Portuguese Space Agency promotes Earth Observation in the Azores

After the North and Centre Regions and the Autonomous Region of Madeira, the Autonomous Region of the Azores is the next to welcome the Portuguese Space Agency’s “Earth Observation for Municipalities” initiative. The event is scheduled for November 26th at the Angra do Heroísmo Cultural and Congress Centre on Terceira Island.

The session, which has the support of the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities through the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Space), Angra do Heroísmo City Council and local incubator Terinov, maintains the goal of publicising and promoting the use of Earth Observation technologies among regional and local public administration.

As with the sessions in the North and Centre regions and the Autonomous Region of Madeira, the event will bring together local academia, industry, and public administration to exchange experiences and knowledge, seeking to publicise local capacities to promote the development of solutions using space technologies that respond to municipalities’ problems.

“Creating synergies between these three audiences is crucial so that what is taught, researched and developed meets local needs, facilitating the adoption of these technologies and promoting sustainable growth in the sector,” points out Carolina Sá, Earth Observation programme manager at the Portuguese Space Agency. At the event, there will be space on the agenda for municipalities to present their projects. It’s a way of “promoting these initiatives, showing them to a diverse audience and encouraging other municipalities to adopt the use of these technologies”, she adds.

For his part, Paulo Quental, EMA-Space’s coordinator, emphasises the role of space technologies for companies and regional and local public administration, highlighting their use as “one of the implementation goals” of the institution. “We want to bring the different players closer together and demonstrate the potential of information based on data from space to increase the efficiency of regional organisations’ missions, whether monitoring coastlines or urban and rural developments in the territory. These are tools that can also improve the response to emergencies,” he emphasises.

Likewise, the mayor of Angra do Heroísmo believes that “detailed and constant monitoring” of the territory through these technologies offers “fundamental information that supports more precise and sustainable decision-making, both in terms of planning and responding to emerging challenges.” “It’s worth noting the important role that the Air Centre has played, from the Terinov Science and Technology Park, in developing innovative solutions in this area, contributing directly to our municipality and the Azores,” he says.

The Earth Observation for Azorean Municipalities event will feature a networking moment between interested parties, organised by the Agency in partnership with CoLAB +ATLANTIC. Ana Oliveira, technology director at the lab, points to the Azores as an “ideal setting for developing and applying technologies that respond directly to regional needs”: “By taking part in this session in the Azores, +ATLANTIC is reaffirming its commitment to co-creating innovative Earth Observation solutions in partnership with local institutions, making the most of the region as a true living laboratory.”

The session will take place between the hours of 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. The event “Earth Observation for Azorean Municipalities” is open to the public and free of charge, but registration is required, and participation is limited to the auditorium’s capacity.  Registration is open until November 11th. 

The “Earth Observation for Municipalities” sessions will then travel to the remaining Portuguese regions: Lisbon and the Tagus Valley and Alentejo (February 7th 2025, in Évora) and Algarve (March 27th ).

See the preliminary agenda for this event here.

(Webnews item updated on 12 December with information on the date of the session in the Algarve).