GEOSS

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GEOSS and the Private Sectors Role
MTS/IEEE Oceans 2005 September 21,
2005 Washington, DC
Nancy Colleton Executive Director, Alliance for
Earth Observations
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What is GEOSS?

• Global Earth Observation System of Systems
  (GEOSS)
• An interconnected system of systems by which
• observations of the planets various
  components will be
• integrated
• GEOSS will include local, national, regional,
• multinational, and global data and information
  
• (databases, models, decision support tools,
  and programs)
• GEOSS is intended to revolutionize how we view
  our
• planet and make decisions

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How is GEOSS being developed?

• Launched in July, 2003 at the Earth Observations
• Summit
• Nearly 60 countries, EU, and 43 international
• organizations are working together to plan and
• implement GEOSS
• Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat
• has been established in Geneva
• Executive Committee and Working Groups

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Whats happening nationally?

• National activities feed into the overall
  international
• GEOSS effort.
• Federal agencies (17) formed the US Group on
• Earth Observations (USGEO)
• USGEO operates under the auspices
• of the NSTC
• Published a strategic plan for IEOS
• Now developing implementation plans for six
• near-term opportunities

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Whats the Private Sectors Role?

• The private sector must be actively engaged to
  realize
• fully the social and economic benefits of GEOSS.
• Why?
• The private sector represents an unparalleled
  technical resource
• The private sector will be a major user of
  IEOS/GEOSS
• The private sector will also contribute to
  IEOS/GEOSS

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What is the Alliance forEarth Observations?

• Alliance Activities
• Architecture Workshop
• Forum on Earth Observations
• Expert Meetings
• Sponsorships

• The Alliance Works to
• Represent a Broad Global Voice
• Communicate
• Partner with Users
• Educate

to succeed, we need partnerships with
industry, academia, and nongovernmental
organizations We look for industry to organize
itself to put forward its ideas, needs, and
concerns.
- VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. (Ret.)
Under Secretary for Oceans Atmosphere
Co-Chair, Group on Earth Observations
Our Mission is to promote support the
understanding and use of Earth observations
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What can we do for GEOSS?

• Help Governments vision become a reality
• Facilitate cross-sector collaboration
• Define business research opportunities
• Define user requirements
• Contribute innovation technology development
• EO advocacy
• Promote value of EO to society the economy

Working Together as One Unified Global Voice
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Alliance Members

• Ball Aerospace Technologies Corporation
• Boeing
• Center for International Earth Science
  Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia
  University
• Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote
  Sensing (CSTARS) at the University of Miami
• ESRI
• Global Science and Technology (GST)
• Harris Corporation
• ITT Space Systems Division
• Lockheed Martin
• MDA/Earthsat
• NatureServe
• Northrop Grumman
• Raytheon
• Science Applications International Corporation
  (SAIC)
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Space Systems/Loral
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution