CGI, Fraunhofer HHI, and ESA investigate possibilities for a European Civil Security fr
The European Space Agency (ESA) has commissioned a feasibility study on merging satellite communication and earth observation services on one central platform. The studies are carried out by CGI in collaboration with Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI). They aim to support civil security activities and provide timely information to affected people in crisis and disaster situations.
Given the increasing number of humanitarian crises and natural disasters, ESA has launched the "Civil Security from Space" (CSS) Hub. As part of a European network, CSS promotes the development of a resilient, sustainable, and secure society that can respond quickly to threats and emergencies. CSS leverages synergies between space technologies, including satellite communications (satcom), and Earth observation (EO), as well as disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
A key focus of the feasibility study will be on creating the new generation of a “digital marketplace” that enables rapid access to integrated satcom and EO services. The aim is to enable users – for example, first responders and crisis centers – to receive actionable and trustworthy space-based solutions in a timely and secure manner.
Fraunhofer HHI is leading the DAKI-FWS (Data and AI-based Early Warning System for Stabilizing the German Economy) project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). In this project, various services and modules are being developed that can be used in crisis situations. One of Fraunhofer HHI's most important tasks in the current project is the integration of AI technologies within the CSS hub using the specific example of modeling precipitation runoff. For this purpose, Fraunhofer HHI uses the services developed in DAKI-FWS. A second use case of the CSS hub is detecting fire areas. CGI will lead this part of the project in close collaboration with the other partners.
With the expertise of the Focus Group on "AI for Natural Disaster Management" , Fraunhofer HHI actively involves first responders, but also strategic partners on the political and scientific level, in the development and design. This serves the purpose of ensuring a user-centered design that is viable in daily use.
"The aim of the study is to enable seamless access to state-of-the-art satellite communication and Earth observation services in the event of a disaster, and to provide emergency services with rapid access to important information – whenever and wherever it is needed," explains Stephane Pirio (Directorate for Application Programs at ESA). "The study will develop a prototype platform that will provide access to both connectivity and EO solutions through a single interface. This fusion of different space domains – telecommunications and Earth observation – is a novelty. It will revolutionize the way civil security actors work and allow them to easily acquire, monitor, and manage different services."
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Dr. Jackie Ma
Phone: +49 30 31002 461
Email: jackie.ma@hhi.fraunhofer.de
Weitere Informationen:
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/focusgroups/ai4ndm/
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