The European Space Agency (ESA) introduced its Integrated Applications Promotion (IAP) programme to promote the development of satellite-based services. According to a news release, Ernst Basler + Partners conducted a feasibility study together with the Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), Noveltis, the Association of Waterworks along the Rhine-Lake Constance and the University of Geneva. The one-year study examined the potential demand of improved methods to monitor and forecast water quantity and quality developments and more efficient methods of monitoring key infrastructure on behalf of stakeholders, including water companies, agricultural stakeholders, environmental agencies and private sector hydrological service providers.
The greatest potential lies in using new satellite-based technologies to monitor the infrastructure used for our water supply systems. New satellite-based service ideas were developed and their market prospects examined on behalf of a group of British companies. The findings were used to draft a corresponding business model to market systems that use data generated by satellites or drones. The data will be made available to customers in the form of maps and statistical analyses on an online platform.