IES’s CEO Inese Suija-Markova shared her knowledge and experience in generating and implementing satellite data simulation projects as part of Integrated Applications Promotion Programme’s (IAP) seminar organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia on the 18th of September.
The main objective of the seminar was to present ESA’s IAP content and financial opportunities that are available as a part of the Plan for European Cooperating States (PECS). IAP supports satellite technology feasibility studies as well as demonstration and pilot projects that bring together satellite technology service providers, project developers and end users.
In 2015, IES began the implementation of two PECS projects that simulate ESA satellite data. The results of the projects will be applicable for various fields in Latvia, such as agriculture, forestry, landscape planning, Baltic Sea ecology studies, etc. IES was selected as a good practice example and I.Suija-Markova was invited to share the experience of developing and implementing ESA PECS projects.
The two PECS projects will be completed by May, 2017. During the projects IES will develop the algorithms that will improve the usage of satellite data for a wide range of applications, such as: land-cover land-use analysis; Baltic Sea ecological status evaluation; forest classification; monitoring the dynamics of forest resources and their vitality; monitoring of urban sprawling; identification of damaged areas, wetlands, flood risk areas and degraded ecosystems; as well as evaluation of biodiversity.
The data will be valuable source of information for the Rural Support Service, the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environmental and Regional Development, Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre and other institutions.
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More about IES's PECS projects: