The EU supports scientists, researchers and innovators in pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Meet Diofantos who is studying satellite data to help local communities respond to climate change and energy challenges.
The Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence in Cyprus uses Earth observation and space technology to support everyday needs, from protecting the environment to improving public safety. With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, Cyprus is an ideal location for collecting high-quality satellite images. Supported by the EU and the Cypriot government, the centre monitors climate change, tracks air and water quality, supports firefighters, emergency teams, and other communities in responding to natural disasters, and helps preserve cultural heritage while guiding the sustainable use of precious resources. By collaborating with researchers, students and start-ups, it fosters innovation and transforms space data into tangible, real-world solutions, positioning Cyprus at the forefront of global Earth observation networks.
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Real-time information from space solving real problems on Earth
With EU support, researchers in Limassol, Cyprus, are exploring ways that satellites can help to solve issues down on the ground.
According to Professor Diofantos Hadjimitsis, Managing Director of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence at the Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus is well positioned to gather data from space: ‘Cyprus is in a unique geostrategic location, and has the benefit of being located in three different continents’. The climate is also advantageous, ‘Cyprus has the benefit to have 300 days per year of sunshine. And this is very beneficial to support passive remote sensing’, he says.
Researchers at the centre are currently using the data they collect to provide real-time updates during emergencies, help agriculture become more sustainable, protect cultural heritage and monitor the effects of climate change.
We have identified some key areas that we consider that we can use Earth observation to support – different thematic areas, for example, water resources management, climate change, disaster risk reduction, big data analytics and access to energy.
The European Union supported the research team with €15 million when the project began in 2019, and the project is due to end in 2027. The project is also supported by €15 million from the Government of Cyprus and €8 million from the Cyprus University of Technology. This funding has meant that researchers can use Earth observation to contribute to disaster risk reduction on land and sea. Monitoring and assessing situations as they develop, researchers can provide emergency response teams with real-time information on wildfires, floods, oil spills, etc.
Cultural heritage can also be monitored to alert authorities to shifts in the land that might threaten the stability of monuments. This monitoring can also protect them from vandalism and theft.
The researchers have also set up a ‘living lab’ in a plantation, where they are monitoring the ‘health’ of the crops in real time to provide the owner with up-to-date information. When it is more widely adopted, this approach will help farmers reduce unnecessary watering – conserving precious water resources – and limit the excessive use of pesticides.
The researchers observe changes on the ground over time. How land use changes is important. If there is a change in the crops grown, or if agricultural land is built on, this can have a direct impact on the local environment. All these data and analyses are shared with other institutions and agencies to enable them to act efficiently and effectively.
The centre now matches Cypriot researchers with opportunities to commercialise their work and serves as a training centre for young people interested in careers that use Earth observation and space technologies. As Diofantos says, ‘I am most proud of seeing young people, young researchers, working with us as innovators in space technology.’
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