Speakers Bio & Abstract

Biography
Dave Benson, works for DigitalGlobe as the Regional Sales Director with responsibilities for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Mr Benson focusses on the environment, mining and agriculture market sectors and is responsible for both direct business with government and multi-national organizations as well as managing partners providing value added services to these segments. He has 20 years’ experience of geographic data sales in roles for HarperCollins Publishers, Infotech Enterprises, TeleAtlas and DigitalGlobe in diverse range of markets with a particular expertise in building “ecosystems” to address the requirements of the market to solve business problems with geographic data as the core. Mr Benson holds a BSc in Applied Physics from Brunel University and a Post Graduate Certificate of Education from London University (Chelsea College). His roles have included Physics Teacher, Software Trainer for Data General, Product Management for a Computer Rental/ Leasing Company and Educational Sales/ Software Development Manager for an Apple dealer before moving into a variety of sales management/ marketing roles for primary geographic data suppliers both in UK and internationally. Abstract
Addressing Key Challenges in Environment with Space TechnologyUnsustainable use of natural resources undermines the resiliency of ecosystems and has direct implications for health and living standards. With the pressure on the environment mounting, environment professionals are challenged with striking a balance between using natural resources to meet material needs and providing a healthy living space to the population. High-resolution, multispectral satellite imagery and derived information present an effective and efficient solution to cover large swaths of land and water to identify risks and existing issues, especially when compared to ground surveys. Access this level of geospatial information allows environment professionals to perform a variety of tasks such as identification of land use and land cover types such as urban developments, cadaster, illegal landfills; monitoring change over time such as alterations to buildings, roads, habitats and agricultural crops; and analyzing land and shallow water, such as bathymetric studies, soil quality and species classification. Satellite imagery and derived information is a cost-effective solution that ultimately may allow for significant time and resource savings with monitoring, conservation and protection activities.