Farming by Satellite Prize 2020 opens for applications

March 19, 2020 - By Tracy Cozzens

The competition promotes the use of GNSS and Earth observation in European and African agriculture

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is bringing back the Farming by Satellite Prize. Registration is now open for young innovators to explore the use of satellite technologies in agriculture to enable sustainable farming practices, improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact.

The Farming by Satellite Prize is a joint initiative with the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Union agency that provides independent information on the environment to decision makers and the public. The EEA also manages the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service and cross-service in situ coordination.

Innovation is crucial for the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector, enabling it to respond to emerging global challenges such as the rise of the global population and the impact of climate change.

The Farming by Satellite Prize is designed to encourage young professionals, farmers and students in Europe to create new, sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions using Copernicus, EGNOS and Galileo.

The 2020 edition of the Farming by Satellite Prize includes the Special Africa Prize, which aims to encourage young Africans to develop satellite-based solutions able to cater to the specific needs and resources of communities and lands in Africa.

“Who would have thought that Galileo and Copernicus would have convinced the young farmers to become tech-savvy entrepreneurs bringing innovation gained by space data to improve quality of life,” said Pascal Claudel, acting executive director of the GSA. “We need young farmers to be innovative to develop a competitive and yet sustainable agriculture. Of course, they take advantage of what is available thanks to space technologies and our objective with this competition is to support them to reach the best possible solution.”

“It is clear that we need to make food production much more sustainable and lessen its impact on the environment and climate,” said Hans Bruyninckx, EEA executive director. “Satellite data, technology and innovation can support this change, which is why partnering with this initiative aligns well with the EEA’s commitment to protecting our nature, climate and human health.”

Applicants can take part as individuals or as a team and are invited to register online between March 16 and June 15. The top teams will be selected as finalists to enter the deep dive phase. A total prize purse of €10K will be distributed among the top four applicants.

The 2020 edition of the Farming by Satellite Prize is supported by industry partners with the sponsorship of CLAAS, a manufacturer of agricultural engineering equipment. Full details on the competition are available at www.farmingbysatellite.eu. Participants are invited to register early and submit their full written application before the registration deadline on June 15 deadline.