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Belgian company Avia-GIS NV, is about to scale up its commercial activities and introduce its award-winning VECMAP® pest control software to the European market.

The success of VECMAP®, developed with the support of ESA’s Business Applications programme, has now secured the company an ‘SME Instrument’ grant. The 1.6 million grant represents a real boost for the business, based near Antwerp, which looks set to become a global commercial market leader.

Vector-borne diseases account for more than 17 per cent of all diseases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The VECMAP® software suite, winner of three innovation awards, is radically changing the way in which this problem is tackled. Vectors are the factors that transmit the infectious disease from one organism to another. In humans typical vectors are mosquitoes or ticks; resulting in malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and even plague. 

Vector-borne plant and animal diseases can devastate agricultural productivity and compromise ecosystems globally. As a public health issue they cause more than one million deaths annually of which over 600,000 are due to malaria (WHO). 

What’s worse is that vector-borne diseases are on the increase, now appearing in countries which were previously unaffected. This trend is a result of globalisation, increased interconnectivity and growing transport networks – with pests travelling the world in containers and aeroplanes providing the perfect way of carrying pathogens from place to place. As the risks spread, so do the substantial economic, ecological and public health implications. 

Traditional methods to monitor/control are resource-intensive, often using harsh chemicals in  ‘carpet bombing’ scenarios.  In 2014, however, the EU stipulated that member states should use proactive prevention, applying Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles that combine a variety of methods to attack the entire lifecycle of the pests. 

State-of-the-art proactive prevention

VECMAP® software is a ‘one-stop-shop’ enabling state-of-the-art proactive prevention. Earth Observation imagery is combined through statistical models to provide vector disease risk maps and other value added services which help to identify the main habitat of the pests. GNSS enabled smartphones provide geo-localised data to the VECMAP system – which can be used to position traps and other IoT devices as required. ‘Smart’ data-driven control measures then dramatically reduce the use of insecticides. 

“ESA Business Applications offered us the unique opportunity necessary to reach our goal which is to develop and commercialise tools that bridge the gap between research and decision-making, ” says CEO of Avia-GIS, Guy Hendrickx.

The software is available for researchers and decision makers and the grant enables the development of a version for pest-control operators. It is aimed at 3,200 SME pest controllers in Europe, and will help them make the shift to IPM strategies.

Davide Coppola, European Space Agency says: “ESA Business Applications help stakeholders to address commercial and technical risks throughout the application development lifecycle. This  transforms promising concepts into applications that are ready to go to market. VECMAP® is an excellent example of how ESA can help businesses to develop innovative and profitable space-based services, that are ready for commercialisation at scale.”

About Avia-GIS

Avia-GIS was established in 2001 and as an SME (small or medium-sized enterprise) has grown 17 per cent per year, steadily  building public authority trust. Avia-GIS employs 13 highly-specialised staff and has an annual turnover of 2M€. 

Conor Nugent from Breadboard Labs showcases CURIO Canopy. Filmed at the 2018 Earth Engine User Summit in Dublin, June 12-14.

Ascend XYZ completed AMMO Project in May 2017 as part of ESA Business Applications programme, since then Ascend XYZ has grown its customer base and revenue by 200%. Ascend XYZ provides innovative software solutions for airport safety management around the globe and it is powered by Space.

August 2018. The Department of Water and Sanitation of South Africa has signed a long-term contract with HydroNET and eLEAF to rollout a Water Auditing Application to support compliance monitoring of irrigated water use.

The recent droughts in South Africa have put an enormous pressure on the available water resources. 63% of the available water is used for irrigation. To regulate water use, a water licensing system has been introduced in the National Water Act of South Africa. Water resources managers have a major challenge to monitor compliance, since water meters are not available for most farms.  The South African Inkomati Usuthu Catchment Management Agency (IUCMA), HydroNET and eLEAF have joined forces to design and develop the Water Auditing Application: a low-cost compliance monitoring solution to identify farms that use more water for irrigation than allowed. This information enables water managers to warn and raise awareness among farmers by showing them their water use compared to others.Since the implementation of the Water Auditing Application for the IUCMA, irrigated water use has been significantly reduced. Because of this success, the Department of Water and Sanitation has now decided to roll out the Water Auditing Application throughout South Africa.

The Water Auditing application is based on eLEAF’s PiMapping® technology to calculate the volume of water used per irrigated field. This volume is automatically compared with the permitted volumes, flagging non-compliance. For water resource managers the application offers easy access and insight into the irrigated water use per field, farm, catchment, district or any other management area. It highlights areas with excessive water use, supporting water managers to optimize their permit enforcement strategies. All this information is available via online dashboards through the HydroNET platform, an award-winning decision support system for water managers. The combination of eLEAF’s PiMapping technology and HydroNET Software as a Service (SAAS) solution ensures that technically speaking the Water Auditing application is available for implementation by the relevant authorities anywhere in the world.

The development of the Water Auditing Application has been supported by the ‘Business Applications’ programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) in the frame of the OWASIS Demonstration Project,  with the backing of  the Netherlands Space Agency (NSO). The Water Auditing Application makes use of Earth observation data to obtain the required precipitation forecasts, soil moisture contents and evapotranspiration information. It was presented at the “African Spatial Delight” session at the Stockholm Water Week on August 29.

Small-scale creators are vital to the UK's economy and some of Britain’s Willy Wonkas are concocting their recipes in London.

At Entocycle, black soldier flies are bred on spent grain from local breweries to turn them into a high-protein meal for salmon – a possible replacement for the far more land-intensive soya beans.

People might be surprised to learn that Entocycle is "powered by space", as it uses assets like robotic automation, big data analysis, life support systems and scheduling protocols that have all been derived from the space industry.

Entocycle is seeking to transform the $150 billion animal feed industry with an innovative technology that converts waste treatment costs into new revenue streams.

How can satellites be utilised to collect water depth data?

Who are TCarta?

To fully understand why we support TCarta and their vision, you need to know a little bit about who they are.

So, what do they do?

TCarta are a geographical information systems company, constantly working to improve geospatial data availability. They provide map data in places where it’s not currently available.

The company began with providing seafloor mapping data for marine applications. But, more recently, they offer onshore and offshore geospatial solutions. Therefore, it’s little wonder they’re a leading provider of Earth observation analysis services.

For TCarta, data is central to innovation.

The Measurement of Water Depth

While TCarta work in a number of different sectors, one of their key areas of focus is bathymetry.

Bathymetry is depth mapping of water, in oceans, seas or lakes. Unsurprisingly, this can be an extremely difficult task. However, it’s a necessary one.

How can collecting this data be made more efficient?

The Bathymetry Data Portal

The latest development and application of technology for TCarta is the creation of the Bathymetry Data Portal, which focuses on the coastal marine environment for the global market.

The portal collects all the bathymetry information in one place, allowing it to be easily obtained by those who need it.

Having all this information accessible in one portal is somewhat of a revolution, as it’s the first time this data has been available in this way.

This instant access is ground-breaking, and the data can be used across a wide spectrum of sectors:

• Energy and renewables
• Environment
• Engineering and construction
• Maritime
• Energy
• Government

These different sectors utilise this data in a number of ways. For example, tsunami modelling benefits from the more accurate and detailed data about shallow water areas.

How Does this Relate to Space?

So, what does any of this have to do with space?

You may assume collecting deep sea data requires a boat. However, satellite technology has made remote connection possible.

In terms of distance, you can’t get much further apart than the bottom of the sea floor and space. So, to some, it’s surprising that the data is derived this way.

But, distance isn’t a concern. Data is collected by taking a multispectral satellite image. This measures reflected energy within several specific sections of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Overcoming Challenges

Despite advancements in technology, global coverage remains a challenge.

However, TCarta have found a solution for this. Instead of trying to cover the globe, they only choose areas of highest value, which are suitable for producing this type of data.

How Have ESA-BA Helped?

The European Space Agency Business Applications have played a pivotal role in the creation of the Bathymetry Data Portal.

To create a sustainable business, you need support and funding. This is exactly what ESA-BA has provided, offering:

• Co-equity funding
• Technical and commercial guidance
• Network and partners
• Brand credibility

All of these factors combined have provided the necessary ingredients to make the Bathymetry Data Portal accessible to all.

How Can ESA-BA Help You?

We have worked with a number of innovative and ground-breaking businesses, and have many success stories as a result. TCarta is just one of these!

Our globally recognised innovation programme offers funding, support and credibility to your company.

This is available to any business which intends to use space to develop commercial services. From satellite navigation to space weather, we work with a broad spectrum of innovative ideas.

You can find out more about our funding opportunities here. Alternatively, subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with the latest technologies bringing us closer to the stars.

3INSAT, an ESA Business Applications funded project led by Ansaldo STS in Italy, recently helped to run the worlds first long-haul automated cargo train.

The fully-loaded autonomous train carried 28,000 tonnes of ore over 280 km between the Tom Price mine and the port of Cape Lambert in Western Australia, with Rio Tinto’s Operations Centre more than 1,500 km away in Perth mointoring the three locamotives used to drive the train, using satellite capabilities.

Each of the three locamotives was equipped with an onboard module relaying the trains position, speed and direction of travel back to the Rio Tinto Operations Centre via using satellite communication technology. Public areas and crossings were also fitted with cameras and monitors to allow continual monitoring of this historic journey.

Rio Tinto is using the 3INSAT inspired technology to automate much of the acitivty on the 1,700km jounrey between mines and ports in the Pilbara region. More than 200 locamotives use this route with an average journey of 800km taking 40hrs from loading to unloading.

This journey, as the world's first long-haul cargo train to be automated, signals the start of a new era of automated long-haul cargo train networks, which suit the remote areas of Western Australia.

3InSat innovations contributed to the rollout of the European’s first satellite applications on train control systems generating over 100 M€ revenues, raising some 20 M€ in R&D investments and to gave birth to ERSAT – a joint initiative between Ansaldo STS and RFI for adopting satellite applications on the local and regional lines. 

An unprecedented collaboration between industry, researchers and space agencies has generated new jobs and is at the core of a roadmap to exploit satellite applications on daily railway operations, improving the safety and the quality of the services for millions of passengers travelling on trains.

Sponsored by DigitalGlobe and the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Applications, the Earth Observation Challenge launched in April 2018, calling on developers, geoscientists, and innovative minds across Europe to submit tactical solutions using advanced geospatial technology for one of two challenges:

1. Identifying water bodies or water changes
2. Change characterization in urban areas

Participants received on demand access to the DigitalGlobe 18-year image library and ESA Sentinel-2 data via our cloud-based Geospatial Big Data platform (GBDX), which empowered them to develop and run algorithms at scale.

We are excited to announce our three winners:

Reservoir Monitor – Global, timely, and accurate monitoring of water resources is an essential component to improve management in water-scarce regions. Gennadii Donchyts, a data scientist, created a solution based on a fusion of medium and high-resolution, multi-temporal satellite imagery that estimates high-frequency surface water area changes in any reservoir on Earth. The use of a discriminative-generative method allows accurate detection of surface water extent even in satellite imagery.

Urban.Monitor – Rapid growth – without data, facts and efforts to ensure resilience – is exposing cities around the world to huge risks as a result of change that has not been prepared for.. We are committed to accurately mapping urban change using combined high and very-high satellite imagery. A team consisting of Konstantinos Karantzalos, Maria Papadomanolaki, and Maria Vakalopoulou created a deep learning framework that trains, predicts, and detects naturally occurring and man-made objects and their change to better understand the scale, pace and impact to the surrounding environment anywhere in the world.

Topolytics – Three people from Topolytics, a data and analytics business, are making industrial and commercial waste materials visible, verifiable, and valuable via two solutions: WasteMap is a geospatially-enabled big data platform for managing, visualizing and analyzing waste material flows, which leverages timely Earth observation (EO) data. WasteTrack combines live data from sensors and other sources to verify the movement of inbound and outbound waste and raw materials. Together, WasteMap and WasteTrack will enable stakeholders in the waste industry to better understand and optimize their processes and generate better commercial, environmental and investment decisions by maximizing the value and utility of secondary raw materials.

This challenge was designed to empower data scientists, businesses, academia and start-ups to build solutions and transform EO imagery into meaningful, geospatial context for business growth and global development purposes with GBDX Notebooks – and each submission delivered a brilliant idea. Congratulations to all the finalists, and thank you to all our participants for your incredible work!

The winners receive a cash prize, 90 days access to GBDX Notebooks, and access to ESA’s incubation network and business development resources.

5G and Space for Societies

ESA Business Applications will host a workshop to showcase the impact that the integration of 5G and space can make to societies, offering a platform where industry, institutions, local communities, representatives of vertical sectors and National Delegations can be informed and discuss planned new initiatives.

The 5th Generation of communication networks (5G) promises to deliver an unprecedented transformation to the way information is shared among people. The ability to deliver extreme mobile broadband, ultra-reliable critical communications and massive machine-type communications will enable the advent of new applications and business models to the benefits of societies worldwide.

The integration of space capabilities with such networks can augment the 5G service offer and address some of the major challenges faced by user communities in verticals such as transport, media, energy, safety and security. To unleash this potential, ESA Business Applications is collaborating with local initiatives engaged in the support of 5G-enabled projects to the benefits of the citizens and local economies.

The workshop will showcase planned collaborations, such as the initiative between ESA and 5Groningen (https://business.esa.int/news/ESA-5Groningen-Collaboration), to encourage the development and piloting of new service concepts based on 5G and space. A set of on-going 5Groningen projects will be enhanced through the use of satellite information and the first call for proposals will be issued in September 2018.

Workshop objectives:

• Present the collaborations established  by ESA in the context of the Satellite for 5G Initiative (S45G) Initiative
• Present the open/planned Call for Proposals and opportunities
• Exemplify and discuss the potential of space and 5G for societies
• Identify future opportunities

Location: ESTEC (Newton 1 Room), 1 Keplerlaan, 2201 AZ Noordwijk Netherlands
Time: Wednesday, 21 November 2018 from 09:00 to 18:00 (CET)

To view this Workshop live please click the link below and enter the access code: 844 464 222