Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Thales Alenia Space signs contract with ESA to develop an agricultural digital twin component for sustainable, resilient agriculture

27/03/2025

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

SaveCrops4EU leverages Earth observation and advanced processing techniques to create tools that support an economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture sector, in line with Europe's Common Agricultural Policy and the European Green Deal. Luxembourg, March 27, 2025 -Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead the SaveCrops4EU project. Part of ESAs Digital Twin Earth programme, this pre-operational digital twin component will enhance agriculture's resilience to climate change and support agricultural resource management.

Destination Earth ESA

The SaveCrops4EU digital twin component will be structured around three major scientific pillars:

Advanced monitoring using satellite data and agronomic indicators to enable real-time analysis of crop conditions.

Yield forecasting based on a hybrid modeling approach combining Earth observation data with crop growth models to estimate production volumes at regional level.

Scenario testing incorporating various abiotic stresses (such as drought and heat) and management strategies (including irrigation and fertilization) through a range of simulations.

Thales Alenia Space will lead the integration and overall architectural design of the Digital Twin Component, combining the various scientific models with the necessary Earth observation data and ensuring that the output data can be effectively used by end-users. A modular approach was chosen to support a wide range of use cases in which the Digital Twin Component could provide key information.

Thanks to an innovative combination of Earth system modeling, diverse data sources, and cutting-edge technologies, Destination Earth and its digital twins for example allow a wide range of users to explore the effects of climate change on the various components of the Earth system and assess possible adaptation and mitigation strategies. Several structural institutional initiatives in this area exist in Europe like Destination Earth (DestinE) funded by the European Commission or ESA Digital Twin Earth (DTE), funded by a large number of ESA Member States. The ultimate goal of these initiatives is to create a digital model of the Earth to monitor the effects of natural and human activity on our planet, anticipate extreme events, optimize resource use while minimizing environmental impact, and adapt climate policies accordingly.

As an ESA programme, DTE is in full synergy with DestinE and ensures that the pre-operational digital twins developed could transition into a larger operational system like DestinE, thus maximising their impact.

Real-world use cases for validation To ensure the relevance of technological developments, SaveCrops4EU will be tested through four key use cases in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, and Spain. These real-world validation cases will assess the accuracy of the models, their ability to anticipate weather- and climate-induced stress on agriculture, and their impact on local decisions by stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

SaveCrops4EU leverages existing solutions from the Destination Earth Platform and aims to achieve maximum interoperability with other digital twin components. The modular approach will ensure future scalability by enabling the easy integration of new models and addition of crop types. By the end of 2026, the project will provide a pre-operational solution supporting economically and environmentally sustainable crop management in Europe.

For several years, Thales Alenia Space has been at the forefront of innovation, developing enhanced digital solutions for Earth observation to enhance decision-making and support responsible climate policies. We are proud that ESA renewed its trust in our company with SaveCrops4EU, leveraging the legacy and experience we gained in developing the flood prediction digital twin in 2023, said tienne Barritault, Managing Director of Thales Alenia Space in Luxembourg.

A European consortium of excellence To lead the SaveCrops4EU project, Thales Alenia Space has formed a European consortium, with each partner contributing specialized expertise in complementary fields. The consortium brings together the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, the scientific lead, and the University of Valencia as remote sensing experts. It also includes Forschungszentrum J lich, specialists in bioscience and geoscience simulation, the Walloon Agricultural Research Center, and CropOM, experts in agriculture.

About Thales Alenia Space Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers innovative solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design and build satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies' Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately 2.2 billion in 2023 and has around 8,600 employees in 8 countries, with 16 sites in Europe.

08 Apr 2025

U.S. Air Force awards NSPA F-16 Helmet Mounted Display contract for Thales Scorpion HMD

Read more

07 Apr 2025

Thales announces next-generation Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for resilient navigation

Read more

07 Apr 2025

Tha
LINK: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press_release/thales-al...
See more stories from thales

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

12/05/2026

Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026

Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...

12/05/2026

G&D and CT Square Establish Joint Venture for India and Middle East Distribution

Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...

12/05/2026

Telemundo Reports Record Advertiser Demand for FIFA World Cup 2026 Coverage

With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...

12/05/2026

NHLs Stanley Pup Returns for Third Year on June 8

The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...

12/05/2026

NBCUniversal Outlines Ad Technology and Content Strategy at 2026 Upfront

NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...

12/05/2026

FOX Sports Funds Fandom Research Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School

FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...

12/05/2026

TNDV and Live Media Support NCAA Final Four Weekend for 13th Consecutive Year

TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...

12/05/2026

European Football Alliance Signs Distribution Agreement with Fubo Sports Network

The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...

12/05/2026

ESPN, TelevisaUnivision Ink Deal to Produce Additional Spanish-Language Super Bowl LXI Telecast

For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...

12/05/2026

CP Communications Manages RF Spectrum for Kentucky Derby Week

CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...

12/05/2026

LiveU and DRONERESPONDERS Announce Partnership for Public Safety Drone Video Transmission

LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...

12/05/2026

BMC TV Selects Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway for Horse Racing Transmissions

Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...

12/05/2026

NEP Europe to Deliver Broadcast Solutions for Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna

NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...

12/05/2026

Grass Valley Expands Collaboration with Ravensbourne University London on Media Production Education

Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...

12/05/2026

Stats Perform Launches Opta Pulse AI-Assisted Video Creation Platform

Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...

12/05/2026

FOX Sports and Sesame Workshop Announce Collaboration for FIFA World Cup 2026

FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...

12/05/2026

Little Show, Giant Heart: NHL in ASL Earns Two Sports Emmy Nominations in 2026

To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...

12/05/2026

At Its Annual Brandcast, YouTube Aims To Show Why Sports Is No Longer Just the Game

Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...

12/05/2026

Your Next Double Feature: Old Joy and Past Lives

A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...

12/05/2026

It's Your Party of the Year(s): A Look Back at Your Entire Music History on Spotify

Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...

12/05/2026

Black Lion Audio introduce the Auteur 8DAT

Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...

12/05/2026

Reason 14 now available

New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...

12/05/2026

One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pitch

One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...

12/05/2026

Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at PCIM Expo 2026

Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...

12/05/2026

Ad-Hoc News: aconnic AG announces improved fund raising plan to support business and refinance debt

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...

12/05/2026

CNN Pushes Into Lifestyle Products with CNN Weather' App Launch

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/05/2026

Marshall Electronics Cameras Elevate Elite Equestrian Com...

Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...

12/05/2026

IBC2026 registration opens as international media industr...

Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...

12/05/2026

Ross Video Showcases Unified Production Workflows at Broa...

Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...

12/05/2026

With over 50bn euros in assets under management and recor...

500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...

12/05/2026

Randy Koeman Joins CVP as Part of Continued European Expa...

CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has appointed Randy Koeman as Sales Manager, Netherlands, marking anot...

12/05/2026

Taiwan Television selects PlayBox Neo Suite multi-channel...

Taiwan Television has expanded its HD content ingest workflow capabilities by investing in the PlayBox Neo Suite - a leading multi-channel multi-server UHD/HD/S...

12/05/2026

Jigsaw24 Appoints Tom Laker and Ashish Chauhan to Support...

Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the appointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring...

12/05/2026

Pebble brings future-ready playout innovation to Broadcas...

Broadcast playout leader showcases hybrid IP infrastructure and workflow automation with Videoland deployment as regional benchmark...

12/05/2026

dzjinius to Showcase All-in-one Production Management Pla...

dzjinius, the all-in-one production management platform for the media and entertainment industry, will showcase its centralised approach to production workflows...

12/05/2026

G&D and CT Square Launch New Joint Venture in India

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/05/2026

Congress Urged to Protect Live Sports on Broadcast TV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/05/2026

Roku to Stream Inaugural Enhanced Games in North America

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/05/2026

Austrian Broadcaster Selects Lawo, SLG Broadcast for Studio Upgrade

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

12/05/2026

NUGEN Audio Debuts Enhanced DialogCheck at MPTS 2026

NUGEN Audio will debut Version 1.1 of DialogCheck, its intelligent dialog intelligibility and compliance tool, at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show (S...

12/05/2026

Disguise Powers Interactive LED Castle for Laura Pausini

The reactive visuals can adapt to any stage or screen setup and comprise 50 layers of Notch content Today, Disguise announced that its high performance GX 3 m...

12/05/2026

DoPchoice Intros Light-Shaping Accessories for ARRI Omnib...

Snapgrid , Snapbag & Airglow Expand Creative Control for the ARRI Modular LED BarFollowing the launch of the ARRI Omnibar, DoPchoice introduces a dedicated li...

12/05/2026

Tribeca Festival Unveils 2026 Games Program

May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here TRIBECA FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2026 GAMES PROGRAM Tribeca Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary With World Premieres and Pl...

12/05/2026

Madonna Brings The World Premiere Of Confessions II To 2026 Tribeca Festival

May 12th, 2026 Press Materials Available Here MADONNA BRINGS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CONFESSIONS II TO 2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL The Global Icon Will Unveil a Cine...

12/05/2026

Increasing Data Demand, Excellent Networks and Solid Financial Results - Magyar Telekom's Q1 2026 financial results

Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...