Project Description

This report is a study of the Earth Observation Industry in Spain. The main purpose of the project is having a deeper understanding on value chain analysis and the Spanish EO service industry, trying to find some recommendations for enhancing the EO value adding (VA) chain.
At the beginning of the project, some background about the Earth Observation and value chain analysis theory are introduced. The method of the analysis is divided into four steps: Drawing an EO service value chain, selecting the main players, identifying the characters and analyzing the EO VA service industry.
In total, 21 Spanish EO VA companies and 19 characters are carried out by the project. As data for analysis are not fully available by public information, some results studied by VEGA Group and ESA eoVox workshop are used.

The main conclusions of the project are:
– Value chain analysis provides a good method for understanding EO VA industry.
– Spain has formed a complete value chain in commercial EO service. But the value chain is still weak on the two sides.
– Comparing with European & Canadian EO market sectors, Spanish EO VA companies have a similar distribution in product & service and in market sectors.
– Maintaining steady network with established customers and improving the new users’ acceptance and awareness of EO solution are key issues for the market.

Three main recommendations are also introduced for the Spanish EO VA industry. They are Enhancing or building effective EO trade associations, deep involving in GMES program for meeting the requirement of broad customers and Developing the network in Defence & Law Enforcement, Oil/Gas/Mining, and Fisheries Managements market.