Launch of the FAST-EO Project for Earth Observation

Kicking off FAST-EO!

Earth observation (EO) is about to get a major boost - thanks to FAST-EO, a new initiative funded by European Space Agency (ESA) Φ-lab and involving researchers from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Forschungszentrum Jülich, KP Labs, and IBM Research. The project’s aim is to advance the integration and efficiency of multi-modal AI foundation models within the EO sector. Having kicked off on 5 February 2024, it is scheduled to run for 18 months, until mid-2025.

Overview of FAST-EO

Typically done with the help of satellites, data from EO is crucial for sustainability and tackling the impacts of climate change. It is used for early-warning systems, monitoring of deforestation and afforestation, detection of illegal mining, forecasting floods, and much more.

‍

As the amount of data we receive about Earth rises, multi-modal AI is pivotal to generate actionable insights at global scale to various stakeholders like emergency services, urban planners and decision makers in general.

‍

To improve how the data is received and processed, these five organisations have decided to work together. Each partner brings unique strengths to the project, ranging from satellite data expertise to advanced AI and machine learning research, as well as high-performance computing, with the goal of enhancing the use of multi-modal AI foundation models within the EO community. By pooling their resources and expertise, the organisations hope to push the boundaries of what is currently possible in the field of AI for EO, making it more efficient, accessible, and powerful.

Press release

Read the press release

‍

‍