GEOSAT Joins SDG Data Alliance

GEOSAT, an Earth Observation satellite operator, has become the first European company to join the SDG Data Alliance through an agreement with the PVBLIC Foundation. The partnership, signed in New York during the high level week of the 81st UN General Assembly, is intended to bring very high resolution satellite images and data to more than 3,000 islands across almost 40 island states. GEOSAT is preparing two pilots for implementation with the alliance. The company will provide imagery as the alliance identifies national and regional champions to lead local delivery.

Satellite Data For Island States

The SDG Data Alliance mobilizes data in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Antigua & Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States. Through the alliance, GEOSAT’s imagery is expected to support work spanning land management, agriculture, forestry, coastal monitoring and emergency response.

Joint procurement is positioned to give participating island nations access to capabilities that individual countries may not be able to secure alone. Very high resolution imagery can distinguish objects under one meter on the ground.

European Operating Experience

GEOSAT joins the alliance with experience as an Established European Operator, a category in which it is recognized by the European Commission and Copernicus as one of five very high resolution satellite operators. The company delivers satellite coverages to municipalities, countries and Europe.

In partnership with Airbus, GEOSAT delivered VHR 24, described as the first fully European coverage of Europe. It also supplies thousands of images each year in critical scenarios and contributes to the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters.

Pilots Already In Preparation

The membership builds on GEOSAT’s previous work with island-based Earth Observation initiatives. In 2023, the company supported the launch of the Maldives Space Research Organisation, contributing to its first pilot, the Goidhoo Earth Observation Pilot, which was later showcased at the UM Peace Forum in Paris.

GEOSAT has begun work on its first implementation pilots with the Data Alliance, with two pilots now in preparation.

Francisco Vilhena da Cunha, CEO at GEOSAT, said:

“Satellite images and Space-based information are critical assets to support populations in climate change adaptation. By joining the SDG Data Alliance, Geosat commits to continue working to bring space to people, leveraging local knowledge and value chains that can lead to the sustainable use of Earth Observation for social development.”

A New Alliance Role

As the first European participant in the SDG Data Alliance, GEOSAT’s role centers on supplying imagery for use alongside the alliance’s other partners. The arrangement connects the company’s satellite coverage capabilities with a coalition focused on decision-making across island states.