DCT's eoLab led workshop in partnership with UT Austin and the UT Austin Portugal program

PORTUGAL AND USA COOPERATE TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DATA COLLECTED BY SATELLITES

UT Austin Portugal Program and Earth Observation Laboratory at the University of Coimbra organize a workshop on November 20th and 21st, with free participation

Promoting terrestrial space observation and data modeling was the main objective of the “Bridging the Gap: Satellite Data and Models for Local Impact” workshop. Over two afternoons, a panel of 18 national and international experts carried out a training program that aimed to increase knowledge about the use of data from satellites, encouraging the effective use of currently existing resources and products, such as Google Earth Engine , and its application in local contexts. Free participation allowed more than 200 participants from 40 countries to join, most of whom joined the working group announced during the initiative.

With a potential as infinite as Space, data collected from satellites, for example, allows us to understand and analyze the planet and inform decision-making. However, there are several challenges to using this data: how to discover and interpret it? How to use data to design responses that allow us to address global and local challenges? How can we understand and use them more effectively, applying them in local contexts?
To answer these questions, the UT Austin Portugal Program and the Earth Observation Laboratory (eoLab) of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Coimbra joined forces to launch a training workshop, lasting two afternoons. The objective is to unlock the potential of Earth observation and data modeling on a global scale, as this potential constitutes a fundamental resource for responding to social needs and promoting scientific diplomacy.
“This is the second time we have collaborated with Professor Vasco Mantas (University of Coimbra, EOLab) and Professor Yang (UT Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences) in organizing a workshop on Earth Observation. In addition to the unequivocal relevance of the workshop theme for the Portuguese scientific and innovation community, the approach proposed by the two workshop coordinators allows for mobilizing high-level contributions not only from academia, but also from interface centers, government agencies and entities and companies who work in the so-called New Space Economy”, says Andreia Passos.
According to the Executive Director of the UT Austin Portugal Program, the workshop program benefits not only from this joint coordination, which brings the Portuguese scientific ecosystem closer to UT Austin, but also from the diversity of speakers coming from entities beyond the Partnership's conventional geography. Representatives from the US Embassy, Portugal Space or ESA Space Solutions and Experts from ESA, NASA, VITO or Waterloo University facilitated the various thematic sessions that make up the workshop.
“This workshop, which is part of ongoing work in the Space-Earth Interactions area of the UT Austin Portugal Program, is yet another example of how cooperative work between national institutions and UT Austin can benefit the Portuguese scientific and technological ecosystem. In this case, enabling them to more effectively observe Earth's space and helping them, by accessing global products and resources, to be able to apply them in local contexts,” she says.
Specifically, the workshop program will explore methodologies and opportunities for using global products, both satellite- and model-based, for high-impact local applications. Vasco Mantas, scientific coordinator of the workshop, leaves some examples of the topics to be covered: precipitation measurements and analysis of extreme events, hydrological applications, ecosystem management, security and urban planning. “This workshop will not be purely theoretical. We will have a practical component, namely, the presentation of live demonstrations of cloud computing platforms, such as Google Earth Engine”. Guest Professor from DCT, Doctor Claude Duguay, also participated in the event as a speaker, who discussed research related to ESA's Lake CCI program.