GEOSAT Joins UN SDG Data Alliance as First European Partner

European satellite operator GEOSAT has joined the SDG Data Alliance, marking its entry as the first European company in the coalition. The agreement, signed in New York during the UN General Assembly week, partners GEOSAT with the PVBLIC Foundation, which convenes the alliance. This collaboration will provide high-resolution satellite data to over 3,000 islands belonging to approximately 40 island nations.

The SDG Data Alliance mobilizes data to accelerate progress on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the Antigua and Barbuda Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Agenda. GEOSAT's role involves supplying satellite imagery that, along with other alliance partners, will be transformed into actionable intelligence for improved decision-making. This collective effort aims to equip island nations with capabilities that many could not achieve alone, covering areas from land management and agriculture to forestry, coastal surveillance, and emergency response.

GEOSAT brings significant operational expertise to the alliance. The company is recognized by the European Commission and Copernicus as one of only five European operators of Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite data. It already provides satellite coverage across Europe and has contributed to initiatives like the Goidhoo Earth Observation Pilot in the Maldives. GEOSAT has initiated new pilot projects with the Data Alliance.

GEOSAT CEO Francisco Vilhena da Cunha stated that satellite imagery and space-based intelligence are crucial for supporting climate change adaptation efforts. "By joining the SDG Data Alliance, GEOSAT is committed to continuing its work to bring space closer to people, leveraging local knowledge and value chains that can lead to sustainable use of Earth observation for social development," he said.