Representatives from ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme had a busy few days in Poland last week, with a commitment to urban green transition taking centre stage. Based in Łódź, the Urban Future week brought together more than 2,000 city leaders, change-makers and urbanists with three back-to-back events dedicated to sustainable development, climate protection and zero-emission technologies.
The 3rd edition of the Local Government Climate Congress was first, with the goal to connect urban decision-makers, businesses and the scientific community to better tackle the challenges of climate change in the urban environment. It was followed by Urban Future – a leading sustainable cities event with an online community of more than 50,000 urban change-makers – and the trio of events concluded with a focus on zero-emission mobility at the Łódź Manufaktura EV Experience.
Vienna House by Wyndham Andel’s in Łódź, venue of the Local Government Climate Congress and Urban Future.
ESA took centre stage on day one in a special panel session to discuss the huge potential of satellite data in supporting cities – and specifically Łódź – in adapting to climate change.
Dr Nick Appleyard, Head of the BASS programme at ESA, said: “Satellites have a huge role to play in supporting and facilitating the green transition. That is why ESA is here today: we're here to build partnerships with cities, with infrastructure operators, and with the whole supply chain of digital services.
“Much of the green transition is based on data, insight, and telecommunications – and this is where satellites come in, and we come in. We help SMEs build the services which help solve the challenges of our growing cities, grappling with ever-growing populations and the impacts from extreme climate events.”
Dr Nick Appleyard (ESA) discusses the transformative role of satellite data and technology in helping cities like Łódź adapt for urban climate resilience.
The session culminated with the signing of the first of three agreements between ESA and Polish representatives. With pens put to paper, the City of Łódź joined a rapidly growing number of cities from all over the world to be a part of the ESA BASS programme’s Task Force for Smart and Green Cities – a powerful collective driving the development and delivery of shared innovative sustainability projects, and setting the agenda to future-proof urban spaces with the support of innovative space technology.
“It's great to have a strong friendship and cooperation with the mayor of Łódź and with her team,” said Dr Appleyard. “There's so much that we can do which comes together in the city environment where all the utilities, all the transport networks and all the social parts of people's activities are all happening simultaneously and coordinate with one another."
The mayor of Łódź, Hanna Zdanowska, stated that “becoming part of ESA’s Task Force marks another step for Łódź towards international cooperation. We want to help shape green, smart cities – and we believe our local strengths can make a difference on a European scale.” Her remarks underscored the city’s commitment to leveraging innovation and collaboration to drive sustainable urban development.
Hannah Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, with Dr Nick Appleyard (ESA) shake hands after signing a partnership agreement under the ESA BASS Task Force for Smart and Green Cities.
Another significant partnership agreement was signed on the second day of Urban Future Week, marking a special economic collaboration between ESA, the Marshal’s Office of the Łódź Voivodeship, and Łódź Special Economic Zone (LSSE) - one of the 14 Special Economic Zones in Poland which has also been designated a European Digital Innovation Hub by the European Union.
The purpose of this Memorandum of Intent is to mutually support the growth of SMEs in the region by facilitating business connections, creating new initiatives, and promoting funding opportunities.
Tomasz Sadzyński, President of the Board of LSSE, said: “The Memorandum of Intent signed with the European Space Agency represents a great opportunity for our SMEs. We have a lot in our region using innovative technologies, for example in the intermodal transport space, and we look forward to be able to accelerate them to do even more and even better.”
Pictured from left to right: Tomasz Sadzyński (President of the Board, Łódź Special Economic Zone), Joanna Skrzydlewska (Marshal of the Łódź Region), and Piotr Wojtysiak (Vice-Marshal of the Łódź Region) during the signing of a Memorandum of Intent with ESA to support SME growth and innovation.
Completing the hat trick of agreements, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the EV Experience by ESA and the Polish Association for New Mobility (PSNM). Cooperation between ESA and PSNM will enable the exchange of knowledge and the implementation of joint projects, supporting the development of innovations in electromobility and the use of satellite data in transport.
Aleksander Rajch, co-founder and board member of PSNM, said: “This is a huge step for us - we want to be competitive, we want to be innovative, and this is why we need these kinds of partnerships. ESA brings an acumen that we could never reach on a local, smaller, more regional level.”
Aleksander Rajch (Co-founder and Board Member, PSNM) and Dr Nick Appleyard (ESA) shake hands following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to advance innovation in electromobility and satellite-supported transport solutions.
At the end of these busy few days in Poland, Dr Appleyard concluded: “There's a real energy and a feeling of positivity, cooperation, and social cohesion here, which we have really appreciated over the last three days. And as part of this, we've secured three cooperation agreements, which are going to become the focal points of our work in the city sector and mobility sectors.”
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