disruptions in agricultural production with transparency and evidence-based confidence.

RESCAT: A unified framework for ecosystem survival
In vulnerable territories like the Ebro Delta, environmental data is often fragmented across multiple institutions. RESCAT, a joint initiative by isardSAT, Lobelia Earth, and Eurecat, with the involvement of the Climate Resilience Centre, unifies satellite observations and in-situ measurements into a single operational framework. For instance, by crossing coastal erosion metrics with river flow and sea-level data, the platform provides a chronological audit of environmental health. This allows local authorities and scientists to measure the tangible efficacy of interventions, such as beach nourishment, moving coastal protection from reactive measures toward data-driven resilience.

The economics of precision in the energy transition
In the energy sector, the limitation of traditional climate models lies in their inability to account for local atmospheric shifts at the scale of specific renewable assets. For a wind farm valued at €500M, a mere 1% deviation in wind speed forecasting can lead to substantial financial losses. SKOP, led by Geoskop in collaboration with CIMNE, addresses this by fusing data from missions such as Aeolus and Meteosat with physical climate models and AI. While traditional historical methods often carry a 4% uncertainty margin, SKOP’s algorithms have demonstrated a reduction to 1.5%, ensuring that large renewable energy investments are reliable and financially secure.

For further information about these projects and the ESA Phi-Lab Spain programme, please visit our website. There, you can find in-depth interviews and follow the latest updates and progress of each initiative

About ESA Phi-Lab Spain

ESA Phi-Lab Spain is a programme of the European Space Agency (ESA), supported by the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) and the Generalitat de Catalunya. The programme is coordinated by the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), which leads a consortium of twelve universities, research and innovation centres, and companies. These include the i2CAT Foundation, the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC), the Fundación General CSIC, the KIMbcn Foundation, Arribes Enlightenment, the University of Valencia (UVEG), the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), the Ricardo Valle Institute of Innovation Foundation (INNOVA IRV), the ESA MELiSSA Pilot Plant of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), and the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO).

The space economy is entering a decisive phase. With thousands of new satellites expected to be deployed over the coming decade, Earth observation (EO) is evolving from a data-collection activity into a real-time intelligence infrastructure. The shift is not merely quantitative. It is structural. From orbital logistics to in-orbit servicing, from low-latency analytics to autonomous systems, the sector is redefining how information is produced and delivered.

At the forefront of this transformation stands Planetek, whose contribution to the evolution of Earth observation reflects both technological vision and strategic positioning. The company has championed a paradigm often described as “Cloud Computing in Space”: moving processing capabilities from the ground segment directly into orbit. Rather than downloading vast volumes of raw imagery for later analysis, satellites are becoming intelligent nodes capable of processing data on board and delivering actionable insights within seconds.

Innovation and Competitiveness: the role of investments in Europe.

Speaking at the 18th European Space Conference in Brussels in January 2026, Planetek’s Chief Executive Officer Giovanni Sylos Labini underlined the importance of scale, collaboration and investment in this rapidly expanding landscape. “In this scenario,” he noted, “it is essential to operate in a favourable environment supported by anchor tenancy from public investment, the capacity for aggregation and collaboration among companies, the ability to attract capital, and the development of an ecosystem that strengthens innovation.”

The message resonated during the panel on “capital and competitiveness”, where industry leaders discussed Europe’s need to strengthen investment pathways and enable space companies to grow from early innovation to full commercial scale. Access to capital, talent attraction, and demonstrable market traction were identified as crucial elements if Europe is to compete globally.

Planetek & D-Orbit: a strategic integration for a broader spectrum of space and EO-based solutions!

It is precisely along these lines that the strategic integration between Planetek and D-Orbit has taken shape. In 2025, the two companies announced a business combination designed to expand their capabilities across advanced space technologies. The announcement, made at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy in Rome, signaled more than a corporate transaction. It marked the convergence of complementary strengths: Planetek’s expertise in Earth observation analytics and geospatial intelligence, and D-Orbit’s leadership in orbital transportation, last-mile satellite delivery and space logistics.

Together, the group now spans a broad spectrum of services: orbital transportation, space logistics, space situational awareness, defence ISR, and advanced Earth observation solutions. The integration reflects a wider trend within the sector — vertical consolidation aimed at delivering end-to-end capabilities, from access to orbit through to data exploitation.

AI-eXpress: From Data to Decisions in Seconds.

The first tangible expression of this ambition is already in space. AI-eXpress, the group’s inaugural joint programme, is now in orbit. Conceived as the first generation of an advanced in-orbit artificial intelligence system, the AI-eXpress constellation redefines how organisations access, use and benefit from satellite data.

Unlike traditional EO missions, which depend on ground-based processing chains, AI-eXpress performs AI-driven analytics directly on board the satellite. The implications are profound. Near-zero latency, autonomous tasking, reduced bandwidth requirements and immediate delivery of actionable information become operational realities. In effect, satellites are transformed into real-time data hubs — orbiting platforms capable not only of observing the Earth but of interpreting what they see.

The system also introduces an innovative “Space App Store” concept, enabling stakeholders to test, validate and deploy their own AI models in orbit. This dramatically shortens the path from idea to operational service. Users can experiment with applications, optimise algorithms, and receive immediate feedback from space, without the delays traditionally associated with satellite missions.

The first cohort of partners already on-board AI-eXpress demonstrates the breadth of its potential applications. Eni is developing advanced pipelines for low-latency, AI-aided onboard processing to deliver actionable information directly to users. S&T, VAKE and NOSA are validating intelligent monitoring technologies through in-orbit demonstration services. Ubotica is experimenting with neural network optimisation and edge-AI portability, while IBM is deploying its TerraMind.tiny foundation model to enable software-defined satellite services capable of delivering real-time Earth insights at the edge. Microchip, meanwhile, is validating radiation-tolerant, AI-capable onboard computing solutions as part of the broader satellite series.

Led by Planetek Italia in collaboration with D-Orbit and AIKO, and co-funded by the European Space Agency’s InCubed programme under ESA Φ-lab, AI-eXpress exemplifies a new operational philosophy: satellites not as passive sensors, but as intelligent, flexible and upgradeable platforms. It signals a shift from data abundance to decision immediacy.

Investors supporting the growth.

This technological momentum is matched by financial consolidation. The recent closing of a €110 million club deal led by Azimut to invest in D-Orbit underscores investor confidence in the group’s trajectory. The transaction strengthens the capital base needed to scale operations, accelerate innovation, and reinforce Europe’s competitive position in the global space arena.

Planetek & D-Orbit Group is thus entering a new chapter of continuous growth, reaching wider skies both technologically and financially. By combining Earth observation excellence with space logistics leadership, and by embedding artificial intelligence directly in orbit, the group is positioning itself as a protagonist in the next generation of space services.

In an era where decisions increasingly depend on timely, reliable geospatial intelligence, the evolution of Earth observation is no longer about capturing images. It is about transforming data into knowledge — instantly. Through strategic integration, ambitious programmes such as AI-eXpress, and strengthened investment backing, Planetek and D-Orbit are demonstrating that Europe can not only participate in this transformation, but help lead it.

Stay connected with us: 

Turning DestinE into everyday insight: CALIFE makes Quality of Life visible at address level

Murmuration is pleased to announce the availability of CALIFE (Certification of LIfestyle and Environment) on the Destination Earth (DestinE) Platform. DestinE is the European Union-funded flagship initiative designed to build a high-precision digital replica of the Earth system. Implemented by the European Space Agency (ESA), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), DestinE aims to support climate adaptation and resilience across Europe.

CALIFE is a free, online tool that allows any citizen (e.g., residents, homeowners, tenants, or simply the curious) to generate a personalised quality-of-life certificate for a specific address, based on robust environmental and climate intelligence. 

By translating complex environmental data into clear indicators and practical guidance, CALIFE bridges the gap between Earth Observation science and everyday decision-making, demonstrating how DestinE’s advanced infrastructure and digital twins can be transformed into concrete, citizen-facing services.

What Is CALIFE?

CALIFE provides a comprehensive, easy-to-read, address-level assessment describing the quality of the local living environment. The output is a visual report complemented by maps and actionable recommendations. It combines Earth Observation data, in-situ measurements, and socio-economic indicators, processed within the DestinE ecosystem, to provide actionable insights across six key dimensions of quality of life:

• Environmental Health: Assessment of air quality, exposure to pollution peaks, and proximity to healthcare infrastructure.
• Accessibility & Mobility: Evaluation of long-distance connectivity (rail, airports, motorways) alongside sustainable local mobility options such as public transport and cycling networks.
• Climate & Weather Comfort: Analysis of temperature patterns, sunlight exposure, and urban heat island effects, enriched with high-resolution future projections powered by the DestinE Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin.
• Water & Vegetation Resources: Indicators on water stress, vegetation cover, and ecosystem health.
• Green Spaces & Biodiversity: Measurement of access to nature and landscape biodiversity, including compliance with the widely recognised “3-30-300” rule for residents’ well-being: see at least 3 trees from home, live in a neighbourhood with 30% tree canopy, and be within 300 meters of a green space.
• Climate Hazards: Insights into 10-year historical trends and near-future projections related to temperature increase, drought periods, and precipitation patterns.

Each theme is rated from A to E, ensuring immediate readability without requiring technical expertise, while preserving scientific robustness.

Why DestinE-enabled tools like CALIFE matter

Destination Earth is designed to support informed decision-making in the face of climate change. CALIFE illustrates how this ambition can extend beyond institutional users to directly benefit citizens and territories. 

As environmental quality becomes a key determinant of health, well-being, and territorial attractiveness, CALIFE addresses a growing societal need for transparency and accessibility. The tool offers:

• A citizen-first approach, free and open to all
• Democratised access to DestinE-powered environmental intelligence
• An intuitive, non-technical interface translating complex data into understandable results, with clear visual indicators and ratings
• Practical “tips” to improve daily living conditions, such as adapting outdoor activities to air quality conditions or enhancing vegetation around home
• A shared knowledge base that can also support local authorities, urban planners, and real-estate stakeholders in assessing environmental quality and territorial attractiveness.

By linking DestinE tools to local, address-level insights, empowering individuals with reliable environmental information, CALIFE contributes to greater awareness and informed engagement with climate and environmental challenges, at both personal and territorial levels.

A concrete use case of Destination Earth

Developed within the DestinE Platform, CALIFE is a tangible example of how Europe’s investment in Earth system modelling can generate operational services with societal impact, offering tangible benefits for citizens, and reinforcing the role of Earth observation in daily life. The tool showcases the value of combining:

• Copernicus Earth observation data
• In-situ and socio-economic datasets
• Advanced data fusion, modelling, and machine learning techniques
• DestinE’s Climate Adaptation Digital Twin capabilities.

Through this approach, Murmuration helps bridge the gap between scientific excellence and practical usability.

How to Access CALIFE

The CALIFE tool is now live and freely accessible (Tutorial):

1. Visit https://calife.destine.eu
2. Create an account
3. Enter an address and launch the analysis
4. Download a comprehensive PDF report with scores, maps, analyses, and recommendations

Voices from Murmuration

“We believe that every citizen deserves to clearly understand the quality of their environment and to be empowered to improve it. Destination Earth opens unprecedented possibilities to understand how climate and environmental changes affect our daily lives. With CALIFE, we aim to make this intelligence accessible to every citizen and to support more informed, sustainable choices. CALIFE is our contribution to environmental transparency.”

Tarek Habib, President and Co-Founder, Murmuration

Murmuration warmly thanks the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union for their support in in delivering this DestinE-enabled service.

About Murmuration

Environmental responsibility lies at the core of Murmuration’s DNA. The company develops methodologies that combine Earth Observation data (including Copernicus satellites), in-situ measurements, and socio-economic statistics to assess ecosystem conditions anywhere in the world.

Murmuration’s expertise supports a wide range of use cases, including:

• Evidence-based support for the European Green Deal and environmental policies
• Decision-support dashboards for public authorities, integrating historical analyses and climate impact forecasts
• Scientific evidence for climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.

These capabilities rely on advanced technologies such as remote sensing, large-scale data processing, data fusion, and machine learning, enabling the extraction of actionable insights from complex environmental data.

Contact

Murmuration: contact@murmuration-sas.com

Mapping Human Thermal Stress: A New EO Paradigm

Latitudo 40 is developing a proprietary satellite-derived Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) layer, representing a major innovation in Earth Observation for urban climate analytics. 

The product enables spatially continuous assessment of human thermal stress, advancing climate intelligence beyond conventional temperature mapping.

The Observational Gap: Translating Meteorology into Human Heat Load

Air temperature alone cannot accurately represent human thermal stress, as physiological heat balance depends on radiative fluxes, wind speed, and atmospheric moisture. 

Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) is a biometeorological index expressing the thermal conditions experienced by the human body as an equivalent air temperature in a standardized indoor environment. Derived from the human energy balance equation, PET integrates air temperature, mean radiant temperature, humidity, and wind speed. 

However, its spatial application remains constrained by sparse in-situ measurements and limited microclimatic resolution.

Latitudo 40’s High‑Resolution PET Layer: Bridging EO Data and Human Thermal Physiology

Latitudo 40’s PET layer leverages AI models trained on multispectral satellite data to retrieve microclimatic variables and compute spatially resolved PET. 

This enables the detection of radiative heat accumulation, urban canyon effects, and micro-scale thermal gradients not captured by ground-based instruments.

PET Use Cases: Climate Resilience, Health, Mobility, and Risk Analytics

• Urban planning and climate adaptation: identification of thermal risk hotspots
• Public health: assessment of heat exposure and vulnerability
• Urban mobility: thermally optimized pedestrian and micromobility routing
• ESG and climate risk reporting: urban resilience indicators
• Real estate and infrastructure: microclimate-aware asset evaluation
• Insurance and risk underwriting: supporting risk assessment and pricing models by quantifying localized heat exposure and climate-related hazard zones

Grenoble Heatwave Case Study: PET Reveals Concealed Extreme Stress

An analysis conducted in Grenoble during the August 23, 2023 heatwave identified urban canyon zones where PET values reached up to 20°C above recorded air temperature. 

The results revealed localized heat stress conditions undetectable by meteorological stations, demonstrating the value of satellite-derived PET mapping.

Embedding PET in Urban Routing: Next‑Gen Human‑Centric Mobility Tools

Latitudo 40 is integrating the PET layer into the Green Urban Navigator, an experimental mobility platform using Earth Observation and AI to optimize pedestrian routing. 

By incorporating thermal comfort into routing logic, the system enables climate-aware mobility decisions and supports human-centric urban adaptation strategies.

Ongoing Experimentation and Future Release

The PET layer is currently in an experimental phase. Latitudo 40 plans to progressively release the fully operational PET layer and the Green Urban Navigator mobile application throughout 2026, sharing results and insights as both products evolve. These initiatives represent key steps toward scalable, human-centered, and climate-aware urban planning solutions.

Hydramo has recently introduced a novel concept redefining how Earth Observation data are processed, transferred and experienced by end users.

By combining long-term experience in the telecommunications industry with AI-driven, Edge-based Earth Observation approaches, Hydramo has introduced the Satellites-to-People paradigm.
Instead of keeping satellite intelligence within cloud-heavy workflows, EO2GO delivers actionable EO insights directly to smartphones and vehicles.

At the core of this innovation lies patented AI-to-AI over-air technology together with on-device Edge AI processing. This architecture enables EO intelligence to be transmitted efficiently and interpreted locally on the user’s device.
As a result, Earth Observation data are no longer dependent on continuous high-bandwidth connectivity.
They can reach users even in remote areas and are compatible with terrestrial networks as well as emerging D2D (Direct-to-Device) technologies, enabling satellites to communicate directly with smartphones.

The platform operates using a combination of public and commercial satellite constellations, representing approximately 68 EO satellites in orbit. This blended approach ensures global coverage and multi-source resilience while maintaining a mobile-first delivery model.

EO2GO Mobile EO Twins consist of two complementary applications.

EO2GO Environmental App enables water authorities, farmers, fisheries and citizens to access satellite-based environmental intelligence without requiring any technical background.
Farmers can monitor crop conditions, drought patterns and field variability directly from their smartphones, supporting more resilient and data-informed decisions.
Fisheries and coastal operators can observe surface water extent, environmental changes and potential pollution indicators that may affect aquatic ecosystems.
Surface water monitoring, vegetation condition awareness and climate-related insights become accessible through Edge AI processing within a mobile interface specifically designed for field use.

EO2GO Civil Protection App extends the concept into crisis response and multi-hazard awareness. It integrates EO-driven situational intelligence with navigation logic, supporting informed mobility decisions when time is critical.
Designed for extreme scenarios, the system can transform satellite awareness about flood, snow, fires or air pollution into ultra-lightweight data suitable for operation during severe connectivity disruptions.
Both emergency responders and civilians can use EO Navigation concepts to identify optimised routing or visualise potential escape paths.
In total blackout conditions, EO information can even be represented in simplified text-based formats, including Morse-compatible transmission modes, ensuring continuity of awareness when conventional digital systems fail.

EO2GO Mobile EO Twins introduce a new era in Earth Observation. Authorities, businesses and civilians can access satellite intelligence directly, without specialised software or expertise.
Climate resilience, food security and crisis situational awareness are no longer restricted to desktops but become globally accessible through a mobile device.
With this novel concept, Earth Observation moves from space to people, and from infrastructure to individuals.

Access EO2GO Mobile EO Twins applications at www.eo2go.app.

GMATICS is proud to announce that it has been selected as one of the two winners of the first  edition of the “Scouting AI” program, launched by ELT Group to identify the most innovative Italian  SMEs developing AI-powered solutions. 

Our expertise and capabilities were chosen among 60 companies involved in the initiative, and the  company will now take part in collaborative activities with ELT Group on areas of strategic interest. 

Within this framework, GMATICS will contribute its expertise in satellite remote sensing and AI driven geospatial analytics, leveraging Earth Observation data to support advanced solutions for  security and DEFENCE-related scenarios. 

ELT Group’s initiative to identify high-potential AI SMEs highlights the growing importance of EO based analytics in strategic domains, where timely, reliable, and automated geospatial insights are  becoming increasingly critical. 

This recognition further validates GMATICS’s approach to combining artificial intelligence with multi source satellite data, including optical and SAR imagery, to generate actionable intelligence for large scale environmental monitoring and mission-critical contexts. As demand grows for autonomous  analysis and rapid interpretation of geospatial information, solutions capable of integrating  heterogeneous data and transforming them into operational insights are becoming increasingly  relevant for both institutional and industrial stakeholders. 

This collaboration represents an important step toward bridging cutting-edge AI research and  operational deployment, reinforcing the role of innovative SMEs in advancing the European space  and defence ecosystem. 

About GMATICS: 

GMATICS is an Italian geospatial company that delivers AI-powered Earth Observation services for Local Public Administrations, accelerating smart-city initiatives, and Infrastructure Operators improving the resilience of their asset and services. We are specialised in transforming multi-sensor satellite data into actionable insights to improve air quality, land management, public health, and  urban security and safety. GMATICS covers a wide field of EO applications, developing algorithms  able to retrieve specific information content. 

By leveraging innovative AI models, automated workflows, and adaptive user interfaces our  solutions support public administrations and private operators with reliable, scalable tools for data driven decisions.