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End users are the core of the EU Space Programme which is why the EU Space Week features a set of industry focused sessions, the User Consultation Platform.

The User Consultation Platform (UCP) is a periodic forum organised by the European Commission (EC) and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), where users from different market segments meet to discuss their needs for applications, services and data relying on Position, Navigation and Time (PNT), Earth observation and secure governmental communications. 

The event involves end users, user associations and representatives of the value chain, such as receiver and chipset manufacturers, application developers and end users. It also gathers organisations and institutions dealing, directly and indirectly, with the European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS), encompassing Galileo and EGNOS, the EU Earth Observation system, Copernicus, and with GOVSATCOM, the upcoming system for secure governmental communications. The UCP event is a part of the process developed at EUSPA to collect user needs and requirements and take them as inputs for the provision of user driven space data-based services by the EU Space Programme. 

Check this out: EUSPA Releases User Consultation Platform 2022 Reports

The input collected from UCP does not stay in Sevilla but feeds the EU Space Programme: results are compiled in a set of reports  that helps policymakers at DG DEFIS market development professionals and satellite engineers at EUSPA, evaluate the current and potential future user needs and requirements to improve existing or introduce new services based on Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus and GOVSATCOM/IRIS².

"The UCP is one of the most important events for us at EUSPA as it’s a platform where the real beneficiaries of the EU Space Programme gather to analyse their needs, reflect and debate" says EUSPA’s Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market, Downstream & Innovation. "The feedback from stakeholders in rail, agriculture, forestry, maritime just to name a few, is what makes the satellite services evolve. I look forward to meeting you all in Sevilla" she concluded. 

Enrol in your preferred User Consultation Platform session here

8 sessions, 8 different sectors  

Agriculture and forestry, rail and public transport and road and automotive are just some of the sessions where relevant stakeholders will confer about how Earth Observation, satellite navigation and satellite communications their sectors more sustainable, secured and efficient. 

For the first time, and with its new role there will be a dedicated session Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST). This session focuses on the evolution of the EU SST capability and its services. Users will be consulted on their views on a proposal of advanced services complementary to the existing EU SST services, which may be developed by the EU industry. To stimulate the discussion there will be a roundtable with spacecraft operators representing all orbital regimes.

Register here and help shape the future of the EU Space Programme.  

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).

The world’s population is growing, meaning there’s more mouths to feed. With climate change wreaking havoc on global food supply chains, doing so in a sustainable manner becomes increasingly difficult. That’s why initiatives like the World Food Day are so critical.

Celebrated every 16 October, World Food Day puts the spotlight on the importance of sustainable food systems and combating global hunger. It highlights actions happening across the world where the EU is taking steps to strengthen global food systems through humanitarian and international assistance and cooperation. 

Supporting these steps is the EU Space Programme. 

Here are 10 concrete ways EU Space helps address the global food security challenge:

1. Earth Observation data is regularly used to monitor crop seasons. For example, when satellite imagery coverage is integrated with field surveys, one can quantify the areas to be planted and, later to be harvested. 

2. The use of GNSS together with Earth observation for planting crops can determine where to apply fertilisers and pesticides, thereby reducing their use. In fact, it is estimated that using Earth Observation and GNSS together can help increase yields by more than 10% while reducing the use of fuel, fertiliser and pesticides by up to 20%.

Read More: Can we halve the use of pesticides in the EU by 2030?

3. Galileo and Copernicus data are also behind operational solutions as farm machinery guidance, precision irrigation and variable rate application. These tools increase the productivity of agricultural cultivation by supporting informed management processes and optimising the use of land, seeds, plant protection agents and water. 

4. Earth Observation is the most accessible and effective way of acquiring information on site-specific crop properties over broad areas – information that can help increase the efficiency of farming operations. Specifically, the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) provides data on vegetation, water cycle, crop yield forecasting and soil condition monitoring. 

5. As a key enabler of precision farming, Galileo and EGNOS allow farmers to optimise the space between planted seeds, which further boosts productivity and yields and reduce energy use. 

6. Earth Observation images that are complemented by GNSS (including Galileo and EGNOS) can be used to evaluate and provide early warnings about drought and crop yields, giving governments a powerful tool to tackle famine in a timely fashion. 

7. The use of Galileo and Copernicus is proving useful in livestock management. For example, Galileo-enabled collars – used to monitor livestock – support the activities of the breeders while Copernicus data helps them identify the most suitable grazing area. 

8. Within fisheries, Copernicus is used to help assess fish stocks and to optimise fishing efforts. Together with GNSS, it can also help prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Read More: Partnering to promote sustainable fisheries and aquafarms

9. In the aquaculture sector, both Earth Observation and GNSS applications contribute to the optimisation and planning of aquaculture operations by providing a host of information to aquafarmers. This information is used to select the best site for their fish farms and determine water quality in lakes and reservoirs or along coastal areas. 

10. EGNSS constitutes a vital link within the food supply chain, providing the precise positioning needed to, for example, track food products being transported by air, land and sea.

Clearly, sustainable food systems start with EU Space. “Leveraging the power of EU Space puts us in a better position to answer the food security challenge and paves the way to being able to sustainably feed the world’s growing population,” concludes da Costa.

Want to learn more about how the EU Space Programme benefits agriculture and food supply chains? Then be sure to download our EU Space for Agriculture brochure and read our joint report with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) entitled EU Space Supporting a World of 8 Billion People.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).