More than 100 people attended the BEIS conference centre [on
Thursday 23 November], for sessions on how space data and
services can help with the environment, infrastructure and
disasters, with speakers from the UK Space Agency, DEFRA,
Ordnance Survey, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, ESA and
UK industry.
Sara Huntingdon, SSGP Manager, said: “Our SSGP showcase is now in
its third year and we have grown bigger and bolder in our
ambitions. This year, we had a vast array of knowledge and
experience in the room. The mix of inspiring presentations,
exhibitors and debates provided a great opportunity for sharing
ideas and chance for people to talk to companies, innovation
bodies and public sector organisations and find out about the
latest policy delivery challenges and the support we can
provide.”
SSGP was established in 2014 and is a UK Space Agency led and
funded programme, which is delivered in collaboration with the
Satellite Applications Catapult. It exists to help the public
sector understand how data and satellite enabled applications can
be used to make public services more effective or deliver them at
less cost. As well as raising awareness through training and
education events, the programme works with public sector
organisations to show how to best access, use and deploy
satellite data and applications. The programme team helps UK
Government embrace space and embed it as just another tool into
business as usual operations. Presentations from companies on the
innovative ways they are using satellite data to work with the
public sector included:
- Using Earth Observation for efficient and effective peatland
assessment and tree health monitoring
- Assessing air quality hotspots using imagery and ground based
sensors
- Satellite enabled decision support tools , which provide
answers as a cost effective service for Local Authorities, and
- A National Flood Warning & Mitigation Service
With public sector and intergovernmental organisations setting
out the latest developments, progress on space service adoption
and policy updates associated with:
- DEFRA’s Earth Observation Centre of Excellence
- Digital Twins of National Infrastructure
- Decommissioning challenges in the energy sector
- Copernicus Services, the latest Sentinel earth observation
satellites and the International Charter for Space and Major
Disasters
