case study

The Space Commercialisation Engine: Facilitating the use of EO Data

Facilitating the use of EO Data

Context

The Space Commercialisation Engine (SCE) was designed to leverage Earth Observation (EO) data for business innovation. It aims to mitigate the challenges posed by the lack of EO resources and the complexities of the commercial EO market within the UK, such as the difficulties businesses face in understanding what imagery is needed and how to turn that into value delivering insight. By facilitating the transformation of EO-based concepts into commercially viable ventures, the SCE aims to contribute significantly to national infrastructure development.

What We Do

The SCE has multiple ways to support businesses through the help of the Catapults UCD (User-Centred Design) and GI (Geospatial Intelligence) teams. The programme has generated several notable outputs, related to the provisions of technical guidance, business model development, and rapid prototyping.

Technical guidance: provision of technical advice by a team of specialists who possess expertise in EO data, satellite technology, and prototype development

The SCE has provided technical guidance to companies such as Minviro, Origin Integrity Management, Agreed Earth, Agtelligence, SaWIE and Previsico, supporting them in areas such as understanding the type of satellite imagery required in terms of resolution and frequency. Additionally, the guidance includes distinct levels of support tailored to the businesses' maturity and in-house capability, ensuring optimal utilisation of satellite imagery for their specific needs.

Business modelling and planning: provision of guidance on business models and planning, including market research, competitor analysis, and developing a firm business plan

Companies the SCE worked with in developing their business models and plans, included: Intelligent Ai, Agreed Earth, Minviro, SaWIE, Carbonbit, Origin Integrity Management, Agtelliegnce and Previsico. For example, through the SCE, we collaborated with a company specialising in environmental monitoring solutions which sought to expand its service offerings into the finance sector. We provided technical expertise by conducting a comprehensive review of the company’s service. We worked together to identify user requirements and developed a potential prototype model along with a set of user questions. We also conducted interviews with six national and international banks to assess how nitrogen was monitored within the financial sector. This process culminated in the formulation of a comprehensive set of user requirements.

Prototype development: assisting businesses in developing functional prototype of their EO solution within a time limit of 6 to 8 months

The SCE has worked with four companies to develop prototypes, one example being an Insurtech company that is creating a digital twin to provide rebuild costs to the commercial insurance industry. The company aimed to develop a model capable of globally identifying infrastructure details - a task complicated by the diverse data sets available across nations, each varying significantly in cost and quality. Recognising the necessity for a unified, global approach, the company engaged with the SCE during the Exeter Space Enterprise Lab launch, where they were introduced to the SCE's capabilities and later participated in a diagnostic meeting to define the project's scope of work. Subsequently, the SCE delivered a prototype enabling the company to initiate piloting of their service with a UK Insurance corporate, enabling the business to access other funding programmes.

Outcome

The SCE’s expertise has successfully guided businesses through the technical aspects of their projects and helped ensure the feasibility of their concepts. This involvement has enabled businesses in navigating the technical complexities of their projects to focus on end user design led value propositions. These answer real world problems typically within sustainable finance across GHG emissions and the rapidly evolving nature-based economy. The work has provided an access route into large corporate opportunities that require data insights to meet ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting requirements.

Long-term Impact

Through its partnership with various businesses SCE has facilitated cross-sector collaborations and supported startups in diversifying their market reach and expanding their service offerings into new market sectors. Examples include expansion of services of one small business into the finance sector.

By providing businesses with the opportunity to develop functional prototypes of their EO solutions within a time limit of 6 to 8 months, the SCE has enabled companies to quickly validate their concepts and attract potential investors or customers. This expedited development process not only reduces the time and resources required for product development but also allows businesses to iterate and refine their prototypes based on real-world feedback, leading to more robust and market-ready solutions.

Insights derived from SCE’s collaborations have contribute to mapping the sustainable finance sector within the UK, particularly concerning ESG requirements around Governance, Corporate Customers, ESG Insight Resellers, Tech Suppliers, and Government involvement.