Earth Observation Research Programme STEREO

Belgium started its first national remote sensing research programme as early as 1985. That programme, TELSAT 1, aimed at creating a national remote sensing research capacity and exploring the possibilities of SPOT imagery for agriculture, forestry and cartography. Throughout the years and through a range of follow-up programmes, the aim was broadened to  the development of applications, interaction with users, transfer of knowledge to industry and public administrations, international visibility of research results and training and education.

The current programme, STEREO III, finances research projects carried out by research laboratories, either on their own or as part of a network and focused on one or more priority themes. These are in line with the research axes of the European Commission:

• Gobal monitoring of vegetation and evolution of terrestrial ecosystems;
• Management of the environment at regional and local levels: water, land, forests, nature reserves and biodiversity, agriculture, coastal zones, urban and peri-urban areas;
• Interactions between (changes in) land cover and climate change;
• Epidemiology and humanitarian aid;
• Security and risk management

In addition, the STEREO programme has been offering offer high quality user support and promotes remote sensing and Belgian initiatives in the field of Earth observation.

The programme supports the research community as a whole, via the centralised acquisition of remote sensing imagery and the establishment of cal/val research sites and a range of networking opportunities.

To promote Remote Sensing and Belgian commitment in Earth Observation and to facilitate the outreach of the research results, the STEREO team:

• offers information to the public at large via a dedicated website and via social media;
• answers your questions in the field of satellite Earth Observation;
• develops educational and promotional material;
• supports and organises workshops and conferences;
• publishes webstories, articles, booklets and reports;
• encourages and promotes the use of Earth observation data, including high-resolution data from the French Pléiades programme, of which Belgium is a partner.