Polish companies and institutions closely cooperate to develop Earth observation sector

10 Polish entities have established the Polish Partnership for Earth Observation aiming to foster close cooperation between commercial enterprises and scientific and educational institutions to shape Polish space policy and develop advanced technologies for satellite observation of the Earth.  

Recognizing the growing importance of satellite data for economic and security purposes, the Partnership aims to make a strategic step forward to position Poland as a European leader in autonomous satellite Earth observation capabilities.  

The Partnership consists of ten entities, including seven Polish companies: CloudFerro, Creotech Instruments, KP Labs, ITTI, Blue Dot Solutions, GISPartner, Eycore, and three reserach institutions: Space Research Centre - the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN), the Centre for Scientific Geospatial Analyses and Satellite Computations – the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography at the Warsaw University of Technology, and AGH Space Technology Centre - AGH University of Krakow. 

These entities have committed to working collaboratively to build Poland’s capabilities and competencies in Earth observation, thus contributing to the development of Polish autonomy in this area to enhance the ability to effectively tackle geopolitical and environmental challenges as well as crisis situations.  

Today, the field of Earth observation demands our immediate and focused attention from both the business sector and public administration. This area has emerged as a defining specialization for Poland within the broader space sector. The significant achievements and advanced capabilities of our domestic companies position Poland as a pivotal player, particularly in the ongoing satellite operations contracted by the European Commission.

We are proud to unite with the foremost industry leaders to chart a clear path for the development of this sector, enhancing Poland's autonomous competencies in Earth observation

– says Maciej Krzyżanowski, CloudFerro CEO

A great opportunity for Poland in Europe

The field of Earth observation is vital for both national and global interests, impacting strategic sectors such as emergency management, climate monitoring, agriculture, and defence. Satellite imagery offers comprehensive, real-time insights into the Earth’s surface, facilitating tasks such as land mapping, weather forecasting, natural resource exploration, crop assessment, and monitoring environmental changes and disasters. Consequently, satellite data is invaluable to millions of researchers, scientists, and policymakers alike. 

The European Space Agency (ESA) places considerable emphasis on Earth observation, allocating nearly one-third of its budget to this domain. Polish businesses have successfully secured approximately 40% of contracts related to satellite Earth observations, and 55% of contracts among the top ten ESA programmes. Not only does it demonstrate the defining specialisation of the Polish space industry, but it also proves that the European institutions put great trust in it. 

Polish companies can already boast significant achievements in this area.  

• CloudFerro is recognized as the primary technology provider and operator of the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the world’s largest repository of satellite data. 
• Creotech Instruments has developed the EagleEye satellite, the largest and most advanced Polish satellite launched into orbit.  
• The Space Research Centre - the Polish Academy of Sciences pioneering research in space, geodesy, and astrophysics, promoting space science nationwide.  
• Eycore specialises in radar technology for space applications and has developed an advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor.  
• GISPartner enhances public administration’s capabilities through advanced spatial information systems with advanced technologies for satellite data processing and integration.  
• ITTI develops software for space missions’ ground segments, navigation and Earth observation, developing applications to support space situational awareness.  
• KP Labs is the Polish leader in space data processing and is the initiator, owner and operator of Intuition-1, the first Polish intelligent hyperspectral satellite.  
• CENAGIS has created a computing centre for geospatial and satellite analysis, supporting research in geomatics, and it has large computer clusters that enable computation on large data sets.  
• Blue Dot Solutions delivers technological expertise, defines products that use satellite data, and provide information and operational support for the space sector.  
• The AGH Space Technology Centre at AGH engages in teaching and research across various space-related fields. 

We started building the Polish space industry 12 years ago practically from scratch. Today, alongside other companies in the Partnership, we provide complete, highly advanced satellite systems for acquiring and processing satellite data. We actively compete and succeed alongside leading companies and institutions across Western Europe. We have forged strong alliances with key industry players, often taking the lead in major space endeavors. The Polish Earth Observation Partnership expresses our assertiveness and is an important step towards the consolidation of our national potential. By uniting our efforts within this Partnership, we are poised to to declare our readiness to tackle even larger-scale and complex projects.

– explains Jacek Kosiec, Vice President of Creotech Instruments

Four pillars of cooperation

The partnership will implement its activities on the basis of the following four pillars: 

• Shaping the Polish Space Strategy - to develop a shared industry position on shaping the Polish Space Strategy and the National Space Programme. 
• Strengthening Polish Capabilities in Earth Observation – as Earth observation is of fundamental importance to national security, Poland needs autonomous capabilities in this area. The Partnership aims to strengthen these capabilities so that key processes - from data acquisition to data processing and analysis - can be carried out in the country. 
• Increasing Investment in Satellite Observation Technologies – The partnership is intended to promote greater financial support for Polish companies engaged in satellite Earth observation, especially from the public administration, to facilitate and accelerate implementing innovative solutions. 
• Cooperation with Research Institutes – the development of the Polish Earth observation sector will be closely linked to building new competencies. The Partnership will foster the development of cooperation with academic and research institutions to enhance knowledge transfer, support scientific research, and train future professionals.

Through these collaborative efforts, the Partnership aims not only to establish Poland as a leader in Earth observation within Europe but also to unlock new economic opportunities centered on technological innovation within the space sector.