Planetek Hellas, a frontrunner in Satellite Earth Observation (EO) based intelligence solutions for security, law enforcement and defense, has entered a crucial phase of collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) through a newly signed contract. The contract is part of ESA’s EO for Civil Security Applications initiative, a cornerstone of the Agency’s FutureEO-1 program. An important pillar of the project resulting from this contract is designed to represent a best practice and to showcase to INTERPOL's Counter Terrorism Directorate innovative ways that global law enforcement authorities can engage with terrorism and organized crime.
Set within an implementation timeframe of 12 months and a contract valued at €500,000, this groundbreaking initiative serves a dual purpose. Firstly, it commits to developing and stringently validating avant-garde EO-based strategies, specifically designed for security and law enforcement activities, under the expert counsel of seasoned security specialists. Secondly, it aims to streamline the integration of EO services within INTERPOL's Counter Terrorism operations, marrying them with open-source intelligence to enhance operational efficiency and tactical response rates significantly.
In this venture Planetek Hellas heads a consortium of industry experts and research pioneers including the globally respected defense and security open-source intelligence firm Janes (UK), and the acclaimed Center for Security Studies (GR) – a research organization overseen by the Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection.
INTERPOL representatives emphasized the importance of satellite Earth Observation and open source intelligence when it comes to combating organized crime and terrorism. In the same context it is expected that the project will facilitate relative operations of the Member States.
Michela Corvino, ESA's Project Manager said, “Our primary goal in this activity is to enhance the geospatial industrial capabilities in Europe and inspire innovative proposals for integrated technology solutions that can be applied to prevent, detect, or respond to threats and crimes of concern to the international community. We are happy to assign this contract to the Planetek Hellas lead team”.
"This new contract with ESA, awarded to us following open competition, is a testament to our capability to assemble and lead teams that combine industrial and research capacity and fulfill the Agency's stringent quality criteria," said Stelios Bollanos, Co-Founder & Director of Planetek Hellas. "It is furthermore a significant endorsement of our knowhow in designing and implementing EO based services within vital security and law enforcement frameworks."
