From Space to Society. And Back.

This blog is about all matters concerning the diffusion of innovation within society, with an obvious soft spot for satellite applications.

Why make it simple when you can make it complicated (about end-user needs)

"[…] more effort should be carried out, on the ground, to talk to end-users and get new ideas from them.The fact that we can do that, in Europe, is perhaps our biggest competitive advantage in the face of much decried (by some) American competition, of the likes of Google and the rest. We – both public and private providers – can create European value-added services because we can talk to the end-users on the ground. We can find out what they need. And they need stuff. So we can insist on going beyond research, to create highly personalised solutions that rely both on Europe’s impressive satellite infrastructure and on field knowledge."

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Free and open satellite data: private companies join in the game

When it comes to satellite data, open data policies have come to be expected and welcome from public entities. However, a private satellite data provider going for the same policy will make some noise and raise some eyebrows. Surely the very point of such companies is to make money from selling such data, not giving them away for free. And yet…

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The Climate Change Data Challenge – open innovation for the COP21

2015 is the year France will host the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21). The expected results of the C3 initiative – that is, innovative applications relying on data and emerging from the collective intelligence of citizens, companies, start-ups, civil society, students – will feed into the COP21. As far as initiatives of this kind go, C3 is exemplary in making climate change, but also innovation, everyone’s business.

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Thank you, Colin!

Laudatio by ESA DG Jean-Jacques Dordain, given on the occasion of the Eurisy General Assembly 2015 on 17 June 2015 - the last to be presided by President Colin Hicks.

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EO uptake: the Holy Grail?

We’ve interviewed Dr Ian Thomas for some tips to advance EO Uptake based on his three-decade plus career as an Earth Observation (EO) specialist and supporter to end-users. This has been within various local, central and pan-government programmes in the United Kingdom, Western Europe, SE Asia, USA, Australia, Antarctica and New Zealand. (More on his current work at www.eoci.info )

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The Committee of the Regions – a receptive ear when it comes to satellite services. An opportunity not to be left at that.

The Committee of the Regions was among the first user organisations to pick on the potential of satellite services and their use in the Regions. (working notably with Eurisy since 2007). End 2014, the organisation produced another opinion on an EC consultation on the importance of the use of satellite services in the Blue Economy. But for the CoR to go further in its recommendations, industry and SMEs should be more present

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