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April – June 2014
2
nd
quarter
SPC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC)
The geographic information systems (GIS)
and remote sensing team has received two
awards from the world’s leading supplier of
satellite imagery, DigitalGlobe Inc., based in
Colorado, USA.
They received a Partner Excellence Award
2014 for increased sales volume and
meeting business growth expectations.
SPC is the only authorised reseller of
DigitalGlobe products in the Pacific Island
region.
SPCmembers currently receive the highest-
resolution satellite image data commercially
available at some of the lowest prices on
the planet. SPC was also recognised with a
DigitalGlobe Innovation Award 2014.
Speaking at the awards ceremony held at
SPC’s Suva Regional Office on Thursday
10 July, 2014 Wolf Forstreuter, GIS and
Remote Sensing Specialist, explained
emerging fields in the application of satellite
imagery data.
‘Emily Artack, our Maritime Boundaries
Technical Officer, used satellite image data
for determination of maritime boundaries
between Kiribati and Marshall Islands. This
is a new application for satellite image data.
And it is the first time that the International
Seabed Authority has recognised satellite
imagery as a legal tool to determine
boundaries.’
Successive technical innovations have
put SPC’s GIS and remote sensing team
at the forefront of international application
of satellite image data and cemented its
place in a value-adding service chain that
benefits people right across the region. ‘We
are applying very sophisticated data to real
development needs,’ says Petterson.
A large number of staff turned out to watch
as Fekitamoela ‘Utoikamanu, SPC Deputy
Director-General, received the awards
from Peter Kinne, Regional Director for
DigitalGlobe.
A statement from Takayuki Odawara,
DigitalGlobe’s Vice President of Asia-Pacific
Commercial Sales, emphasised that ‘the
achievements of such a small group have
been world class.’ The statement went
on to say, ‘These awards recognise the
excellence of the work performed and
the efforts of the GIS and remote sensing
team.’
Satellite imaging technology has a variety
of applications in the Pacific, including
forestry, land use planning, agriculture,
geology, fisheries, port operations, disaster
management, infrastructure and urban
planning, maritime boundaries, biodiversity
conservation, climate change adaptation,
and education. It also permits Pacific Island
countries to replace long-outdated aerial
maps and cartographic data.
GIS/Remote Sensing unit receives two awards for satellite
imaging
April - June 2014
The winning GIS team (standing) with the executives of SPC and DigitalGlobe (sitting)