Here are the key points from the report about UK public sector demand for Earth observation technology:
- 300 public sector organisations were considered, of which 125 were identified as current or potential users of Earth observation (EO) data. 136 active EO use cases were captured across 67 organisations.
- Organisations were clustered into maturity levels based on their expertise and usage of EO data. The most mature users have critical dependencies on EO data and established capabilities. Many organisations have growing EO maturity and are finding efficiencies using open EO data services. Lesser maturity organisations have limited capacity to explore EO opportunities.
- Key barriers include understanding tool capabilities, evaluating technological possibilities, establishing investment cases, and high data costs. Procurement of commercial high-resolution data also faces challenges around licensing, data sharing, and ensuring value for money.
- Knowledge sharing between organisations could reduce duplication of efforts. Groups exist for this purpose but formal mechanisms are limited. Aligning research/innovation with public sector needs could accelerate EO adoption.
- Three main opportunity areas are proposed:
- Evolve existing open data services to meet growing demand.
- Assess coordinated procurement of commercial high-resolution data to achieve efficiencies.
- Promote expertise/knowledge sharing to encourage EO uptake across organisations.
