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International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B6. Istanbul 2004
to independent companies was generally welcomed, at the same
time the tendency for private and government companies in the
UK and W. Europe to sub-contract work overseas is seen as
detrimental to the home-based photogrammetric industry. A
general shortage of trained specialist photogrammetrists in the
UK was noted.
A small minority of respondents felt that significant RS
applications effort and research uptake has been lacking in the
UK, inhibiting UK industry competitiveness. However, the
majority of respondents indicate a range of significant positive
changes that have impacted on research and commercial
activity. The most frequently cited changes in the
photogrammetric community relate to the rise of laser scanning
as a credible source of survey and environmental data and the
continued increase in the use of digital imaging technology. The
movement from analytical to digital, noted as intensifying in the
national report 4 years ago, has continued. Most companies that
have only recently started operations with imagery (either aerial
or close-range) use digital processes exclusively, and may have
started with no previous experience of analytical
photogrammetry. Specific software packages for handling
digital data were listed by many respondents, these being either
standard commercial packages, modelling tools or other
software developed in house.
5. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES 2000 to 2004
In respect of the most significant developments in
photogrammetry and remote sensing in the UK during the
period 2000-2004, most comment concerned changes in EO
funding under NERC, the opportunities presented by the GMES
programme and specific reference to technological issues.
Consolidation for the industry has been provided by the profile
and continuing rise of "geo" applications in their broadest sense.
[Increased difficulty in obtaining research funds to support UK
research has been noted. It is attributed in part to increased
competition for research funds and a tendency for UK Research
Councils to preferentially support large and high profile
initiatives, such as the EO Centres of Excellence (see below).
At the same time, major joint EC (FP6) and ESA activities,
linked to GMES, are providing significant funding opportunities
for commercial operators and the well funded research
laboratories. Whilst the UK has been successful in this area
during the reporting period, the benefits are not spread widely.
On a European scale, the development of the GMES
collaboration between ESA and the EC has changed (and
bundled) the priorities of the Earth Observation activities in the
European framework programme and the ESA Service Element.
GMES represents new opportunities to open up an institutional
market for EO and BNSC provide the UK lead in coordinating
national activities under the GMES initiative within ESA and
the EC FP6 programme. Within the UK, BNSC coordinate an
inter-departmental working group to inform UK government
and research departments and define UK priorities for GMES.
The UK leads two current GMES GSE projects: "Terrafirma"
on Europe-wide subsidence monitoring from SAR
interferometry and the recently launched "Respond" project on
Humanitarian Assistance to develop an Open Service
Partnership that will support humanitarian interventions
globally. UK consortia are engaged in many of the other ten
GMES GSE projects currently ongoing.
79
Lord Sainsbury (UK Minister for Science and Technology,
including space) announced the publication of a new UK Space
Strategy in December 2003 following public consultation. Key
drivers behind the strategy will be to promote an innovative and
competitive space sector and ensure that UK citizens, scientists
and enterprises will have access to advanced space-based
systems and services. BNSC partners are developing their
supporting space plans and budgets to meet this new strategy.
Due to restructuring, DTI funding for 2003/04 could only
support a reduced national programme of projects. However, it
was able to support a combined New Techniques for
Observation Needs (NEWTON) and Service Mission Support
(SMS) programme. The GIFTSS Government. partnering
programme to stimulate institutional markets operated
throughout the reporting period. In line with the new UK Space
Policy, the DTI is developing a revised Space Plan based on
new funding mechanisms to support a national programme for
exploiting the commercial potential of EO. More information is
available at www.bnsc.gov.uk
The NERC, which is primarily responsible for the exploitation
and use of EO for environmental science applications, has
recently assumed greater responsibility for science in Earth
Observation in the UK. It now manages the UK ESA
subscriptions to the Earth Explorer missions, the EO Envelope
Programme and Envisat operations and exploitation. NERC
also coordinates a number of EO initiatives including their new
Centres of Excellence, the New Observing Techniques (NOT)
programme, the LINK programme and an Enabling Fund along
with scientific instrument development such as HIRDLS and
GERB. NERC issued its Draft Strategy on EO for consultation
2003. This aims to shape the future direction of NERC's work
towards using EO to create a more sustainable environment for
the future and will contribute to UK funding policy. It will have
implications for the scientific research community, and will also
require cross-cutting collaboration with the UK industrial base
with respect to forthcoming mission selection and exploitation
priorities.
During 2002, NERC inaugurated a number of EO Centres of
Excellence’. These are in addition to the already established
NERC Centres and Institutes? that research and use remote
sensing data in a variety of applications to meet diverse needs.
The Centres of Excellence programme is one of the most
significant recent UK developments, and channels significant
research funding plus a big institutional push towards priority
areas of science, under the NERC "Science for a Sustainable
Future" Strategy. The first NERC Earth Observation Workshop
took place in March 2003. The second meeting was held at
Plymouth in June 2004. Further information is available at
http://www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/earthobs/ .
6. SUGGESTED CHANGES 2004-2008
Commercial companies, universities and government agencies
are broadly optimistic about the future of remote sensing but
less confident with regard to photogrammetry. Tables 6.1a and
6.1b show that actual levels of activity compared fairly well
! The Centre for Terrestrial Carbon Dynamics (CTCD), Centre for Polar
Observations and Monitoring (CPOM), Centre of Observation and
Modelling of Earthquakes & Tectonics (COMET), Data Assimilation
Research Centre (DARC) and the Environmental Systems Science
Centre (ESSC).
? These include the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), the
3ritish Geological Survey (BGS), the British Antarctic Survey (BAS),
the Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC), the Plymouth Marine
Laboratory (PML) and the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL).
