32 brilliant students concluded with success the 4th edition of the EODA Lab last June, the course run by Progressive Systems in the frame of the ESA Research and Service Support
Large attendance was recorded to the 2020 edition of the Earth Observation Data Analysis – EODA Laboratory. The EODA course, taught by prof. Frank S. Marzano, is completely dedicated to Satellite Remote Sensing and EO applications and is held within the Master Degree in Data Science of Sapienza University of Rome. Training skilled professionals who can “mine and interpret the growing availability of complex data”: this is the objective of the Master Degree, which through the EODA Lab was able to open a window on Earth science analysis, offering its students knowledge and tools to effectively manage and interpret satellite data for several environmental and geoinformation applications.
Over three modules, Progressive Systems experts provided an overview on the sensors, characteristics, and main applications of the Copernicus Sentinel 1-2-3 missions, the EU’s fleet of satellites dedicated to the operational needs of the Copernicus Programme. Particular attention was devoted to the hands-on sessions on satellite data analysis and applications with the use of several open-source tools, among which Anaconda, Jupyter, and SNAP (Sentinel Application Platform, the ESA tool for Earth Observation processing and analysis). Students learnt the most important techniques to process data and derive products for information retrieval on atmosphere, land and water which can be transformed into useful knowledge for assessing natural hazards, managing natural resources, setting up early warning mechanisms for crisis management and much more. In full compliance with COVID-19 restriction measures, the lab was completely delivered online and material, including video-tutorials for the hands-on sessions, was prepared and provided to participants to allow for the highest qualitative training experience.
The lab, now in its fourth edition, has managed to attract a growing participation of students year after year, a clear sign that the data scientist is increasingly becoming a key figure for companies, public sector institutions, research and international organizations which work with Big Data.
Training young people interested in starting a career in the Earth Observation domain has always been considered strategic for Progressive Systems. Through the Earth Observation Data Analysis Lab and the long-lasting collaboration with the Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications (DIET) of Sapienza University of Rome enabled by Prof. Frank S. Marzano, Progressive Systems has been investing in this strand of activities to foster young people’s skills development, increase their job-readiness and help bridging the gap between University and Industry.
In pursuing this mission, Progressive Systems gives appointment to all aspiring data scientists at the next edition of the EODA Lab.
