General Overview—Economic Aspects

Space offers an important insight to understand the Earth and to improve our lives. Satellite Earth Observation (EO) can benefit many areas of society, including environment and resources management, agriculture, food security, transport, just to mention few of them. EO satellites supply data can be used as tools to contribute to the sustainable economic development in the remote areas of the world. This contribution aims at offering an overview of the factors that characterize the EO market and the relative consequences, drawing a picture of the existing EO services with socio-economic benefits for the society. In addition, the contribution presents a brief overview on the commercialization of earth observation data and the economic influence of private actors on the EO domain. In conclusion, the paper offers an insight on the possible steps that Europe should take to improve the European governance and to create the adequate framework of operation for private and public actors involved in EO operational activities, to help the creation of an industrial policy for the EO services and to stimulate the public demand at European level.