UK tech company Secure Innovation has launched its Remote Planet platform, a new service which uses space technology to provide remote management and monitoring of high value assets and infrastructure. The service, developed under ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, offers customisable round-the-clock protection solutions for cash, logistics, critical assets and valuable assets in even the most remote locations, and is capable of safeguarding people in high-risk locations.
Managing high value assets securely and efficiently is increasingly challenging for businesses, especially those operating in hard-to-reach areas. Remote Planet offers a single, easy-to-use platform with custom reporting tools for businesses. As part of the project with ESA, the system was tested across three continents and successfully demonstrated a dual-directional command and monitoring capability able to offer exceptional uptime for customers using the service.
The geo-location settings are a key feature of the new service. Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) provide a location fix down to just 5 metres for accurate visibility. By harnessing a range of space technology and, crucially, the judicious use of data via a global Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) communication network to ensure seamless coverage when GNSS services are unreliable, Remote Planet is able to offer worldwide connectivity. The platform switches seamlessly to and from 4G when connectivity is threatened, resulting in ultra-high uptime levels.
As well as providing geo-location settings, the real time service means that protection settings can be changed according to time, location or status. It allows businesses to react quickly to changing landscapes, and the system also has the capacity to interpret sensor readings and send messages automatically, anticipating unforeseen events which might cause harm.
By developing the software for the new system alongside its proprietary hardware, Secure Innovation Group has been able to develop a smart system that can be quickly and efficiently adapted and refined according to user requirements, without waiting for third party development rollouts and whilst still remaining compatible with mainstream systems. After sales support is a crucial element of the Remote Planet offering, with connectivity and IoT technology sitting alongside the hardware.
Marco Sartori, ESA Technical Officer on the Remote Planet project said “This has been a really interesting project, focusing on developing not only the software but also evolving the proprietary hardware, enabling a full service agile platform with the capacity and flexibility to react quickly to customer requirements.”
The Remote Planet optimised service helps save businesses time by reducing the need for unnecessary site visits which have an impact on the environment, and its enhanced security features mean that it is also cost effective. Now operating in 15 countries across five continents, the platform already protects and monitors thousands of assets daily, valued at over £100 billion. Secure Innovation, based in Cornwall (in the far southwest of the UK) has, through the collaboration with ESA, reinforced its position as a major employer in the area, and is now equipped to expand further.
“As a leading technology business, already securing cash and valuable assets in over 40 countries, Remote Planet has enabled Secure Innovation Group to bring flexible space-based IOT connectivity directly to assets over a wide range of industries across the globe” said Anthony McAndrew, Director of Connectivity at Secure Innovation. “The collaboration with ESA has been a fantastic experience, and it has enabled us to grow our business reach to existing customers in the secure logistics market, as well as adjacent markets. It’s exciting to consider the sheer range of solutions we can now provide to a myriad of customers anywhere on the planet through the Remote Planet platform.”
UK tech company Secure Innovation Group has launched its Remote Planet platform, a new service which uses space technology to provide remote management and monitoring of high value assets and infrastructure.
The Belfast Harbour is hosting a one-day workshop on behalf of The European Space Agency (ESA) and the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA). The event will examine needs and priorities of the port sector around the themes of decarbonisation and sustainability and explore possible roles for current and emerging space data and services in supporting the green transition of port ecosystems.
Workshop Overview
The workshop will examine industry requirements for decarbonisation in known priority areas including onshore power, green shipping corridors and uptake of renewable energy solutions.
Efficiency gains achievable through digitalisation of port operations will be examined including monitoring the impact of decarbonisation on port air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and water quality.
Emerging solutions enabled by space data and services will be presented and their potential for commercial exploitation by the port industry will be explored.
Event Programme
08.30 – 09.45 Registration and Refreshments
09.45 – 10.15 Welcome and Introductions
Belfast Harbour - Kyle Flanigan, Infrastructure & Capacity Planning Lead
Belfast City Council - Debbie Caldwell, Climate Commissioner
UK Space Agency - Chris White-Horne, Deputy CEO for Programme Delivery
European Space Agency - Géraldine Naja, Director of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness
10.15 – 11.45 Port Ecosystems, Current Status and Future Directions
Session Chair - Kyle Flanigan, Belfast Harbour
Port Industry Challenges - Mark Simmonds, Director of Policy & External Affairs, British Ports Association Download the presentation
Green Shipping Corridors - Mark Wray, Ecosystem Director of Maritime and Ports, Connected Places Catapult Download the presentation
Remote monitoring and control of semi-autonomous vessels – Ghazaleh Kia, Seafar NV Download the presentation
16.00 - 16.15 Summary and Wrap Up Session
European Space Agency, UK Space Agency, Redshift Associates
Who should attend?
This exciting event will interest port operators, users, and stakeholders with ambitions towards decarbonisation and Net Zero port operations; service providers offering relevant transferable technologies from the space and other sectors, and representatives from the SME sector looking for markets for their early stage (TRL 4-6 use cases) capabilities.
Optimisation and energy efficiency technologies applied to the port sector.
Vessel efficiency focused on data, software or autonomy.
Autonomous vessels and port vehicles including subsystems such as control systems and sensors.
New measures driving port decarbonisation including sensors and robotic systems.
Port operations optimisation and digitisation.
Digital tools such as for port emissions monitoring.
Opportunities to introduce new technologies into the maritime sector
Image credit : Distribution Airbus DS, Project: LUCI
UK satellite operator and Earth observation experts Airbus Defence and Space has conducted a pilot project for Network Rail delivering land use and land use change data around the UK rail network. Project LUCI (Land Use Change Identification) was developed under ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme. It delivers a baseline land use report tailored to Network Rail’s specifications which is updated every six months to provide accurate and timely information at a scale and resolution previously unavailable to Network Rail.
The initial project delivers baseline land use information for 25% of the UK rail network, at a resolution of 50cm. Derived from Airbus Pleiades VHR optical imagery and using supporting datasets including ESA’s Sentinels 1 and 2, the service is updated every six months with fresh imagery. A layer is produced highlighting areas that have undergone change, therefore identifying the changing risk profile of the area.
Visualising and analysing the land adjacent to railway infrastructure is a key factor in developing and maintaining efficient networks. Both large and small-scale land use changes can have serious and potentially dangerous implications for railway networks; geospatial data can identify and anticipate these risks, enabling operators to understand the effects and develop sustainable solutions. For example, if land adjacent to a railway has been recently developed and now contains more impervious surfaces, the area may be at increased risk of flooding. This flood risk could have an impact on the railway lines, putting lives in danger on and off the track.
“Airbus continues its partnership with Network Rail to deliver detailed land use data and change information,” said Thomas Harling at Airbus. “Our partnership, supported by ESA, highlights how Airbus imagery partnered with our AI and land use expertise can drive innovation in the geospatial industry. LUCI demonstrates that actionable intelligence from space can make a difference to businesses and ultimately to public safety”
Airbus has shown that accurate land use information can be produced and updated at much faster frequencies than that provided by aerial survey. Airbus has also shown that the level of detail available is much higher than from traditional land use data sources.
The results from project LUCI have been analysed and demonstrate that the data can provide valuable actionable intelligence . This data enables Network Rail to have an up-to-date picture of the landscape around the railway boundaries and means that they can optimise the use of resources and focus them on the areas most at risk. This is far more cost effective than systematic inspections and can lead to quicker response times.
“Space technologies are an enabler for the digitalisation of railways. In particular, the use of satellite Earth observation data allows for efficient management of rail infrastructure, with a reduction of operational costs” says Enrico Spinelli, ESA Technical Officer of the LUCI demonstration project.
By leveraging geospatial data, Network Rail have the operational tools to stay on top of these changes in land use and develop plans to ensure the safety and sustainability of their networks, their employees, and the passengers they serve.
“Network Rail is proud to invest our R&D resources into this important initiative across multiple off-track disciplines,” said Stephen Brooks from Network Rail. “Maintaining safe and sustainable railway networks to best serve our clients is our top priority, and the data-driven insights delivered by Airbus will better enable us to provide transportation to the people of Great Britain. The LUCI project will enable us to better understand land use change beyond our boundary fence that may impact the operational railway.”
The processing technology behind project LUCI will allow the project to be scaled across the whole of the UK network and to other rail networks as needed.
UK satellite operator and Earth observation experts Airbus Defence and Space has conducted a pilot project for Network Rail delivering land use and land use change data around the UK rail network.
It’s not every day astronauts visit Belfast, but last week ESA astronaut reserve member John McFall joined thousands of delegates at the UK Space Conference, held for the first time in the city. An opportunity to showcase the role of the UK in the European space sector, representatives from ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) and Earth Observation (EOP) programmes were on hand at the ESA Connect Zone to demonstrate their work and discuss future opportunities with businesses and researchers.
The Zone was highly popular with visitors who, using the Earth observation interactive table, discovered the impact of climate change around the world. This information was made possible by Earth observation satellites which provide extraordinary insights into our climate and environment with the data they produce used across multiple applications. Visitors also enjoyed meeting Europe's first 'Lamb-baaaassador' Shaun the Sheep, who returned from the Artemis I mission to the moon in December 2022, and John McFall who inspired young delegates with career and learning opportunities in the space industry.
.
Shaun the Sheep with ESA astronaut reserve member John McFall
Speaking on the final day of the conference, Nick Appleyard, Head of Applications and Solutions at ESA, explained how space technology is already improving life on earth, helping protect critical infrastructure, aiding emergency responses to crises and playing a vital role in the global fight to combat climate change.
With space defined as part of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), developing resilient space technologies is key. “CNI relies on a wide range of resilient space technologies including position, navigation and timing (PNT) services and we are committed to making these services more resilient for both CNI users and our wider economy,” explained Nick. “Space capabilities are already central to many basic and safety-critical civil functions and this dependency on space will only increase.”
Looking at the role of satellite applications in the green transition, the figures speak for themselves. With more than 183M Euro invested in 300 green ESA BASS activities across a wide range of sectors since 2010, the work of BASS is impacting lives not only in Europe but around the world. The vast majority of the investment is in four key areas: sustainable transport, protecting ecosystems, sustainable agriculture and the green energy transition. ESA is working closely with key players in these areas. Tasks forces are already established in the automotive, energy and smart cities domains, with more planned.
“The green transition now drives 48% of all new ESA Space Solutions and is expected to rise,” said Nick. “Researchers and innovators will use space in new and exciting ways, improving the way we live and work and the UK is poised to be in the vanguard of this next phase of space innovation.”
The UK is the largest contributor to the BASS programme, with 50million GBP available to UK companies proposing sustainable Space Solutions in the BASS programme in 2024-25. It is also home to ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT).
Representatives from ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) and Earth Observation (EOP) programmes were on hand at the UK Space Conference to demonstrate their work and discuss future opportunities.
