* OPENING DATE SUBJECT TO CHANGE *
Funding opportunity
Forests cover around 31% of the Earth's land area and host 80% of terrestrial biodiversity, providing essential ecosystem services such as regulating rainfall, protecting water sources, and preventing flooding and soil erosion. Forests are crucial in combating climate change as they produce oxygen and absorb CO2, with 40% of the world's oxygen and 660 gigatons of carbon stored in forests.
Forests also support economic and sociocultural prosperity, providing over 86 million green jobs and various wood-based products. They are vital for the livelihood of 1.6 billion people, offering food and fuel for billions, including for 70 million indigenous people. Forests improve human health by reducing risks of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory issues, and mental health problems, promoting urban forestry.
The challenge
Whilst forests provide these crucial ecosystem services, they are now facing a multitude of threats, including deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change. 10 million hectares of forests are lost annually, contributing to 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Efforts to conserve and sustainably manage forests are crucial for their numerous benefits to both humans and the planet. Enhancing production with eco-design principles, utilisation, reusability, recycling of forest products, and managing wood waste is vital for reducing environmental impacts. As climate change intensifies, protecting forests through sustainable management and addressing deforestation drivers is essential for maintaining forest health and resilience, supporting biodiversity, climate regulation, human well-being, and sustainable development.
New regulations emphasize the urgent need for sustainable forestry practices. For instance, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), effective since June 29, 2023, aims to limit the EU market's role in global deforestation. It requires companies trading commodities (e.g. wood and coffee) to ensure they are not sourced from deforested areas and comply with environmental and social regulations. This regulation supports carbon emission reduction and deforestation-free supply chains.
The present situation emphasises the need for more active participation from key stakeholders to facilitate a transformation that entails not only technological innovation and supportive regulatory frameworks but also cross-sectoral partnerships to deliver holistic end-to-end solutions. The Space for Sustainable Forestry Call is the first initiative of the Task Force on Space for Bioeconomy. Members of the Task Force have provided use cases which are listed below. The list is not exhaustive as other services could be analysed if duly supported by the user communities.
Topics of relevance
- Improve the Ecosystem Service (ES) procedure for certification: the procedure allows forest managers to highlight the true value of the forest beyond the economic value of timber and other products.
- Improve forest inventory process: focus on species composition, standing stock data and data on annual removals for the benefit of industry sourcing timber and forest managers/owners. Current inventory is done by personnel on the field which is costly and time consuming.
- Deforestation management: improve understanding to differentiate between a clear cutting and a deforested area.
- Agroforestry: gain better understanding about the timber resources available on agricultural area, which are managed by non-forestry stakeholders. Such understanding would bring tangible economic benefit to the farmers on the potential of their land.
- Pest & disease management: improve the understanding of the elements which facilitate the spreading of harmful invasive species such as bark beetles exploiting for instance AI applied to environmental and weather-related information.
- Carbon storage estimation: provide solutions which are aimed at improving both vegetation carbon storage and soil carbon storage estimation. Estimate carbon in a forest is not a trivial feature especially for forest owners who need to rely on third party developers. The current solutions are based on tree characteristics (e.g. tree height) therefore it is necessary to improve the reliability and robustness of the data on the single tree and tree species.
- Natural disaster response (with emphasis on fire and flood detection): to generate alert which are tailored to the geographically area of interest and which are also timely and reliable.
Value of space
SatEO offers a range of applications in forest management, including LULUCF, tree health analysis, species classification, and forest inventory. It aids in monitoring forest vigor and supports decision-making. EO helps detect changes over time, identifying natural disasters, pest outbreaks, or illegal logging, alerting forest owners promptly. Satellite imagery identifies deforestation areas and monitors forest cover changes.
The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) provides high-quality open-access datasets to support deforestation prevention and forest protection efforts.
SatNav systems are instrumental in efficiently locating field samples and guiding machinery for forestry operations, optimising resource utilisation. As several applications use in situ sensors, SatNav is necessary for the synchronisation and the geo-tagging of the samples from the fields. In addition, as several applications rely on using payloads carried by airborne (such as camera and LIDAR), SatNav is necessary for the flight and related operations.
SatCom could be used in remote areas where communication is lacking, and it provides the possibility of connection to IoT sensors and devices or to provide alerts, such as emergency warnings for extreme weather events.
In addition to space-based technologies, it is important to highlight other technologies which are terrestrial-based, and which enhance the performance of the operational services.
- LiDAR enables precise 3D measurements of vegetation and terrain, yielding digital elevation models and accurate forest inventory data. It enhances mapping of hydrologic features and forest corridors, transforming traditional inventory practices when combined with multispectral optical imagery. These technologies improve our understanding of forest ecosystems and support informed decision-making in forest management and conservation.
- Forest digital twins offer detailed insights into forest structures, aiding decision-making for resilient forest management. By creating virtual replicas of real forests, they enable dynamic simulations, predictive modelling, and adaptive management. This technology enhances understanding of ecosystem dynamics, promoting effective conservation and management practices for thriving forests and communities.
- IoT is transforming forestry with sensor deployment for real-time data on tree health, soil moisture, and environmental conditions. This enables proactive, sustainable management, detects early signs of issues like disease or pests, and supports wildlife and vegetation surveillance for conservation efforts.
What we look for
We look for promising business ideas addressing topics of relevance or related areas that propose:
Attractive market opportunities, identified customer needs and customer engagement
- Commercially-viable service concepts
- Technically feasible solutions
- Added value of space data or technology
- Motivated teams with business, technical, and financial expertise
How to apply
Once the call is open to proposal submissions (opening dates are noted above), details and associated documentation related to the call for proposals will be made available, including how to apply.
Authorisation of funding
This opportunity is open to companies that intend to develop space-enabled services and products related, but not restricted, to the topics of relevance outlined above.
To be eligible for funding, your team must be based in one of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
The applicable funding level of the individual prime or subcontractors is subject to authorisation from the relevant National Delegation(s). Therefore, bidding teams are requested to obtain a Letter of Authorisation from all their national delegations before submitting a Full Proposal.
Webinar
Join our webinar on 30 October at 11:00 CEST. Registration details are at the top of this page.
Webinar guest speaker: Hubert Inhaizer, Forestry and Conservation Manager, PEFC International.