A week full of technical meetings focused on the management of European projects and the use of hyperspectral Earth observation satellite technologies for the delegation of the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA), which was hosted at the ASI headquarters in Rome as part of the activities of the European project “Reaching Excellence in Hyperspectral Remote Sensing (EXPERT).” EXPERT is a Horizon Europe project, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by ROSA, focused on training and scientific research activities to promote and disseminate the use of hyperspectral satellite remote sensing data. The project involves the participation of ASI and the German Space Agency (DLR), world leaders in hyperspectral Earth observation satellite technologies, thanks to the PRISMA and EnMAP missions.
The delegation, led by Daniel Crunteanu, General Director of ROSA, was welcomed by ASI’s Director General Luca Vincenzo Maria Salamone. In his opening remarks, the ASI Director General emphasized the importance of collaboration between ASI and ROSA, as an opportunity for fruitful knowledge exchange aimed at supporting ROSA in developing specialized expertise in hyperspectral remote sensing, as well as establishing a structure dedicated to managing national and international research projects.
To this end, ASI researchers and experts from the “Earth Observation” Office and the “Coordination and Reporting of Active National and International Projects” Service conducted a series of training modules focused on accessing European funding programs, contractual and financial rules, and sharing best practices for project proposal preparation, management, and monitoring during the implementation phase. In addition, in collaboration with DLR, a training module was conducted on the use of hyperspectral satellite images and data acquired from airborne sensors.
“EXPERT represents a great opportunity for ASI to leverage its PRISMA satellite asset and the know-how acquired over the years in the development of hyperspectral sensors, conducting scientific research activities, and generating value-added products for applied purposes,” highlights Deodato Tapete, ASI Project Manager for EXPERT. “Furthermore, thanks to the Research Management training module conducted by colleagues Brunella Castelli and Rina Angeletti, we have the opportunity to transfer skills in the design and management of European projects.”
The delegations will meet again in Vienna in June, on the occasion of the ESA Living Planet Symposium, where they will present the first results of the project.
