Impact and use of the SEAS project

The SEAS project for remote monitoring of the Amazon environment will be particularly influential in the following areas :

Science

This creation of a multi-satellite receiving station to monitor the Amazon Basin will be the first technological platform of its kind in either Europe or South America. It will be a major European facility which will attract top research teams. The availability of high resolution data in both optical (2.5m spatial resolution for SPOT 5) and radar (ENVISAT) imagery will allow for a wide variety of applications (mapmaking, environmental studies, regional development, etc.). Such an infrastructure is bound to attract research teams which will count on support from the Guiana University Complex.

Technology

A multi-satellite receiving station is an innovative concept and will require the development of thematic Space products involving most of the research organisations along with industry (Spot Image). This will encourage the creation of a specialised technological research team (ERT) for the receiving station.

Guiana’s economic development

SEAS can be used to monitor the way natural resources are exploited (fishing zones, deforestation/gold extraction, silting/erosion, and so on). It will also improve our knowledge and monitoring of land-use and assist with mapmaking (regional development). Lastly, it will facilitate planning for extending and situating the region’s infrastructures.

Business

This facility will encourage Spot Image to open a subsidiary in French Guiana to further development of the South American market. Such a project will spur the creation of businesses offering innovative new services. The Guiana Technopole and the Guiana Mission will have a key role to play in the technology transfer process. All these activities will create new, lasting and skilled jobs in French Guiana.

Politics

With its new university complex and the scientific operators, French Guiana will have on-the-spot capability for setting-up and running new projects. SEAS will serve as an example to the European Community’s other outermost regions. French Guiana will be recognised by the European Community and ESA as a station contributing to the Global Monitoring Environment and Security initiative (GMES). Teams for French Guiana will have easier access to European consortia and particularly GMES. This will provide a new and welcome argument in favour of developing regional cooperation (with the Amazon Basin and the Caribbean).

Running the station

Guiana’s research and development institute (IRD), along with other Guianese partners, has awarded the running of the station to Spot Image for the nominal lifetime of the SPOT 5 satellite (until May 2007). The company will run it at no cost to IRD or the other Guianese partners (the Region, the State and the University Complex). These last three will define a data distribution policy on a non-commercial basis for the benefit research and public services. Spot Image will have full use of the images received at the station for the development of its commercial activities in South America. For the moment, only the US is present in the Earth observation market on this continent. Consequently, the receiving station will open up new outlets for SPOT 5 images throughout South America.

Advantages for French Guiana

In exchange, Spot Image promises that half of all profit from the sale of images produced directly at the station will be made over to the Guiana Technopole association. These profits will be used in French Guiana for :

• facilitating exchanges between universities, business and research centres,
• enabling the creation of innovative businesses in sectors with high added value,
• encouraging technology transfer towards local businesses,
• contributing to the promotion of the region and its companies.

This project shows the determination of the Region, the French state and Europe to endow French Guiana with its own satellite data receiving capability. To impel the SEAS project in Guiana, CNES/CSG has authorised and largely financed the installation of the antenna in Montabo (providing the land at no cost and financing 75% of the station). French Guiana will therefore benefit directly from spin-offs from European Earth observation Space systems by developing innovative applications and ultimately becoming a reference in the field. This state-of-the-art receiving station will be a technological platform at the service research, training and development in Guiana.

The SEAS receiving station should be operational in early 2006.

• Project promoter: IRD (coordination, functional specifications, science projects, transfers, training, etc)
• Industrial partner: Spot Image
• Financial partners: CNES/CSG, IRD, Regional Council, ERDF
• Science and technical partners: CNRS, Cirad, BRGM, UAG, Ifremer, Laboratoire Pasteur
• User partners: State and local authority technical departments, EPAG (Guianese development agency), design and engineering offices.