Open Atlas Industry Days: Uniting Visionaries for Earth Observation Advancements

The Open Atlas Industry Days took place this May in Bucharest, Romania. The event brought together decision-makers, researchers, and industry stakeholders in a teaming environment prone to discussing innovative solutions for crucial issues like food and water security or resource management.

Open Atlas Industry Days: Overview

This collaborative event brought together industry leaders, remote sensing researchers, and stakeholders to address pressing challenges in food and water security and resource management. The objective was to facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge from the space industry to other sectors, integrating innovative management methodologies. Open Atlas Industry Days is part of the Open Atlas, a project of the Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake.

Joris Kruse, the project coordinator of Open Atlas, commented on the goals of the event: “To gain insights from the needs of the industry in Romania, particularly in the water and food nexus, and to explore new solutions that the host institution, University Politehnica of Bucharest, and other organisations and companies present at the event can develop in the near future.” Scientific coordinator of the Open Atlas project, Andrei Bocin-Dumitriu, emphasised the choice of Romania as the event’s location, citing the country’s significant role in European agriculture and its recent challenges related to climate change, such as desertification and water scarcity.

The event brought together representatives from various organisations, including the Economic Board of the Netherlands Embassy in Romania, Open Atlas, Romanian Space Agency (ROSA), Terrasigna, Agricover, Clubul Fermierilor Romani, Ogor.ro, ESRI Romania, University of Bucharest, and University Politehnica of Bucharest, side by side with various startups, educational institutions, and research organisations.

About Open Atlas

Open Atlas is a European remote sensing platform dedicated to advancing Earth Observation research and innovation. Through its collaborative ecosystem, Open Atlas facilitates knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the development of cutting-edge algorithms. Open Atlas aims to drive transformative change in the water-food nexus and beyond by harnessing the collective expertise of academia, industry, and government partners.

Researchers interested in contributing to the Open Atlas platform are encouraged to submit their innovative algorithms. By sharing their expertise and insights, contributors can play a vital role in accelerating innovation and shaping the future of Earth Observation research. For more information, visit the Open Atlas Project.

Collaborative Efforts for Sustainability

Several pitches were presented during the event, each highlighting different aspects of remote sensing and its applications:

1. Open Atlas (Joris Kruse) – Focused on the iterative innovation process involving research, prototyping, testing, refining, and production. The pitch emphasised the need for tailored remote sensing solutions.
2. ROSA – “Geospatial Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture” highlighted the use of geospatial technologies to enhance sustainable agricultural practices.
3. Terrasigna – Presented on leveraging remote sensing to enhance CAP returns in Romania, focusing on maximising efficiency and compliance in agriculture through advanced technology.
4. Agricover – Discussed connecting today’s farmers with tomorrow’s agriculture, aiming to bridge the gap between current practices and future innovations.
5. Clubul Fermierilor Romani si Think Thank-ul Agrinnovator – An association dedicated to the sustainable development of Romanian agriculture, emphasising innovation and sustainability.
6. Ogor. ro – Introduced an integrated and affordable toolkit for precision and sustainable farming essentials.
7. ESRI Romania – Showcased how ArcGIS is changing the agri-food and water sector with remote sensing and GIS technologies.

There were used during the event three innovation canvases, specifically designed to facilitate the participants’ engagement in an innovation process, identify the needs, and work on a prototype for the solution (i.e., initiate a technology transfer). 

You can read more about these canvases and download them via the link: https://connect.groundstation.space/download-canvases-for-innovation-in-earth-observation 

Dan Grigore, from Clubul Fermierilor Romani and Manager Program Think Tank Agrinnovator, was happy to share his experience of participation in the event: “At the Open Atlas Industry Days, I had the privilege to witness leading data-driven companies collaborate with remote sensing experts in an enlightening discussion on advanced monitoring, optimised resource management, and resilience & adaptation using Earth Observation data.”

Join the Open Atlas Community!

Open Atlas is an open-source algorithm registry for Earth Observation, part of the Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake. The platform is designed for researchers interested in developing and sharing algorithms and industry users searching for the latest innovations related to the water and food nexus. By publishing algorithms on Open Atlas, researchers can accelerate the development of new tools and applications.

We invite researchers and industry professionals to join the Open Atlas community. Contribute your algorithms, collaborate with experts, and be a part of the transformative change in Earth Observation research. For more information, visit the Open Atlas Project.