Photo of Commercial Data Service Providers Panel on December 4th at 13:00 CET in Darmstadt, Germany and online. Dr. Paula Bontempi, URI/TOS, was the in-person moderator joining panelists Dr. Carsten Brockmann (Brockmann Consult) and Dr. Xinqiang He (SIO) onstage. Online moderator was Dr. Pedro Ribiero (INDRA) and virtual panelists Drs. Mark Matthews (CyanoLakes), Thomas Heege (EOMAP/FUGRO) and Dr. Andy Shaw (Assimila) in discussing Grand Challenges the Industry and the International Ocean Color Science community might tackle.
Data Service Provider Panel
On the 4th of December 2025, we co-hosted with GEO AquaWatch an important hybrid ocean color community conversation with Commercial Data Service Providers. Our 5 invited panelists and moderators shared insights into the value proposition of public/academic/private partnerships – especially in technical aquatic science settings. Four ‘Grand Challenges’ were discussed which might enable future collaboration in the field of aquatic remote sensing. Interactive engagement with the online and in-person audience included Q&A and helping to rank-choice the Grand Challenges for interest. The top-ranked challenges were: Innovation to address local challenges / global relevance and Conservation and restoration of ecosystems.