TIE Events

Preparing Australia for the Next Generation of Earth Observation Technologies

Event Code - TIE.02

Event Description: As Earth observation enters a transformative era, Australia must strategically position itself to harness the full potential of emerging technologies. This town hall will explore how the nation can prepare for the impact of Landsat Next and future enhanced satellite feeds, which will introduce unprecedented technical and imaging capabilities, including expanded spectral channels and higher spatial resolution.

The discussion will consider the challenges posed by exponential data growth, including storage, processing and the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into Earth observation workflows. We will highlight the importance of maintaining global partnerships, open data policies, and scientific goodwill, which underpin Australia's access to international datasets and collaborative innovation. Finally, we will consider the evolving landscape of the sector, including the entry of new commercial players, and what this means for capability development, policy, and national coordination.

These innovations are poised to provide unprecedented insights into environmental changes, agricultural trends, urban development, and natural disaster impacts enabling improved decision- making by governments and industry.

This session invites stakeholders from government, academia, and industry to reflect on Australia's readiness and resilience in the face of rapid technological change, and to identify pathways for sustainable and inclusive growth in Earth observation.

Leyla Alpaslan, Branch Head, Digital Earth Australia, Geoscience Australia, will lead a panel discussion on how Landsat Next can be leveraged for scientific research, policy-making, and commercial applications. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how this partnership can drive innovation across disciplines, foster international collaboration, and support sustainable development goals. During the Q&A session, participants will have the opportunity to engage with experts, share their insights, and explore potential collaborations.

Join us for an engaging and informative session that promises to illuminate the future of Earth observation and exciting advancements that will shape it.

Moderator: Leyla Alpaslan, Branch Head, Digital Earth, Geoscience Australia

Panelist:

• Leyla Alpaslan, Branch Head, Digital Earth Australia, Geoscience Australia
• Sebastian Robertson, CEO, Birdi, and President of Earth Observation Australia
• Medhavy Thankappan, Director, Global Data Interoperability and Integrity, Data Processing Quality, Geoscience Australia
• Alisa Starkey, Chief Science Officer, Ozius
• Dr Fang Yuan, Earth Observation Technical Lead, FrontierSI
• Dr Marta Yebra, Professor in Environmental Engineering at the Fenner School of Environment & Society and the School of Engineering, ANU

Earth Observation Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the Pacific Pacific Island Nations Initiatives

Event Code - TIE.03

Event Description: Pacific Island nations face unique and urgent sustainability challenges in the context of climate change, environmental vulnerability, and geographic isolation. This session will explore how Earth observation science, technologies and data are being applied across the Pacific region to support progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Bringing together five leading scholars and practitioners including Pacific Island representatives this panel will explore the intersection between Earth observation and wicked policy problems. It will provide real-world examples from Pacific region case studies highlighting how satellite imagery, geospatial data, and remote sensing are being used to address issues such as coastal resilience, food and water security, disaster response, biodiversity monitoring, and climate adaptation.

Following brief individual opening statements, the panel will engage in a moderated conversation examining cross-cutting themes such as data accessibility, Indigenous knowledge integration, capacity building, and regional collaboration and how public policy can be better informed by science. Audience members will be invited to contribute questions and reflections during an open Q&A session.

This session aims to foster greater international awareness and collaboration around the innovative use of Earth observation for sustainable development in the Pacific, and to elevate the voices and leadership of Pacific Island researchers in global geoscience discourse. Its lessons also extend beyond the Pacific experience to other island-based communities and opportunities and challenges when applying scientific applications to solve problems of development generally.

Moderator: Mr Alex Leith, Executive Director Auspatious, Treasurer - Earth Observation Australia

Panelist:

• Professor Brian Head, School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland. Advisor to UNESCO.
• Professor Yukihiro Takahashi, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University. Immediate Past President, Japan Geoscience Union
• Assoc. Professor Anthony Rea, RMIT University
• Ms Salote Covilati, Technical Assistant, Pacific Geospatial Women Network
• Ms Carrol Chan, PhD Candidate University of Newcastle, Co-Founder OSMFiji

Quantum Technology for Remote Sensing

Event Code - TIE.04

Event Description: Quantum Sensing is an emerging sensing modality that uses quantum properties of mater and light---namely, quantum superposition, measurement, and entanglement---to achieve unprecedented measurement sensitivity and performance, including quantum-enhanced methodologies that outperform their classical counterparts. Typical quantum sensors exploit techniques such as quantized energy levels in atomic systems, mater waves, quantum entanglement, superposition of quantum states, quantum illumination methods, and manipulation of photons and atoms, in general. Guided by advancements in our ability to generate, manipulate, and control quantum systems, the emerging quantum sensing technologies promise unrivalled sensitivity, resolution, and precision, potentially leading to game-changing applications. Significant gains include technologies important for a range of NASA, Department of Defense, National Reconnaissance Organization, and United States Space Force missions such as timing, remote sensing, in situ measurements, metrology, interferometry, quantum communication, ranging, imaging, radar and lidar receivers, and gravity measurements.

This Technology, Industry and Education (TIE) session will bring together a panel of experts from industry, academia, and government, to brainstorm with the IGARSS attendees on the potential of Quantum Sensing in the near and far terms. After some brief remarks by the panel members, questions from the moderator, the audience will engage with the panel members in an open question and answer session to explore the current state of the art in quantum sensing and the potential for revolutionary gains in the performance of various sensor types.

Organizer and Moderator: Aaron Strangfeld, ESTEC, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Panelists:

• Dr Sristri Agrawal, CEO and Founder, Mesa Quantum, USA
• Prof. Mathias Weigelt, The German Aerospace Center (DLR), Germany
• Dr. Russell Anderson, Head of Quantum Sensing, Q-CTRL, Australia
• Prof. Rainer Dumke, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore (TBC)

Entrepreneurship Workshop Part 1: Accelerate Your Geospatial Startup

Event Code - TIE.05

Event Description: The runway to start a successful business is shorter than ever due to rapidly evolving technology and changing marketplace conditions. This panel will help you take your idea for a new geospatial business, product, or service from concept to success as quickly as possible. Our panel of geospatial entrepreneurs will discuss their startup journeys, including how to seek funding, choose a business incubator or accelerator, and implement the right go-to-market strategy. The session will include Q and A between panelists and attendees. After a coffee break, attendees will have a chance to discuss their geospatial startup ideas one on one with our expert panelists.

Moderators: Kevin Corbley, President, Corbley Communications Inc. USA

Panelists:

• Dr Alisa Starkey, Director/Chief Science Officer at Ozius Pty Ltd. in Brisbane, Australia
• Abhilash Bhat, Chief of Staff to the CEO of Pixxel in Bengaluru, India
• Rakshit Bhatt, VP/Co-Founder of GalaxEye in Chennai, India
• Dr Shawana Johnson*, President of Global Marketing Insights, Brecksville, OH, USA

*Dr Johnson will add to the startup journey theme by discussing how international geospatial organizations can engage in business with the US Government.

Advances and applications in Earth Observation for SDG.
Accelerating Earth Intelligence in the context of GEO

Event Code - TIE.06

Event Description: This Technology, Industry and Education (TIE) session will bring together GRSS and GEO experts from industry, academia, and user communities to brainstorm with the IGARSS attendees and Asia-Pacific stakeholders on how today's advancements in Geosciences, Earth Observation and AI provide sufficient level of support to GEO Work Program priorities specifically in the monitoring and implementation of SDGs. Emphasis is placed on key synergies between GRSS and GEO at regional and global level and the support provided to GEO Working Groups to address challenges in Capacity Building and development of solutions for accelerating applications in the global scale.

Speakers will highlight:

• The Digital Earth Pacific
• Australian perspectives in GEO
• The Earth Observation for Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDG) GEO Cross-Cutting Enabler and the role of GRSS Remote Sensing Environment, Analysis and Climate Technologies (REACT) Technical Committee in supporting it
• The Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observation (AI4EO) GEO Cross-Cutting Enabler and synergies with GRSS Image Analysis and Data Fusion (IADF) Technical Committee
• GRSS contributions in education and capacity building for GEO and the GEO-CRADLE enabling mechanism
• The GRSS Education portfolio in GEO. Fostering AI4EO literacy and education for qualifying scientists in using Earth Intelligence

Moderators:

• Dr. Haris Kontoes, National Observatory of Athens, GRSS GEO Principal, EuroGEO Action Group Coordinator, Greece
• Prof. Megan Lewis, Australian Co-Chair, Coordination Board, Asia Oceania Group on Earth Observations

Panelists:

• Dr Haris Kontoes, National Observatory of Athens, GRSS GEO Principal, EuroGEO Action Group Coordinator, Greece
• Andiswa Mlisa, Programme Manager, Digital Earth Pacific, Pacific Community (SPC)
• Prof Megan Lewis, Australian Co-Chair, Coordination Board, Asia Oceania Group on Earth Observations (AOGEO)
• Prof Dr Irena Hajnsek, Swiss Federal Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
• Prof Yifang Ban, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden & Lead, GEO AI4EO
• Assoc Prof Claudio Persello, University of Twente, Netherlands
• Alexia Tsouni, National Observatory of Athens, Greece
• Assoc Prof Carlos Lopez Martinez, BarcelonaTech (UPC), Spain