Commercialization and Democratization of Earth Observation

The national and regional governments are responsible for defining and formalizing policies and strategies for the development of earth observation industry in their regions. The integration and initiatives at national, sub-national and regional levels and their due alignment with each other is imperative to understand the impact on industry development by way of innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities through incubation and accelerator programs. Additionally, it is imperative to understand if strategies and polices mandate and articulate the application of earth observation to provide benefits to the society. The panel shall deliberate on the need and examples of existing policies and strategies for EO industry development. In addition, the panel shall also include a release of report on, ‘Assessment of integration of national and sub-national strategies for EO industry development’, by the European Commission and Geospatial Media.

A radical transformation is happening in the EO industry as commercial companies with large budgets have entered the market with new possibilities and approaches. Until now, many of the EO operators have followed the historical business models, however, the new commercial entries in order to meet the market requirements, are supporting new business models based on downstream applications, image analytics, location-based services and asset tracking, etc. Such innovations in EO technologies are breaking constraints to shape strategies and business models. The panel in this session shall deliberate the type of new business models that will disrupt the EO industry in near future.

The earth observation industry, via cheap miniature satellites or Nano-satellites, and cheaper launches and ride-share opportunities, sensors and other input technologies are transforming the satellite data value chain while simultaneously revolutionizing how spatial information and data provides real-time insight of the Earth’s surface. Increasing access to earth observation data allows organizations to take immediate, informed action on today’s challenges, such as humanitarian efforts, environmental projects, rapid population growth, infrastructure, and security issues. The panel will discuss trends, benefits and challenges in democratizing access to earth observation data from varied perspectives.

The variety of data collected through earth observation creates tremendous commercial opportunities. The advancement of technology with highly accurate sensor specifications and enhancement of processing techniques is fueling the demand for commercial applications. The rise in number of commercial operators and service providers increases the array of available applications at a reduced cost. The emergence of new players, especially SME’s ensures that applications are being developed in the fields of constructions and transport, utilities, oil and gas, agriculture and renewable energies boosting economic growth. The panel in this session shall highlight case studies, deliberate benefits and future trends of utilizing commercial earth observation data, solutions and services.

As technology continues to advance, earth observation giants worldwide are extensively applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for processing of daily satellite imagery, detecting and classifying objects, and for consistently monitoring even the most infinitesimal change. In 2017, AI and ML driven earth observation startups have raised more than $100 million – nearly three times more than in 2016. While Machine Learning presents better clarity and visualization of satellite imagery interpreting the picture from different vantage points – Artificial Intelligence, helps extract valuable insights from the growing abundance of satellite imagery presenting strong AI-driven data analytics for multitude of applications. The panel will discuss various AI-ML driven services and trends that is shaping up the exciting future of earth observation marketplace.