Just as EU Space Week is back, so too is the annual User Consultation Platform. A highlight on the EU Space Week agenda, the User Consultation Platform (UCP) invites users from a range of market segments to present their needs and requirements.
“The UCP is an exciting opportunity for business and industry leaders, entrepreneurs, service providers, innovators and space user communities to express their needs, share best practices and present case studies,” says Fiammetta Diani, Head of Market, Downstream and Innovation at the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). “By creating an engaged network of innovators, the User Consultation Platform plays a key role in shaping the evolution of the EU Space Programme and its services.”
The UCP consists of breakout sessions and a summary plenary and covers not only Galileo and EGNOS, but also Copernicus and GOVSATCOM. “The Platform’s unique format allows all space stakeholders to share their experiences and expertise and learn from each other, helping them grow stronger and become more innovative and competitive,” adds Diani.
Extensive exchanges and in-depth discussions
This year’s UCP kicks off 3 October with a full day of extensive exchanges happening during eight parallel sessions, each of which focuses on a specific market segment:
- Infrastructure: the role of EU Space in infrastructure development, with a focus on key user requirements, trends and representative use cases.
- Renewable Energy: how Earth Observation (EO) and GNSS-based solutions can support the rapid transition towards renewable energies.
- EO-Platforms and Consumer Applications: a discussion on both improving access to space data and how to leverage that data for use in consumer, tourism and health applications.
- Aviation and Drones: how GNSS and EO can enable emerging operational concepts in the air, increase business opportunities and identify priorities for R&D and innovation.
- Maritime and Fisheries: discuss the needs of applications relying on GNSS and EO, which will be instrumental in defining potential new space data-based services.
- Emergency Management and Humanitarian Aid: applications for monitoring geohazards, post-crisis damage assessment and building inspection, with a special focus on supporting Ukraine.
- Insurance and Finance: an in-depth discussion on how to leverage the full potential of space data in fintech.
- Raw Materials: why EO and GNSS data and services are key for raw material resource exploration, operations and post-closure environmental management.
In addition to in-depth discussions on user needs, each session will also provide updates on testing campaigns, market trends, the evolution of the various programmes and new opportunities in R&D. “These sessions are a one-of-a-kind networking opportunity that gives the entire space ecosystem a chance to explore new synergies and keep abreast of the latest developments in this fast-paced sector,” says Diani.
The results of the individual sessions will be presented to the entire EU Space community during a dedicated plenary session on 4 October.
“As the EU Space Programme evolves, so too do the needs of its users,” notes Diani. “Leveraging the central role users play in shaping EU Space applications, the outcomes of this year’s UCP will help define the service provision and ensure that EU Space works for everyone.”
The User Consultation Platform will take place 3 – 4 October. More information and registration can be found here.
EU Space Week, Europe’s premiere space event, is happening 3 – 6 October. As a hybrid event, you can join either online or physically in Prague, the heart of the EU Space Programme.
Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http://www.euspa.europa.eu).
