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R.N.I No - UPENG/2010/34153; Registration no: UP/GBD-136/2017-19
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JULY-AUGUST 2020 » VOLUME 11 » ISSUE 02 | ISSN 2277–3134
www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net
Y R O E T D V A O R O C E R
ial , try ustr ery, s du Ind ov l in th ec tia our ely r a p e F im os t ge of th e a e h ars y se t r ll a r fo pi m ffe ling hole o to ab w . re en s a tly mo f the try a eren t o a l e o dus diff as is on e in fare h th ld 20 it 20 ce gh ou ar y sin hou ts w e e y all . T en Th peci tion egm es volu nt s Re ffere di
EXPERT OPINION
CORNER OFFICE
P10
Bryn Fosburgh
Senior Vice-President Trimble
Timothy Petty
P39
Assistant Secretary, United States Department of the Interior
GO FURTHER.
Trimble® R12 GNSS System with ProPoint™ GNSS Engine Technology Engineered for improved accuracy and productivity in challenging GNSS conditions, with ground-breaking signal management and rugged durability. Get ready for performance that takes you further. Trimble.com/R12
© 2020, Trimble Inc., All rights reserved. GEO-182 (04/2020)
CONTENTS JULY-AUGUST 2020 VOLUME: 11, ISSUE: 02 COVER STORY
CORNER OFFICE
10 / Covid Pandemic has
Brought Absoluteness in Terms of Collaboration
Bryn Fosburgh Senior Vice-President, Trimble
REGULAR FEATURES
04 / Editorial 05 / Out of Turn 06 / Product Watch INFOSPHERE
12 / Catch 2020: Recovery Path for Geospatial Industry The year 2020 has a lot to offer for the geospatial industry, especially since it is one of the enabling pillars of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, different industry segments would witness different recovery models.
08 / GeoBIM Readiness Index 2020 The GeoBIM Readiness Index (GBRI), a strategic tool based on the GeoBIM maturity model, provides qualitative and quantitative metrics about the implementation of GeoBIM solutions in 25 countries around the world.
SPECIAL FEATURE
19 / Tracking Dark Ships
Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Kumar Managing Editor Prof. Arup Dasgupta
INDUSTRY FOCUS
26 / Pause, Prepare and Progress POLICY MATTERS
33 / What’s Ailing Indian Space-tech Startups EXPERT OPINION
37 / Where from Here?
Prashant Shukle, Assistant Secretary Head, Global Geospatial Group
39 / Geospatial Information is
Underpinning Data Ecosystem
Timothy Petty, Assistant Secretary, United States Department of the Interior
DEFENSE & SECURITY
41 / Catching Up With Neighbor
Editor-At-Large Technology & Innovation Anusuya Datta Consulting Editor Architecture, Engineering & Construction Gavin Schrock Contributing Editor Geospatial Infrastructure John Kedar Contributing Editor Global Defense and Security Keith J. Masback Consulting Editor Nishi Malhotra Associate Editor Policy & Public Affairs Avneep Dhingra Associate Editor Business & Market Analysis Shimonti Paul Sr. Assistant Editor Defense & Intelligence Meenal Dhande Chief Designer Subhash Kumar Visualizer Pradeep Chauhan Sales & Marketing Manager Vaishali Dixit Disclaimer Geospatial World does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in the publication. All views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. Geospatial World is not responsible for any loss to anyone due to the information provided. Owner, Publisher & Printer: Sanjay Kumar Printed at Virtika Offset Printers, G-14 Sector 3, Noida - 201 301, G.B. Nagar (UP) India Publication Address A - 92, Sector - 52, Noida - 201 301 India. Geospatial World: The edition contains 48 pages including cover. Geospatial Media and Communications Pvt. Ltd. A - 145, Sector - 63, Noida, India, Tel + 91-120-4612500, Fax +91-120-4612555/666 Price: INR 150/US$15
July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 3
EDITORIAL
Innovation Must to Strive and Thrive
T
he Times They Are a-Changin — this song by Bobby Dylan, composed in 1964, seems so relevant in 2020, but for very different reasons. This is our third issue and the third editorial on the COVID-19 pandemic. In March-April, we knew we had a problem, but were confident of tackling it. In April-May, we realized that the problem was far from going away, and now we are resigned to living with COVID-19. But living with Covid is easier said than done, because that needs a major change in the mindset, apart from masks, soap and physical distancing.
using their premises, those that have not been turned into Covid hospitals and quarantine centers, for the wellheeled to cater to home delivery of premium food items. A major tourist agency in my hometown has turned to manufacturing common items of ready-to-cook food. Clearly, they have understood that people may not travel and tour, but they need to eat!
arup@geospatialmedia.net
That mindset must recognize that there is no going back to ‘normal’. The clock cannot be turned back. The normal is decided by what it is here and now. “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees sums up the situation. It is no wonder therefore that the busiest professionals are from the medical fraternity — from taking care of the infected, advising the healthy to developing a vaccine — they are on it 24/7. Pharmaceutical firms are thriving. Uber is now less important than an ambulance service. Working from home and online classes have seen a spike in device sales and data plans, and the proliferation of online courses. Pedagogy is seeing a change as teachers come to grips with the new medium. Malls have been replaced by online e-commerce. Amazon is laughing all the way to the bank. According to the WHO, it will be another two years before the world sees the end of this pandemic. There are speculations and warnings about another pandemic in the future. Clearly, progress and development are not linear projections on spreadsheets. What is needed now is lateral thinking or thinking out of the box. The tourism and hotel industry have taken and are taking a beating. Smart hoteliers are shifting to 4 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Geospatial has played a role in the management of the pandemic in terms of monitoring the spread, managing supply chains, and creating apps for personal contact tracing. There is a need to think beyond these ‘linear’ applications. What do we need geospatially in these radically changed circumstances?
Prof. Arup Dasgupta
There are several lessons for humanity from the Covid experience. There is a need for a better and more resilient global healthcare system. Stringent travel restrictions have shown that atmospheric pollution can be reduced. While there are many studies on the reduction of pollution, there is a need to study whether this will in fact delay the global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Will this then be the way to go in the future? The travel restrictions cannot be continued forever, but can there be some regulation which will reduce the damage to the travel and tourism industry? In the era of physical distancing, there is a need to relook at smart cities which seek to concentrate populations in smaller areas and develop smart satellite towns instead. The COVID-19 global pandemic has rudely disturbed the continuum. But disruption is known to bring opportunities to innovate and change things for the better. Those who grab this opportunity will survive and thrive. Those who long for a return to normal may not. The geospatial industry will be no exception.
OUT OF TURN
Why 2020 Crisis is Extraordinary
W
e, as humans, are resilient by nature, having survival instincts embedded in our very existence. Today, humanity is going through a phase, wherein the operating system of the world economy and society is being rebooted by the Novel Coronavirus — a “biological malware”. Historically, pandemics have been known to be natural evolutionary phenomena. The “Black Death” of the 14th century claimed nearly 200 million lives, and is regarded as the deadliest pandemic in recorded history. So, what makes the 2020 crisis extraordinary?
acter of the 2020 crisis, as it’s destined to create a new set of socioeconomic models and instruments of power play.
Restoration of normalcy would bring along new features and practices, setting the tone for a new world order, driven by principles of knowledge capital and digital technology. Digitalization lies at the core of our future, and it is already knocking at the door, leaving one without any choice but to upskill. Looking into Sanjay Kumar sanjay@geospatialmedia.net the growing performance of digital companies and economies at this point in time, it’s quite obvious that “digital is real.” Development models, sovereignty, and security systems would rely far more on the available digital The past 75 years have probably been part of the infrastructure, data platforms, and scalability of techmost “progressive phase” in human history — world nology adoption. On the flip side, the growing digital divide will be leaving behind billions of people in a order that was driven by principles of coexistence severe state of poverty and digital colonization. and humanity. The suspicion around the origin of the current virus and that it could have been used Protecting human assets and essential commodas a “biological weapon” (if proven) can shift the ities while realigning future strategies with current global narrative from peace to conflict. scenarios is the need of the hour. And to make this happen, the priority must be to conserve energy Secondly, since the beginning of the 21st and resources, and foster self-sustainable econocentury, digitization has gained momentum through the combined interactive value of physical, mies, having adequate production and manufacturing capacities to meet local demand and supply. biological, and digital innovations. COVID-19 has only accelerated the digitization process through Business would be amongst the hardest hit as it “compulsive adoption” of technology, collaborative resides at the heart of the economy. Ironically, it’s the workflows, and diffusion of ecosystems. business community that will have to eventually bear Thirdly, the principles of a digital economy driven the responsibility of making up for the losses to the economy. Further lies a fundamental contradiction by knowledge and automation have been evolving — on the one hand digitalisation would push business rapidly, with billions of minds competing to deliver cost-effective services, irrespective of their geograph- processes towards globalization and collaboration, and on the other hand, public policies would be ical location and nationality — thereby nurturing driven by protective and self-reliant models. new sources of value creation and employability. Altering the fabric of the global village, COVID-19 Being resilient and sustaining through the have forced economies across the globe to prioritize COVID-19 crisis isn’t good enough. Resilience has protective and territorial marketplaces. to be complemented by transformation of business processes, value proposition, business models, and Technology, economy, and security implications market development strategies. encompass a 3D view of the extraordinary charJuly-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 5
PRODUCT WATCH
Google Maps Now Supports Apple’s CarPlay Tech giant Google has announced major changes in the Google Maps on Apple platforms, which will change how the navigation app works for cars. Google Maps will now work with the dashboard view on Apple’s CarPlay screens, allowing users to see maps and media controls side by side. The feature will start rolling out with the next iOS update.
Trimble Introduces New Version of Quadri Cloud-based Server
Three years after it pulled Maps from iOS for Apple Watch, Google has announced the return of Maps to the smartwatch alongside support for Apple’s CarPlay dashboard. Google Maps on Apple Watch will help users navigate by car, bike and public transport, or on foot. The app will also provide ETA and step-by-step directions for the destinations already saved.
Seamless Navigation
• Users can see maps and media controls • Car, bike, and public transport or on foot navigation • ETA and step-by-step directions
HawkEye Introduces All New Geolocation Data Service for Large Regions
Advantages
• Massive data collection across a broad area • Deeper situational awareness • Periodic data and analytics of areas of interest
HawkEye 360 Inc. has started offering a daily Regional Awareness Subscription (RAS) service, which delivers mission-critical insights by allowing organizations to identify, monitor and analyze signal behavior over time. Large-scale RF signal mapping provides deeper situational awareness in these regions, with the datasets enabling trend analysis using traditional and Artificial Intelligence algorithms. HawkEye 360 will work with customers to define a RAS that can span millions of square kilometers. Current RAS collection areas include the Mediterranean, South China Sea, and the Korean Peninsula. HawkEye 360 curates a collection plan that routinely gathers a combination of high-demand signals.
6 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Trimble has introduced a new version of its Quadri Cloud-based BIM server and collaboration platform. This solution will offer an innovative common data environment platform for infrastructure projects, specifically to the European market. Quadri promotes both open formats and third-party software in a bi-directional workflow. Planners, designers and contractors can use their preferred engineering software and add a shared, live project model. The open format software further allows project owners to stay abreast of their project through an equivalent model. All changes in a project are tracked including change history. Quadri will be offered as a software-asa-service solution for model and issue management, bundled with Trimble’s file data management system, Trimble Connect.
Feature Packed
• Promotes both open formats and third-party software in a bi-directional workflow • Users can use their preferred engineering software and add a shared, live project model • Customers can access information and documentation to all or any participants
Faro Trek Integrates Automated 3D Laser Scanning with Spot Mobile Robot FARO Technologies Inc. has announced the release of FARO Trek, a fully autonomous 3D mobile scanning integration built in collaboration with Massachusetts-based robotics firm Boston Dynamics. The solution combines cutting-edge scanning speed and accuracy of the FARO FocusS Laser Scanner with Spot, a quadruped robot capable of remote and autonomous data capture in challenging environments. Suited for general contractors and construction managers to verify production and quality on jobsites, Trek leverages Spot’s Autowalk feature to create a repeatable automated scanning workflow. This allows for streamlined data collection and improved efficiency. The information collected is the same each time, ensuring enhanced analysis and reporting. Autowalk automates the inspection process after operators initially program the route walking alongside the robot. Relying on sophisticated sensors, Spot is then able to repeat that same route autonomously, and even makes minor adjustments to complete the job.
Exclusive Features
• Designed for remote user operation and autonomous sensing • Uses a series of integrated sensors to understand dynamic environments and avoid obstacles or people • Enables data-rich reality capture via an automated experience
Orbital Insight’s GO Property to Give Foot Traffic Analytics Solution to Real Estate Industry
Autodesk’s ArchiveHub to Boost Auditing, Documentation Tasks for BIM Projects
Orbital Insight has released GO Property, the real estate industry’s first foot traffic analytics solution built for all asset classes. Real estate customers such as Avison Young, CenterSquare, and Jamestown partnered with Orbital Insight to design an AI platform that can objectively create true trade areas, identify demographic shifts, and determine the best acquisition candidates. GO Property will make it possible to access data anywhere in the US with just a few clicks. Orbital Insight transforms billions of daily anonymized and aggregated mobile location data points to create daily foot traffic estimates and useful KPIs to quantify real estate property performance points.
Autodesk has introduced ArchieveHub to help construction managers collect BIM project data for handover documentation or auditing purposes. ArchiveHub is a plug-in for BIM 360, developed by AEC software specialist Matterlab. ArchieveHub allows users to download and browse a complete copy of project information, including version histories, issues, attachments, RFIs and names of companies and individuals. The tool retains the original project data and file structures, including metadata, and comes with a dedicated desktop viewer that makes it possible to filter and search the database via a similar interface to BIM 360.
Major Highlights
• Near real-time property visitation levels on a daily basis • True trade areas based on actual customer activity • Demographic trends and customer behavior
ArchiveHub will help professionals who have contractual requirements to keep records of projects.
Safe and Smart Storage
• Archives can be automated, set at user-defined intervals • All information and file structures are kept intact, ‘minimizing risks of error or incomplete data’
July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 7
THE LE INFOSPHERE
M I B O E G ESS N I D A E R INDEX 2020
United States of America
1
The GeoBIM Readiness Index (GBRI), a strategic tool based on the GeoBIM maturity model, provides qualitative and quantitative metrics about the implementation of GeoBIM solutions in 25 countries around the world. Its 28 indicators explore the broad vision of GeoBIM solutions in AEC industry, including technology provider sophistication, advanced utilization of integrated solution and policy environment. GeoBIM Readiness Index - Top 10 Countries 1
1
United States 2
2
United Kingdom 3
3
Germany 4
4
Sweden 5 China 6
6
Norway 7
7
Netherlands 8
8
France 9
9
Singapore 10
10
User Adoption
Poland
Industry Offering
Policy Framework
8 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Courtesy: Getty Images
Source: GeoBIM Market in AEC Industry report
5
• Home to major revenue-generating and innovative construction software solution companies in geospatial, BIM and 4IR technologies owing to the country’s strong ecosystem capability to foster new technology ventures for the AEC industry • The first country to implement the National 3D4D BIM Program in 2003 to provide support and resources for ongoing capital projects, and to incorporate 3D, 4D, laser scanning and BIM technologies across the construction lifecycle
EADERS 2
United Kingdom
3 Germany
• Established its set of guidelines for BIM in the ‘Government Construction Strategy 2016-2020’ for implementing fully collaborative 3D BIM on centrally procured government construction projects, along with the implementation of BIM Level 2 in design and construction
4
Sweden
• The gradual transition of construction companies from Level 2 to Level 3 of the GeoBIM maturity curve owing to noteworthy system integration and solution companies and subsequent policy mandates for BIM and subsurface infrastructure.
• Established Germany’s Road Map for Digital Design and Construction by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) in 2015 which comprises of a guiding principle, a hypothesis, and a plan describing the ‘Performance Level 1’ for the use of BIM on construction projects.
China
5
• Construction companies operate between Level 2 and Level 3 of the GeoBIM maturity curve, with notable adoption of GeoBIM solutions in the plan and design phase of the project lifecycle; and modest adoption in construction and operations and maintenance phases.
• Attracted considerable investments in digital construction technologies, particularly digital twins, for urban planning and design, architectural and structural design, modelling and simulation, and data management and integration across the construction project lifecycle. • Established a common strategy for digitalization for a sustainable built environment – and subsequent efforts have been undertaken by the government to facilitate nation-wide BIM implementation wherein public organizations like Swedish Transport Administration have mandated the use of BIM from 2015.
• Undisputed leader in implementing GeoBIM solutions (augmented by 4IR technologies) across the construction lifecycle operating at Level 3, i.e. the most sophisticated level of GeoBIM maturity utilizing digital twin solutions, bidirectional mixed reality design, GPR solutions, immersive solutions (AR/VR), and additive construction (modular and prefab) across the construction lifecycle. • National BIM Policies implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) matured and adopted into the BIM lifecycle in the new 13th 5-year plan (2016-2020), where the adoption and growth of BIM is expected to be driven by the government policy and market requirements. July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 9
CORNER OFFICE
Covid Pandemic has Brought Absoluteness in Terms of Collaboration Despite multiple challenges, COVID-19 new norm, businesses are recognizing and adapting to digital tools to communicate information efficiently has proven to be an accelerator in the digital transformation of the construction and effectively to the dispersed workforces. industry, says Bryn Fosburgh, Senior Has COVID-19 altered construction Vice-President, Trimble, while sharing workflows? The construction sector has been, and will continue his perspective on how the sector to be the backbone of the economy, with construcis transforming. How has COVID-19 impacted the construction industry? The complexities exerted by the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry is for the world to see. And as in all businesses and industries, the productivity in this sector too continues to fall owing to construction site closures, supply chain disruptions and shortage of labor. However, the silver lining in these unprecedented times is that COVID-19 has proven to be an accelerator in the digital transformation of the construction industry. Digital construction technologies, including geospatial, BIM, and Digital Twin, have enabled virtual collaborations, refining the way construction workflows are conducted. This is helping the industry to transform and adjust to the new normal.
How do you think the pandemic is changing business process? Generally speaking, in the pre-COVID-19 environment, businesses around the world viewed physical interaction as a cornerstone for communication. When the pandemic hit, bringing in multiple uncertainties with it, businesses were left scrambling — trying to adjust to the new scenarios. The outbreak has brought with it, what one may call, a ‘new era of communication’. With the remote working environment becoming the 10 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
tion-related spending accounting for at least 13.1% of the world’s GDP in 2019. That’s quite significant. Just like any other sector, the pandemic will have a strenuous impact on the construction sector globally.
However, even in this situation, we are witnessing a rise in government investments in infrastructure and utilities, which makes me optimistic of the growth opportunities in the sector.
The other critical impact is also the intermediate shift in the management of construction flows, i.e. from a traditional approach to a more collaborative and digital approach. The pandemic has ushered in an understanding among stakeholders about the role of geospatial technologies and connected construction to address the immediate challenges of physical distancing and disconnected information flows. There is an invisible transition happening across enterprises to move towards digitalization, to adapt to the new normal.
Has digitalization become a must for the construction industry in the current circumstances? Absolutely. The pandemic has enabled construction firms to embrace the powerful of digitalization to make a lasting impact on the industry’s overall productivity. Construction firms are realizing this potential and accelerating the use of digital tools to remotely manage workflows and create an enabling and productive virtual working environment. The pandemic has created an unsatiated need among people, including the workforce, to build intimacy, and has forced them to interact more and over-communicate. It is now essential to create
The pandemic has ushered in an understanding among stakeholders about the role of geospatial technologies and connected construction to address the immediate challenges of physical distancing and disconnected information flows a more cohesive and collaborative communication environment. Despite any uncertainty about the duration of this pandemic, we are quite confident that there will be permanent changes to the ways teams coordinate and an ongoing drive towards digital construction.
There has been a lot of talk around the need for collaboration in the current scenario. What are your thoughts on this issue? Traditionally, the construction industry has been operating in silos. Building Information Modeling, or BIM, is an extraordinary process of reducing or breaking down these silos. COVID-19 has brought with it an ‘absoluteness’ in terms of collaboration and communication, necessitating sharing of data, experiences and workflows in a digital environment, and BIM helps with that. It functions as a process to reinforce real-time collaboration by creating linkages between various stakeholders for smoother project delivery.
Along with BIM, Digital Twins are essential for adding another dimension to collaboration among the construction value-chain stakeholders. Think of them as a bridge between the
physical and digital worlds. The premise of Digital Twins is based on connectivity, communication and collaboration, which are all critical elements for infrastructure growth. A confluence of BIM, GIS and IoT enables stakeholders to collaborate, connect and communicate through a shared ecosystem in real time to increase visibility, improve decision-making, conduct predictive analysis and perform proactive operations and maintenance work. It helps stakeholders to reduce rework and save time and cost — the core benefits of digitalization in this sector.
So, is collaboration the best way forward? In the current situation, it is difficult to predict the future. However, companies will need to rethink and reinvent themselves to remain resilient, no matter what the future holds. And a broad range of issues will be discussed — from the use of new technologies to refining the traditional-to-digital approach to adapt to this new reality. In all this, cohesive digital collaboration will be critical. The time is ripe to accelerate collaboration in construction projects and that, in my opinion, is the way forward. As told to Sanjay Kumar July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 11
COVER STORY
T RECOVERY PATH CATCH 2020:
FOR GEOSPATIAL INDUSTRY The year 2020 has a lot more to offer for the geospatial industry, especially since it is one of the enabling pillars of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Though the industry as a whole may see a timely recovery, different segments would fare differently. By Sanjay Kumar
he year 2020 began “as usual”, but by the time people got out of the holiday mode and started to roll out their business plans, early indicators of a coronavirus spreading its wings beyond China began to feature in routine conversations. Within a fortnight, the threat became a lot more real, and became part of corporate discussions and board meetings. However, no one could imagine until the second half of February that the virus is going to alter all plans. The business community responded quickly to safeguard its human assets and adjust its business plans, much before the political administration felt the need to do so. But despite the best of intent and technology at its disposal, the corporate world couldn’t anticipate and predict the likely consequences, leave apart recovery path and models. And today, uncertainty has become “most certain”, causing 24/7 fear and anxiety. The geospatial industry and its leadership weren’t an exception,
12 | www.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
“At every level of government and across society, geography has been essential for understanding and responding to the pandemic. The outcome is a new respect for geographic science and its application,” says Esri Founder & President Jack Dangermond. Explaining how and why geography matters so much in the current situation, Auren Hoffman, Founder and CEO, SafeGraph, says, “It’s a crisis in the physical world, unlike the virtual one in 2008. It needs a response from the physical world, and so geospatial data has been playing a critical role in the battle against COVID-19.”
Recovery models for geospatial industry Economists and business analysts from around the world have been busy developing and altering models of recovery. In the last quarter, most experts concluded that normalcy is far away, and it’s almost impossible to predict what would constitute the “new normal”. According to them, an enterprise’s adaptability, and its ability to “leave behind” and “move forward” will hold the key to its survival and growth in the industry in the coming times. As Kanwar Chadha, Founder, SIRF, INOVI & AQuesT, puts it, “COVID-19 has changed the fundamentals of socio-economic behavior, and only the strong would survive, while the weak would perish.”
Alain De Taeye, Member of TomTom’s Management Board, feels that the world won’t be the same again. “This is the worst ever crisis since 1930s. A large number of companies would be out of business despite assistance from governments,” he says. Meanwhile, Juergen Dold, President, GSI at Hexagon AB, appears to be hopeful. He says,
“Geospatial industry will have financial challenges in the short-term, but ‘valuable’ companies will carry on and become stronger, as we proceed towards recovery. Only in the night you can see stars.”
Data and analytics Real-time geospatial/location data was in huge demand during the first quarter of this year. Most data companies didn’t feel the pinch, and a few in fact went on to add progressive numbers to their quarterly results. The trend mostly continued in the second quarter, except for a brief slowdown due to stringent lockdowns. The last few months have seen data platforms getting recognition globally, especially the geospatially enabled dashboards that helped in comprehending and predictive modeling of the virus spread. Timothy Petty, Assistant Secretary, Department of Interior, USA, says, “It’s a great time to be in the geospatial field. We are in the era of integration of information and analytics. The Performance of BI Companies in Q1 and Q2 Q1
Company Name
Q2
2019
2020
2019
2020
Salesforce
3.737
4.865
3.997
5.150
SAP
7.203
7.709
7.842
7.975
36.032
40.975
38.674
37.998
Google Oracle
9.614
9.796
11.136
10.440
IBM
18.182
17.571
19.161
18.123
Total
74.768
80.916
80.810
79.686
74.768
8.22%
80.916
80.810 -1.39% 79.686
(All figures in USD Billion)
and their response was aligned to that of the mainstream IT industry. Though surveying operations and high-end data processing projects were stalled for a while, data, software, analytics and system integration companies continued their business operations and played a key role in supporting essential services. These companies also aided the authorities in monitoring and controlling the spread of the virus by adding the spatial element to the response at all levels — from individuals, local municipalities, provincial and federal governments to voluntary organizations.
2019
2020 Q1
2019
2020
Q2 Cumulative Revenue Comparison
The demand for real-time data ensured that several BI companies went on to add progressive numbers to their quarterly results. Being at the core of the data ecosystem, geospatial data companies benefited from this growth July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 13
COVER STORY
“At every level of government and society, geography has been essential for understanding and responding to the pandemic. The outcome is a new respect for geographic science and its application” Jack Dangermond
Founder & President, Esri
“It’s a crisis in the physical world, unlike the virtual one in 2008. It needs a response from the physical world, and so geospatial data has been playing a critical role in the battle against COVID-19” Auren Hoffman
Founder and CEO, SafeGraph
“COVID-19 has changed the fundamentals of socio-economic behavior, and only the strong would survive, while the weak would perish” Kanwar Chadha
Founder, SIRF, INOVI & AQuesT
“This is the worst ever crisis since 1930s. A large number of companies would be out of business despite assistance from governments” Alain De Taeye
Member, TomTom’s Management Board 14 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
vocabulary has changed, and data is guiding what the state should do based on a map.”
Auren feels that there is a silver lining in this crisis. “We have been experiencing greater demand for near-real-time geospatial data from a host of business enterprises and local authorities. Moreover, our client profile is changing and new buyers are making fast decisions,” he says. Echoing similar views, Frank Pauli, CEO, Cyclomedia, says that “the relevance and consumption of geospatial solutions has increased, and we may see a temporary slowdown, but are heading for V-shaped recovery”. Benefiting from the growing demand for data, companies like Maxar Technologies reported solid results in the second quarter. Maxar’s revenue increased from $412 million in 2019 to $439 million this year. Announcing the results, Daniel Jablonsky, the company’s CEO, said, “The demand has remained resilient in the current environment, as our customers continue to rely on us for important national security and commercial missions. We generated another quarter of solid revenue growth in Earth Intelligence, while Space Infrastructure returned to growth on the heels of recent diversified bookings from both civil and commercial customers.” Similarly, announcing a “highly profitable” second quarter, Ola Rollen, President & CEO, Hexagon AB, said, “Despite a challenging backdrop, we reported a record second quarter operating margin of 25.3 % supported by continued growth in software. The shift in the business model towards software is clearly paying off, enabling us to be much more resilient in difficult times. Software-focused businesses have grown, with Safety & Infrastructure recording 14% organic growth, supported by strong demand in public safety and geospatial mapping solutions.” The demand for geospatial data has been gaining momentum consistently, but it has also brought forward some of the associated challenges with regard to its ease of use, structures, standards, integration, authenticity, currency and security. These are issues that are quite
Quarter-wise Performance of Select Public Listed Geospatial Companies (All figures in USD Million)
Quarter 1
Total Value
Quarter 2
2019
2020
2019
2020
801.60
792.30
854.80
733.60
1,040.7
980.4
1,096.70
987.40
93.60
79.50
93.50
60.60
326.67
292.53
232.87
198.00
424.59
427.75
526.38
416.34
164.94
148.17
156.55
130.72
163.18
156.27
90.18
94.90
192.49
144.54
236.87
136.23
431.00
381.00
412.00
439.00
3,638.77
3,402.46
3,699.85
3,196.79
Cumulative Revenue Comparison (All figures in USD Million)
- 6.49%
- 13.60%
2020 2019
3,638.77
3,402.46
QUARTER 1
3,699.85
3,196.79
QUARTER 2
July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 15
COVER STORY
Geospatial data and software platforms powered by Machine Learning, automation and analytics are likely to witness a V-shaped recovery. However, there may be different experiences and challenges depending on the solutions addressing different market segments. For instance, companies focusing on core segments of the economy such as construction, utilities, mobility, healthcare and insurance would witness a smooth ride, whereas entertainment, retail, travel and tourism would have to make a detour.
Surveying and mapping Surveying and mapping has traditionally been a steady segment of the geospatial industry. With fieldwork dominating operations, the segment did witness disruption in the aftermath of COVID-19. However, after one quarter of lull, the surveyors are back to work — especially those supporting construction and infrastructure projects — as these are fundamental to economic recovery. The infrastructure industry too has been investing in adoption of digital workflows and connected construction solutions for a while now, but as Bryn says, “COVID-19 has proven to be an accelerator in the digital transformation of the construction industry. Digital construction technologies, including geospatial, BIM, and Digital Twin, has enabled virtual collaborations, refining the way construction workflows are conducted.”
Juergen says the usage of geospatial tools is growing, and so is the awareness around them. “Since buying and delivery process is disrupted temporarily, we may not see a V-shaped recovery, but in all likelihood, surveying and mapping 16 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Performance of AEC Companies in Q1 and Q2 Q1
Company Name
Q2
2019
2020
2019
2020
AECOM
5,037
3,236
5,040
3,246
Jacobs Engineering
3,091
3,427
3,169
3,260
Skanska
3,997
4,687
5,211
4,041
WSP Global
2,174
2,210
2,312
2,207
Parsons Corporation
904
971
990
979
15,203
14,531
16,722
13,733
Total
16,722 15,203 -4.62%
2020
2019 Q1
-21.8%
14,531
13,733
2019
(All figures in USD Million)
relevant, especially when it comes to the market’s engagement with the Digital Twin segment. The combination can generate tremendous business opportunities. Experts argue that collaborative business models towards delivering enterprise solutions in partnership with the mainstream IT and engineering industries would in a way shape the future of the geospatial industry. According to Bryn Fosburgh, Senior Vice President, Trimble, “COVID-19 has brought with it an absoluteness in terms of collaboration.”
2020 Q2
Cumulative Revenue Comparison
Surveying and mapping companies did witness slowdown in Q1, but the operations picked up in Q2, especially for companies supporting construction and infrastructure projects
market will recover soon.” His arguments hint at a U-shaped recovery for the sector. The quarterly results of some equipment companies suggest that the sector may not witness a quick recovery, but will bounce back in due course of time. While the revenue of surveying majors in Q2 (April-June) is still in the negative zone (ranging from 10-40%), things are marginally better than Q1 (Jan-Mar) — after the economies have started reopening. Topcon Positioning and Smart Infrastructure reported a revenue of $137 million and $61 million, respectively, from April to June, seeing a drop of 21% and 10%, as compared to the same period last year. However, a closer look indicates that the month of May marked the beginning of recovery, while June was similar to last year. Construction, infrastructure, and agriculture
“Geospatial industry will have financial challenges in the short term, but ‘valuable’ companies will carry on and become stronger, as we proceed towards recovery. Only in the night you can see stars” Juergen Dold
President, GSI, Hexagon AB
markets continue to do well for companies in this sector. Similarly, Trimble Inc posted a quarterly revenue of $733.6 million, down by 14%, as compared to 2019, even as the geospatial revenue declined by 12%. Rob Painter, Trimble’s President & CEO, said, “The resilience of the Trimble team, the quality of our Connect & Scale 2025 strategy, and the strength of our financial model enabled us to perform despite difficult circumstances.” FARO Technologies, on the other hand, has been experiencing rough weather since the beginning of the pandemic. The company reported a 40% decline in revenue in the second quarter,
down to $60.6 million from $93.5 million in the same period last year. But Michael Burger, President & CEO of FARO Technologies, was hopeful of a recovery. “While the discretionary capital nature of our markets limits our visibility towards the timing of a recovery, we remain confident the actions we are taking will drive a meaningful increase in growth and profitability in the years ahead,” he said.
Geospatial knowledge infrastructure: Vast scope for PPPs Since surveying and mapping serve as the foundation of geospatial knowledge infrastructure, which is critical for Digital Twin models, the market prospects appear quite positive. Even though restrictions caused by COVID-19 have challenged traditional methods of surveying and mapping, drone and aerial surveying, high resolution satellite imaging, processing automation, Cloud-based analytics and delivery models offer innovative alternatives to fulfil the growing demand. Growth in surveying and mapping has been largely driven by the construction and infrastructure industry.
It is worth noting that the pandemic has generated aware-
“It’s a great time to be in the geospatial field. We are in the era of integration of information and analytics. The vocabulary has changed, and data is guiding what the state should do based on a map” Timothy Petty
Assistant Secretary, Department of Interior, USA
ness about geospatial information and its valuable role in the digital age at the highest level of political and administrative leadership. While national mapping organizations have been busy providing authentic and reliable geospatial information, challenges associated with monitoring and maintaining physical distancing of 2 meters has seen growing recognition for the need to have augmenting vertical and horizontal positioning accuracies of devices — further emphasizing on strengthening ground-based positioning infrastructure. Given the fact that geospatial knowledge and positioning infrastructure is being recognized as
Even though restrictions caused by COVID-19 have challenged traditional methods of surveying and mapping, drone and aerial surveying, high resolution satellite imaging, processing automation, Cloud-based analytics and delivery models offer innovative alternatives to fulfil the growing demand July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 17
COVER STORY
FUTURE PROSPECTS After developing and altering models of financial recovery, economists and business analysts from across the globe have concluded that an enterprise’s adaptability, and its ability to “leave behind” and “move forward” will hold the key to its survival and growth in the industry
The demand for real-time geospatial/location data and analytics has been gaining momentum in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. In all likelihood, geospatial data and software platforms powered by Machine Learning, automation and analytics will witness V-shaped recovery, even though there may be different experiences and challenges for companies depending on the solutions addressing different market segments Surveying and mapping has traditionally been a steady segment of the geospatial industry. With fieldwork dominating operations, the segment witnessed disruption in the first quarter, but the surveyors are back to work. With growing demand for construction and infrastructure projects, the sector will recover, but in due course of time. Most likely, surveying and mapping will witness a U-shaped recovery
“The relevance and consumption of geospatial solutions has increased, and we may see a temporary slowdown, but are heading for V-shaped recovery” Frank Pauli
CEO, Cyclomedia
“COVID-19 has proven to be an accelerator in the digital transformation of the construction industry” Bryn Fosburgh
Senior Vice President, Trimble 18 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
a critical element, it’s quite likely that we will see significant investments from both public and private sector stakeholders in this field. In fact, this may boost the trend of public-private partnerships, especially in developing countries that are in dire need to strengthen their national geospatial information infrastructure.
Larger picture The year 2020 has a lot more to offer for the geospatial industry, especially since it is one of the enabling pillars of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Though the industry as a whole may see a timely recovery, different segments would experience different recovery models. It is noteworthy that the equipment companies having added software
capabilities to their portfolios have fared better than pure hardware companies, clearly indicating a trend driven by a combination of data and analytics.
Going forward, it may not be a cake walk, but we are set to witness a major transformation in terms of composition, stakeholdings, workflows, processes, applications, value propositions, skillsets, policies, code of conduct, business models, ownership, and probably the leadership too. In all likelihood, this would wipe out a certain segment of industry, while creating new business opportunities. Sanjay Kumar Editor-in-Chief sanjay@geospatialmedia.net
SPECIAL FEATURE
TRACKING Rogue vessels often operate with their Automatic Identification System switched off. When AIS is not able to supply enough knowledge, other data sources are critical for developing comprehensive maritime awareness. This is where satellite technology comes in. By Anusuya Datta
Courtesy HawkEye 360
DARK SHIPS
The above image shows the limited ability of AIS to track a vessel’s movement and how HawkEye 360 was able to flag suspicious AIS gaps in tanker Romina’s recorded travel
Courtesy tankertrackers.com
• On October 9, 2019, the US State Department flagged off satellite images dated October 2 and 4 to show two Iranian ships transferring oil cargo at Syria’s Baniyas refinery, in violation of the sanctions on Iran. One of them, Adrian Darya-1, had arrived in Syria to offload oil without broadcasting any notices over AIS. Adrian Darya-1 is a repeat offender. Formerly called Grace 1, the vessel was earlier detained in July that year by the UK authorities off Gibraltar, as it was suspected to be heading to Syria in violation of EU sanctions. • Earlier, in May 2019, the US had announced that it would no longer grant sanction exemptions for buyers of Iranian oil, asserting that Iranian militias had been smuggling crude oil from western Iraq to Syria.
This analysis from March 26, 2020 identified four Iranian-flagged vessels near Syria’s Baniyas Refinery designated anchorage
• In December 2019, a report by S&P Global Platts placed estimates for the cross-border flow of crude oil facilitated by the militias as high as 10,000 barrels per day.
regional safety and economic growth, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
• In April 2020, Tanker Trackers detected a large convoy of Iranian vessels approaching Syria’s Baniyas port. In March-April 2020, the figure suddenly increased nearly threefold. • In April 2020 again, a Reuters report said Iranian vessels were concealing the destination of oil sales by disabling the fleet’s AIS, making it difficult to assess how much crude Tehran is exporting.
T
he ocean is vast and challenging to monitor. Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) alone total almost 137 million sq km of open water. Challenges in monitoring and enforcement often pave the way for illicit activities, such as smuggling, piracy, illegal fishing, and human trafficking. Crimes on the high seas are becoming increasingly sophisticated, endangering lives and undermining
Tankers, and in fact all ships, are mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to use Automatic Identification System, or AIS, which provides information about the ship to other vessels and to coastal authorities. Rogue vessels often operate with their AIS — and any other tracking systems — switched off. When AIS is not able to supply enough knowledge, other data sources are critical for developing comprehensive maritime awareness. This is where satellite technology comes in. The most popular form of satellite technology for tracking dark ships so far has been optical imagery. However, recent commercial innovations in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors and new technologies like Space-based radio frequency (RF) July-Aug 2020 | www.geospatialworld.net | 19
Courtesy HawkEye 360
SPECIAL FEATURE
This vessel displays a poor AIS record, with many gaps, as the vessel left port from Malaysia traveling west. HawkEye’s satellites identified VHF Channel 70 communications from the vessel as it was passing near the Riau Islands. This provided information about the ship’s chosen travel path through the Riau Islands, as opposed to a more southernly route, which could be meaningful, depending on the context
On the evening of March 25, HawkEye 360 geolocated VHF Channel 16 maritime signals at Syria’s Baniyas Refinery. VHF Channel 16 is the international hailing frequency to establish initial contact between two vessels or a vessel and land. For navigation and communication purposes, ships need to switch on their VHF signals from time to time. While AIS records showed no vessels in the vicinity at this time, the detected VHF signal potenGOING DARK
This representative display shows how little AIS data is available in the South China Sea. Multiple passes of HawkEye 360’s satellites reveal significantly more vessel activity by geolocating X-band marine navigation radar signals
mapping have added new dimensions to maritime monitoring.
coast guard vessels or airplanes, are resource intensive.
“Governments and maritime insurers rely on AIS as vital means for monitoring the oceans, but AIS has severe limitations. Ships engaged in illicit activities can deactivate their AIS beacons, vanishing off the map. Other problems include malfunctioning equipment or congestion interference that prevents receiving the vessel geolocation,” explains John Serafini, CEO, HawKeye, a smallsat company which has pioneered RF Remote Sensing.
RF mapping: Wavelength matters
Other alternatives for monitoring, such as patrolling with 20 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Somewhere in middle of March 2020, HawkEye 360 started monitoring Iranian crude tankers that might be traveling to Syria. One such vessel, Romina, was last known to have returned to Iranian waters from a trip on February 23. Romina then remained completely dark until it appeared in the Gulf of Suez on March 17. HawkEye’s SEAker tool flagged suspicious AIS gaps in the vessel’s recorded travel. When the vessel exited the Suez into the Mediterranean on March 21, it again went dark.
All ships are required to carry Automatic Identification Systems (AISs) capable of providing their information to other ships and to coastal authorities automatically, as per a mandate by the International Maritime Organization effective December 31, 2004. The regulation requires AIS to be fitted aboard all ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards engaged on international voyages, cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards not engaged on international voyages and all passenger ships irrespective of size. The ships are required to keep the AIS in operation at all times except where international agreements provide for the protection of navigational information. But not all cases of AIS signal blockage are intentional as weak signals, spotty satellite reception and interference can cause gaps in AIS tracks.
tially indicated newly arriving tankers that were coordinating the offloading of crude oil. But this required more information to validate. On March 26, 2020, Tanker Trackers analyzed Planet’s 3-meter electro-optical satellite imagery of the sea near the Baniyas Refinery to find several vessels near the designated anchorage. It used its library of 3-meter imagery signatures for the Iranian crude-carrying fleet and associated assets to identify four Iranian-flagged vessels (Romina, Samah, Adrian Darya-1, and Tour-2). Although Adrian Darya-1 was already known to be at the port, the arrival of Romina and additional tankers to Syria’s Baniyas Refinery without AIS notification was consistent with the behavior anticipated from vessels being used to evade sanctions.
(OSINT) resulted in a first-of-itskind unclassified and shareable assessment of Iranian tanker activities,” says Serafini, whose company has been involved in filling maritime vessel information gaps even in the normal course of events when signaling is bad. “The HawkEye constellation is able to geolocate a diverse set of RF signals emitted by ships such as marine radar, VHF radio, satellite communications, and emergency beacons. This broader RF range expands visibility to help locate dark ships and identify anomalous behavior,” Serafini adds.
Seeing through the darkness with SAR In March 2020, a report revealed an unprecedented number of vessels at North Korea’s main
ports, in what could be interpreted as Pyongyang ordering its ships, which otherwise are engaged in illicitly ferrying cargo to China, back home in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Project Sandstone, an initiative by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) — the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defense and security think tank — used SAR and optical satellite imagery analysis taken across February and March to show over a hundred motionless vessels anchored in the same areas. This is an unprecedented phenomenon in North Korea’s otherwise bustling port area of Nampo. Project Sandstone had earlier revealed that North Korean cargo ships were continuing to deliver coal to China in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.
“The fusion of HawkEye 360’s data with Tanker Trackers’ imagery intelligence (IMINT) and open source intelligence
Courtesy: European Space Agency
This fusion of multiple commercial modalities — geolocated RF signals combined with satellite imagery analysis — produced an unclassified and shareable assessment that could be used by authorities for effective maritime monitoring. This also opens up future opportunities for identifying maritime activity of interest for further investigation, allowing enforcement organizations to deploy resources accordingly.
Analysis of ESA’s Sentinel 1 SAR imagery shows North Korean vessels returning home in increasing numbers during February–March 2020 period July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 21
SPECIAL FEATURE
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND SANCTIONS International trade, sanctions and regulations are complex and ever-changing, and in certain aspects include different requirements, thresholds for violations and consequences of breach. For instance, as Samir Madani, Co-Founder of Tanker Trackers, points out: “Iranian oil exports are not illegal. They would only be deemed so if they violated international resolutions such as UN sanctions, which is the case for North Korea, where there are strict quotas on what they are allowed to import and export. Both Iran and Venezuela are under unilateral US sanctions, and that means that international buyers of their oils are subject to the sanctions by US.” It is the buyers that risk being excluded from the US market, USD transfers and IBAN banking system. Since the US government has informed maritime ports that they will face penalties if they are seen helping Iranian or Venezuelan oil transfers in any way, buyers may hesitate to be part of such deals.
SAR satellites use radio waves to image the Earth’s surface. Ships have a large radar cross section, making it easier for SAR sensors to detect them quickly, even when they turn off their AIS beacons. And because radar can penetrate through clouds and darkness, they can capture images on the Earth regardless of light or weather conditions. Analysts then use Machine Learning algorithms to combine AIS and radar data, and sometimes electro-optical or hyperspectral images to draw information about ships.
In another case, this time in the Middle East, ICEYE images showed a dark vessel moored near the UAE Port of Fujairah, where four commercial vessels were damaged in May following what was described as “sabotage attacks” by UAE authorities. While the vessel was officially classified as a tanker, high-resolution images from ICEYE’s SAR satellites showed two tankers in a ship-to-ship transfer formation — often an indicator of illegal trans-shipments, such as the unreported transfer of petroleum
from one vessel to another — as well as a supportive tugboat to the side of one of the vessels. The region had seized global attention last year after two oil tankers were attacked when passing by the Strait of Hormuz — a key oil chokepoint. This immediately stoked tensions between the US and Iran, resulting in a 3% jump in oil prices. “Our Dark Vessel Detection is built for governments around the world for improving the maritime safety of their regions, enabling authorities to take action based on reliable information. Data users can improve their enforcement activities against illegal trans-shipments of goods, help them in addressing illegal fishing, and assist in
Courtesy: ICEYE
For instance, ICEYE, a pioneer in small SAR satellite technology, partnered with Spire, the world’s largest Space-to-Cloud analytics company, in 2019 to track illegal fishing activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Argentina.
There have been incidents where the Argentine Coast Guard has had to take reactive actions against illegal vessels. Finland-based ICEYE claims to have the world’s largest radar satellite constellation with fastest coverage.
In the ICEYE-X2 SAR image above, there are Chinese squid fishing vessels that have their AIS tracking turned on, while other vessels have their AIS off 22 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
This visual from ICEYE-Spire analysis show a dark vessel moored near the UAE Port of Fujairah
Courtesy: Airbus; 38 North
Courtesy: Airbus; 38 North
Courtesy: Planet; 38 North Courtesy: Planet; 38 North
Courtesy: Airbus; 38 North
Left: Overview of secure boat basin; the Sinpo-class submarine, submersible barge and midget submarine are visible at the secure boat basin on January 1, 2020. Center: SAR image of the secure boat basin. Right: Layover and foreshortening examples in SAR imagery of Sinpo. Below: Two pictures show strong layover effect in SAR imagery of test stand at Sinpo
curbing drug and human trafficking,” says Steve Young, Vice President, Business Development and Sales, ICEYE.
Optical imagery is still at the core What is making these new technologies more desirable is the magic that happens when this data is fused with optical images. As we saw with the analysis by HawkEye 360, it was only after overlaying the mapping of RF data on the electro-optical imagery by Planet that one could get an idea of the situation on ground.
Similarly, another example from North Korea about its submarine activities demonstrates the use of SAR to augment electro-optical (EO) multispectral and panchromatic satellite imagery. In January 2020, 38 North, a US-based expert think tank on North Korean affairs, analyzed SAR imagery to reveal the presence of the North Korean
experimental ballistic missile submarine and its submersible test stand barge positioned beneath a dockside awning, constructed barely four months back designed to conceal and environmentally protect these vessels at its SINPO Naval base.
Oil’s not well The downside for these evolving technologies is that they are expensive and limited. It may take several days to access the data, and global coverage is not available on a daily basis. While these technologies have been available with most naval security agencies, it is only now that they are commercially available, making them lucrative for some businesses. For instance, commodity companies, oil & gas in particular, would be extremely interested, since they may want to make sure that links to their operations are not breaking sanctions, or ship-toship transfers are not happening on their vessels. Crude exporting
countries have their fixed quota for transfers under the trade norms, and any violation can potentially cause volatility in the international oil prices. Tracking the location of all commodities and the estimated time of their arrival at a particular destination allows traders to be dramatically more accurate in predicting daily prices in different parts of the world.
There may be some very legitimate reasons for an AIS signal to “go dark” — regions deemed unsafe owing to piracy or genuine signal loss. However, as Gard, a top marine insurer, observers: “Going ‘dark’ in areas of heightened surveillance is a red flag to authorities and legitimate reasons may need to be evidenced to dispel suspicion of intentional avoidance of sanctions compliance.” Anusuya Datta Editor-At-Large Technology & Innovation anusuya@geospatialmedia.net July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 23
SURVEY OF INDIA Department of Science and Technology
Survey of India Mandate National Map Policy (NMP)-2005 mandates Survey of India (SoI) To: • Provide, maintain and allow access and make available the NTDB (National Topographical Data Base) • Promote the use of Geospatial knowledge and intelligence through partnerships and other mechanism
A. National Spatial Reference Frame • National Ground Control points (GCPs) Library • Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) Network • Precision Bench marks (BMs) • Tidal observations and prediction of tides • Field gravity observations across country • Field Geo-magnetic observations across country
B. National Digital Elevation Model (DEM) • National DEM of ± 10 metre accuracy • High Resolution DEM of ± 3 metre accuracy • Ultra high Resolution DEM of ± 50 cm accuracy
C. National Topographical Template
D. Administrative Boundaries
• Topographic maps on all scales • Aeronautical charts • Special surveys for Airports /Air fields of AAI/ Navy/ Coast guard. • Special maps for Indian Air Force
• International, state, district, tehsil and Village boundaries • International Boundary (IB) Survey • Inter-state Boundary (ISB) Survey • Administrative boundaries data up to district and village level
E. Toponymy (Place names) Standardized Geographical names database
https://indiamaps.gov.in https://g2g.indiamaps.gov.in/soig2g https://soinakshe.uk.gov.in http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in/pages/display/257-sahyog--mobile-app-by-soi
Large Scale Mapping (LSM) Using Professional Survey Grade UAV/Drone Large Scale Topographic Data is the basic input for Planning of the developmental projects. Accurate and updated resource maps of the country with High Resolution Terrain & Topographic Information is the key requirement. UAV/Drone based data acquisition provides the High Resolution Source Data for mapping requirements in less time & low cost in comparison to other comparative technologies like Aerial Photography.
Village Inhabited Areas
Urban Areas
Survey/Resurvey of Revenue Covered Area
Sub-urban Areas
Work Components
Capturing High Horizontal & Vertical Resolution Digital Data Ground Control Points using UAV/Drone (GCPs)
Data Processing
Analysing
Final Output
SOI has signed MoUs for LSM projects (Governments/Organisations)
Government of Maharashtra
Government of Haryana
Government of Karnataka
Indian Railways
Government of NCT Delhi
Government of Madhya Pradesh
SURVEYOR GENERAL’S OFFICE Hathibarkala Estate, Dehradun, Pin - 248 001 (T) +91-135-2747051-58 Ext 4360 | (F) +91-135-2744064, 2743331 Email- sgo.soi@gov.in | Website- http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in
INDUSTRY FOCUS
PAUSE, PREPARE & PROGRESS How trends in digitalization of AEC have helped the industry adjust to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and also become better prepared to meet the pressing demands for infrastructure growth in future. By Gavin Schrock
26 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
T
here is no doubt that the long-term trajectory of infrastructure growth will be like nothing we have ever seen before. Not just due to population growth over the next decades, but also because of substantial income growth across economies that will create the need for new or upgraded infrastructure, which is cost-effective, sustainable and smart. The past decade has seen unparalleled infrastructure investments that were, until recently, very much on track to meet those future demands. The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector has fared better than many industries during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has not been immune to its effects. For instance, after the early months of the pandemic, until which construction in the US remained relatively healthy, we are now seeing, for the first time in a decade, a substantial drop in both non-residential and residential construction. The shortfalls in Europe and Asia seem somewhat less pronounced. The outlook, while uncertain, may benefit from the growing realization that infrastructure investments can be one of the most effective ways to boost economies hit by this global crisis. In fact, some countries have already begun such programs.
Courtesy: Gavin Schrock
The broad adoption of construction automation, machine control, rapid as-built, and backend 4D collaboration tools was well under way. But the pandemic has in some cases accelerated these upgrades
The design and project management has sought to meet these challenges by migrating to more collaborative digital environments. More than just shifting meetings to Zoom, teams have adopted 4D design and construction solutions, Cloud and Internet of Things.
Heavy civil Machine control and machine guidance for heavy equipment has been growing steadily for decades, but the digitalization of related workflows was, in some ways, just now catching up. Further, digitalization has added to the benefits of machine
A provider of ruggedized control and guidance systems for construction, mining, agriculture, marine and other high precision applications is Hemisphere GNSS. Randy Noland is Hemisphere’s Vice President of Global Sales. He has been involved in the digitalization of construction for decades, since the first machine control systems were making an impact on the industry, and he is the former Managing Editor of Machine Control magazine. “COVID-19 has definitely had an impact on the industry. Construction has kept going, with some
120 110 2015 = 100
Courtesy: Eurostat (online data code: sts_copr_m)
While there is no part of a global pandemic that should be viewed as a good thing, it is worth noting that some of the steps needed to adapt AEC to the situation will better prepare the industry to meet the demands
of the global infrastructure uptick. We spoke with several subject matter experts in various AEC segments, including the providers of AEC digitalization, to understand some of the emerging trends.
control. Now, with the design and operations sides of construction ecosystems speaking more openly and freely the “language of 3D, 4D, and 5D” with the field and machine sides, the dream of the “digital site” is being realized. And with hardware for guidance systems and software for digital integration reaching new level of affordability, these efficiencies are within the reach of GC’s large and small.
100 90 80
January
February Total Construction
March Buildings
April Civil Engineering
May
Randy Noland of Hemisphere GNSS
EU-27, development of construction production, January-May 2020 July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 27
INDUSTRY FOCUS
But are folks investing in guidance and control systems — new or retrofit? “We (Hemisphere) anticipate this continued growth, and even added more developers in the middle of this pandemic. We are optimistic and in it to win it and continue to invest,” emphasizes Noland.
scanners and spatial data capture solutions. And for the reasons he noted about minimizing the people on site, there has been an uptick in interest in such systems. “Instead of having 70 people come into a job site, contractors can have one guy with a scanner, at various stages of the project, and all the teams can use the data,” he explains. Inspectors,
project managers, estimators, owners and stakeholders can remotely navigate these photo realistic 3D models and keep track of progress, take measurements and provide feedback. “Another shift is in who is doing the scanning. Firms used to hire out to scanning service providers to do the scan and give them the point Cloud or
Courtesy: Hexagon
projects put on hold for a while, but in many places, the work has continued. I am seeing some of the heavy equipment manufacturers (scaling back) production somewhat, probably for a short while, but there is a pretty strong market in used and refurbished equipment,” says Noland.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Hemisphere has continued to announce new products and OEM solutions, and a new facility in Brisbane, Australia.
Digital distancing “We are definitely seeing things continuing,” says Andy Fontana, Technical Specialist at Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon. He adds that there is a hesitation to cancel projects that are already under way or programmed. “What we are seeing is deliberation in a lot of choices being made for safety reasons. For instance, in hesitating to bring out of city, or out of state contractors to the site. Crews are running bare bones and often due to mandated pandemic safety requirements, are minimizing the number of people on site. That’s a big issue.”
Fontana is in the BLK Group of Leica/Hexagon, focused on 28 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
The Leica Geosystems BLK3D is a handheld measurement and mapping device that can be used to rapidly capture data to be shared remotely with the project team Courtesy: Esri
Esri has accelerated development of tools and solutions for AEC, including partnerships with firms like Autodesk, to boost geodesign, geoanalytics, and project collaboration
Some systems like the RTC 360 do real-time scan Cloud registration, as the unit is carried from one setup to the next, and they have a “BLK” family of portable data capture systems that includes a small tripod mounted scanner (BLK360), hand-held “SLAM” style scanner (BLK2GO), a tablet style device (BLK3D) that can be used to measure and map sites, and one that can be mounted at sites to do real-time change detection (BLK247). A part of the impetus to develop these tools was to make high precision scanning and imaging affordable, easy and reliable,
The design and project management has sought to meet the existing challenges by migrating to more collaborative digital environments. More than just shifting meetings to Zoom, teams have adopted 4D design and construction solutions, Cloud and Internet of Things
Collaboration tools like the Catalyst handheld Augmented Reality (AR) system and XR10 (with HoloLens 2) continue to be adopted at a steady rate
Courtesy: Gavin Schrock
Revit model. Many are adapting to do scanning themselves. The ease of speed of being able to use scanners is so intuitive that you don’t need much training,” says Fontana.
so that it could get into the hands of more people in project ecosystems. This was to boost the adoption of BIM and further automate AEC processes.
Necessity
Dave George, Global Account Manager for the AEC Sector for Esri, has had a long career as a “parachute guy” for surveying and construction clients for several large geospatial solution providers. His job for global customers is to come in and help them adapt process, workflow and technology solutions.
So, is there a continuation in terms of the global infrastructure uptick? “I think the trend is continuing upward, based on what I have seen. But not as fast as it should. The Asian market
seems to be going faster. But overall, upticking. Obviously, COVID-19 has made it challenging, but construction is still trying to push along, and several firms, especially on the architecture and engineering side of AEC, are relatively busy and have migrated to the work-from-home (WFH) environment pretty well,” says George. Construction, he explains, has had to make substantial concessions and changes to be able to support keeping people working and keeping infrastructure moving. George does see the US as being especially challenged, but there are signs for optimism. “A lot of firms knew they were going to go digital. This year forced their hand. People are moving in a certain direction due July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 29
INDUSTRY FOCUS
to necessity. Digitalization was definitely on the radar, on the roadmap, but not necessarily at a quick speed — this is pushing people to do it,” he says. George sees a trend of BIM moving forward, even more than it already had. “Tech integrations are definitely making BIM more prominent. Creating a better environment for the digital twin side of things, were the models, rich with data, can be carried through to the operations phase of projects,” he adds.
Augmented Reality “Jobs are mostly continuing. Many did a bit of a pause in April when they had to figure out how to proceed within the new safety constraints and how to include more of the team remotely,” says Jon Fingland, General Manager of Collaboration Solutions for Trimble. He notes that the need to collaborate more within teams is something AEC has had to learn, as increasingly there are many more partners on projects.
Many AEC firms used the slowdown to get their instruments calibrated and train staff in new systems and processes Courtesy: Gavin Schrock
“In our space, we are often only one joint venture away from a whole new mix of people, partners, and systems.” Indeed, in AEC, there is no ‘green field’ where a project can be done wholly within one brand environment. Integration, interoperability and collaboration are imperatives.
projects are not being funded and programmed as well as they should,” says Fingland. “It varies by verticals and regions, like healthcare and retail related construction signaling down, but government and infrastructure looking healthy. Even that varies; we deal with departments of transportation (DOTs), some are struggling, some are expanding. Then there are projects like data centers… going quite strong.”
more collaboration. So, usage of our Cloud apps is growing. Our collaboration tools like SketchUp, e-Builder, Viewpoint etc. — the online products and services — are showing large growth. There have been as much as 30% upticks in monthly usage,” adds Fingland. A recent earnings call, presented by Trimble CEO Rob Painter, noted pandemic related shortfalls but highlighted the rise in the use of these collaboration tools.
While Fingland has seen the AEC industry performing well despite the challenges, he does warn about the risks of a dwindling backlogs. “New
“This new environment has forced a lot of things that people knew were good processes and have now taken the time to adopt them. WFH drove a lot
Another aspect where solution upgrades and adoption are helping directly with pandemic issues is better jobsite social distancing. “If we can better
30 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
manage what crews are on site, know who is out there, and who is working on what tasks, we can minimize crowding. We have CrewSight, where you can put RFID tags on workers badges and those can be read automatically at gates or with handheld units anywhere on the site. Then if we use something like Viewpoint, that manages schedule, payroll, HR — a full management pullout suite. We can make sure, for instance, that we have the drywaller in one room and the tiler in another, and the painter follows them,” elaborates Fingland.
Prepping “One of the things we saw first, when the pandemic hit and firms initially had crews stand down to figure out how to operate in the new environment, was that they brought their surveying and construction instruments in for calibration,” says Mark Contino, Vice President of Retail for Topcon Positioning Systems. Topcon has a broad global reach in AEC, and especially construction, partnering closely with other providers of the engineering and design solutions to integrate hardware and software into complete AEC workflows. Their forward face is the recently formed network of Topcon Solutions Stores that are not only the outlets for sales of their gear, but for support, repair and calibration, and
Courtesy: Bentley Systems
While projects are slower in some segments, the adoption of digital solutions has seen a rise, almost across the board. For instance, the oil & gas sector, despite getting hit with the dual effects of the pandemic and a soft energy market, continues to modernize. Fingland says that Trimble has seen a general large influx of orders from energy companies leveraging
mixed reality tools for remote assist applications. “Especially in COVID times, they have seen them double down, a testament to the ROI they are recognizing in their digitization.”
Collaboration tools like SYNCHRO are 4D critical path method scheduling tools that leverage directly from the BIM model
training centers — for Autodesk AEC products in particular.
In addition to the uptick in customers getting gear calibrated and ready for the “post pause” resumption of the infrastructure design and construction, Contino notes that many are jumping directly into 4D collaborative suites. Conco is a whole package concrete contractor for large commercial construction operating in multiple western US states. Meredith Baxter, Detailing Manager with Conco, says the digitalization of their operations happened just at the cusp of the pandemic, to keep rolling while sending everyone home. “The transition to this mode happened suddenly and it was badly needed — coordinating while distancing. There was very little disruption to our workflows. We may not work face to face, but we’ve been able to get through the nuts and bolts of modeling through BIM 360 now,” says Baxter. Prior attempts to work on collaborative platforms had left Baxter and her colleagues skeptical. “We would often have to wait 20 to 30 minutes for models to sync. When we were given a demo of BIM 360 and saw that the models loaded in less than a minute, we needed no other convincing and moved forward,” she recalls. The new environment also enables Conco’s field crews to be able to pull the model directly from the Cloud. Baxter says that even after there is a return to offices, Conco is now July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 31
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Another aspect where solution upgrades and adoption are helping directly with pandemic issues is better jobsite social distancing fully prepared to work in the collaborative Cloud environment on all projects moving forward.
Synchronization “We have heard from our customers that the pause was an opportunity for better planning, to reassess their scenarios and refine schedules,” says Ryan Posnikoff, Bentley’s Director of Construction Services for the Americas. “They want to see how they can find optimizations for when they will be given the go ahead to move forward on construction projects.”
“I think people in general had an awakening on how we work and communicate — particularly office-based jobs that are changing indefinitely, if not forever. WFH means less people at the office, less people to inspect on sites. And we have seen a lot of synchronization along these lines; reassessing planning, leveraging 4D across distributed teams, across town, across multiple cities and countries,” he says. “A bigger nut to crack and this pandemic has kind of forced (firms to deal with) is in respects to many workers and teams physically on site who have been a bit adverse to going away from paper-based workflows. That has always been part of the construction industry, but now there is a 32 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
need to adopt greater collaborative tech,” says Posnikoff. Among the larger project ecosystem, there is tremendous interest in getting richer, better and more timely information. “How do I get the 4D model to the field, into the hands of the team? How do I get the documentation they require and be able to have these collaborative inspections, reports coming in from the field back into the office? There is definitely an uptick in interest of how to get there,” he adds. So, what solution has generated the most interest for Bentley? “SYNCHRO is a brand portfolio of our new construction project management and scheduling offerings. 4D critical path method scheduling tools that leverage directly from a model. It can be a Bentley iModel, or it can be other sources. Doing full scheduling directly tied to your BIM model. Now, rather than focusing on dates and Gantt charts, you get the full context of the design in a particular snapshot in time or viewing progress and proposed work in a time series — that is pretty powerful,” explains Posnikoff. 3D modelling was decidedly revolutionary in engineering and construction. “In today’s terminology, the Digital Twin, there is a timeframe between the
design and the asset completion and operation phase where the as-built conditions can change almost hourly,” says Posnikoff. This is where 4D can really be enabled. Recognizing that the best way to accommodate near-real-time scheduling and updates is in a digital environment, like the Cloud, makes the decision to move ahead in upgrading collaborative tools and skills — especially in this current crisis that calls for it — very compelling.
Inevitable There will be recovery of the AEC industry — it is an imperative. The global demands for infrastructure will not relent. Despite pauses and slowdown, when things get back to full steam, there may even be a pandemic backlog that will also need to be addressed.
Sitting back and assuming (or wishing) that this crisis will simply go away, and we can just go on business as usually, could be a short sighted (and callous) view. Decisive actions are needed to keep the engine of AEC running, and to tune it up for the long road ahead. There is no way that the future demand for infrastructure can be met with legacy tools and processes. If the pandemic has pushed for further digitalization of AEC, then we can take solace in the long-term benefits those changes can yield. Gavin Schrock Consulting Editor, AEC gavin@geospatialmedia.net
POLICY MATTERS
WHAT’S I AILING INDIAN SPACE-TECH STARTUPS
n the words of Benjamin Franklin, “diligence is the mother of good luck”, a thought that pretty much summarizes the story of Indian Spacetech startups, which have for years been silently, but substantially contributing to growth and innovation in the Indian Space ecosystem.
Courtesy: Skyroot India
Even as the global NewSpace market flourishes, Indian Space-tech startups are often seen striving for survival, sometimes by shifting base to other countries. So, what’s been keeping these small companies from making their mark in the larger ecosystem, and will the recent Space reform announcements be the breakthrough they have been hoping for? By Avneep Dhingra
According to DataLabs by Inc42, currently, there are about 120 active Space startups in India, 64% of which have emerged in the last six years. However, despite remarkable growth in the global NewSpace market, which thrives on innovative startups for technology breakthroughs and business development, small companies in India have struggled to find their feet. So, what’s been keeping these players from growing on a par with their counterparts in countries like the US, and will the recent Space reform announcements act as the gamechanger?
Lack of open policy Ever since its inception in 1969, the Indian Space Research Organisaton (ISRO) has, in a way, had a monopoly on all Space-related activities such as building rockets and satellites, and launching them into orbit. Private players, especially the smaller ones, were limited to making sub-systems and assembling spacecraft, but were not allowed to own them or manage their operations. “A clear Space law that specified what was allowed, and what wasn’t, was missing. This meant that companies couldn’t get frequency allocations, launch permissions, license to manufacture and operate Space assets,” explains Rohan M Ganapathy, CEO & CTO of Bellatrix Aerospace, a research and development company building orbital launch vehicles and electric propulsion systems for satellites.
Unavailability of funds, be it access to non-dilutive funding to start building prototypes and demonstrate proofs-of-concept, or access to July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 33
POLICY MATTERS
investment to sustain operations, has been a major pain point for most startups. Even though the sector has attracted investors in the last few years, considering the quantum of funding needed at the product development phase, there is still a massive gap in terms of requirement and availability. According to Pixxel Founder and CEO Awais Ahmed, building upstream hardware-intensive companies requires large amounts of money, which can in most cases be done only by venture funding that is not adequately available in India. Like other sectors such as Biotech, AR/VR, and healthcare, Space companies need more R&D contracts and grants from government initiatives. There is also a need to ease criterion for startups to bid in ISRO and DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) contracts, as current perimeters — prior track record, profitability, security deposit, and performance bank guarantee — make it impossible for these companies to independently apply for such bids. Further, the industry is largely dependent on foreign companies for most of the sub-systems, components and material. “There is still a long way before India can become self-sufficient in this area,” feels Ganapathy. Then there are other problems like lack of a domestic market
beyond ISRO. In most cases, startups have to sell only to ISRO and DRDO, or go abroad to get customers. Further, there are also issues like lack of institutional support in way of intellectual property, strategic partnerships, and hand-holding for the nascent industry. Access to specialized testing and manufacturing infrastructure, which is beyond the reach of startups, has further limited growth and innovation. “Access to expensive test facilities like rocket and propulsion system test centers, rocket launchpads, tracking and telemetry centers, etc. has been a major challenge,” emphasizes Ganapathy. Perhaps that is why, while announcing the government’s decision to involve private players in Space activities, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman particularly stressed on allowing private companies to use the infrastructure and facilities of ISRO. The decision was reiterated by ISRO Chairman K Sivan, who later also said that ISRO will allow the private sector to set up their own launchpad at the Sriharikota launch center. “We won’t charge anything for such launches. Instead, we will provide them all the expertise they need from us for setting up such facilities,” Sivan was quoted as saying.
Prateep Basu, Co-Founder & CEO, SatSure Ltd, feels that there has been a regulatory vacuum for building, launching and operating satellites from India, and that the existing policy framework is not in line with the global market realities.
In search of greener pastures While different private Space companies have different “business reasons” to shift base outside India, there are some common concerns. “Some companies move out since there is currently no legal framework to allow Indian firms to operate their own Space assets from the country. Other companies move base to Europe or USA for better funding opportunities through NASA and ESA contracts, SBIR and ESA-BIC seed funding, more private investors, access to NASA/ESA patents and lab facilities, easier access to private customers, etc.,” adds Ganapathy, whose company has plans to set up marketing and sales offices in USA and Europe once its product development is complete.
There are multiple countries that can be a good choice outside India. “To name a few, US, UK, Luxembourg, and Singapore. The US is clearly the leader in terms of the industry, and there are clear cut pathways for private companies. Luxembourg is positioning
Even though the Indian NewSpace sector has attracted investors, considering the quantum of funding needed at the product development phase, there is still a massive gap in terms of requirement and availability 34 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
GLOBAL SPACE
$345 Billion
The global Space economy's worth in 2016
$366 Billion
The global Space economy's worth in 2019
75%
Commercial industry's share in the overall business
42% ($114 Billion)
Source: 2020 State of the Satellite Industry report by SIA
US's share in the overall commercial satellite industry revenue
75 Countries
Were operating 2,460 active satellites in December 2019
itself to be the Space capital of the world, so there is high potential for growth, and they have liberal regulations as well,” points out Ahmed, whose Bengaluru-based startup plans to launch a constellation of 24 satellites for 24X7 imaging of the Earth. Some companies also open a subsidiary to contract PSLV for the launch of their satellite because currently, Indian companies are required to pay 18% GST on PSLV services, which is exempt for foreign companies. Basu feels that most startups choose to set up their parent company outside India for the purpose of “ease of doing business” in the Space technology sector. “Unlike the US and Europe, where I co-founded my other two companies, India does not have a robust funding ecosystem,” says Dr. Susmita Mohanty, Co-Founder & CEO, Earth2Orbit. Dr. Mohanty feels that most Space companies in India are no different from non-profits. They are often bootstrapped with founder capital, and only a handful manage to get small one-time grants. “If they manage to break even, that is considered a big deal. In the US, NASA’s SBIR and STTR programs are robust well-funded mechanisms to propel small businesses. Broadly, speaking, under this scheme, startups can get up to $100,000 to prove the feasibility of their idea, and up to half a million to commercialize a feasible idea or technology.”
Some startups open an overseas subsidiary to contract PSLV for the launch of their satellite because currently, Indian companies are required to pay 18% GST on PSLV services, which is exempt for foreign companies Future prospects at home In the last few years, improvements in launch systems and innovations such as the use of commercial-off-the-shelf technology for Space applications are driving down costs, enabling smaller players to make their contributions count in the larger ecosystem. This phenomenon, popularly termed NewSpace, is unleashing a host of new possibilities for startups. While the NewSpace market in India is at a nascent stage, there is tremendous potential for growth. The onus is on the government and big companies to provide support and impetus in terms of grants and funding to startups, and act as an anchor customer at least initially to stimulate the market.
The government in particular has an excellent opportunity to create value for both the upstream and downstream NewSpace sector through the recently announced Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 35
POLICY MATTERS
INDIAN SPACE
India’s contribution to the global Space economy is 3%
Launch vehicles account for 2% of the Indian Space economy
Satellites account for 5%
Startups working in the design and manufacturing of hardware have a talent and cost advantage, so the creation of IP (intellectual property) assets could be fuelled through grants and government support, while downstream market for NewSpace players is open and will function more within the larger ambit of software and electronics segments. There are a number of pieces that need to come together to ensure India succeeds in promoting its Space ecosystem. Large companies that are currently looking at manufacturers for ISRO must start building internal capabilities to come up with more systems, which they can start supplying as products to upcoming startups and foreign customers. There is also a need for more quality startups and deep-pocket investors in the country that could leverage the evolving ecosystem to build successful ventures out of India.
Hopeful, with caution
Source: 2020 State of the Satellite Industry report
Ground equipment account 48%
Space application services account for 45%
For private sector to be a co-traveler in India’s Space journey, all policy reforms need to be implemented in a way that enables businesses and innovation. “The new reforms will need careful detailing, inclusion of global best practices, proper implementation to ensure speed, fairness and longterm impact. These reforms will need to be bolstered with a robust funding ecosystem for the private sector, akin to the United States and Europe,” adds Dr. Mohanty.
As far as IN-SPACe is concerned, she feels that though 36 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
it is a step in the right direction, a lot depends on its implementation. “IN-SPACe is expected to have five directorates — technical, legal, safety and security, monitoring, and promotion. It will have to be ensured that these directorates do not increase the bureaucratic burden of private players. For IN-SPACe to be effective, it’s management and board must be diverse and inclusive — have men and women, young and old, those with domestic and those with international experience/ exposure.” Ahmed argues that IN-SPACe has the potential to alter the course of the private Space industry, just as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has done to the telecom sector. According to the government, IN-SPACe “will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian Space infrastructure. It will also handhold, promote and guide the private industries in Space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory environment.” There is a growing belief that with proper implementation, the recently announced reforms will take the game to a new level for private companies. Ganapathy says that if India can solve all these problems in few years, there will be more companies wanting to operate locally. Ahmed agrees, but cautions, “It all depends on the details of the execution. The devil is in the details.” Avneep Dhingra Associate Editor Policy & Public Affairs avneep@geospatialmedia.net
EXPERT OPINION
Where from Here? We must recognize and speak out when the digital dream is devaluing the power and capability of our institutions of global order, national protection and sovereignty, and the primacy of the individual citizen. By Prashant Shukle
E
ach generation responds to the great threats and opportunities of its time and place. For my father, Indian Independence (1947) and World War II (1939-45) shaped his view of the world, and how his family and friends were to live. It also meant where they could live, grow and benefit in a reconstructed world order, where institutions of government, the rule of law, the emergence of human rights and individual rights, and a stable and just economic order were fundamental to human existence. For many decades and not quite a century, we have all benefitted from the sacrifice and efforts of the “greatest generation”. Approximately 80 years have passed and as we are preparing to enter the third decade of the 21st century, we are experiencing a global crisis in the form of a pandemic that has shocked the existing economic order, infected millions of people worldwide, exposed deep stresses within the institutional apparatuses of some governments, and uncovered the vulnerability and independence of multilateral institutions.
Emergence of surveillance capitalism Within this world, geospatial technologies and data have flourished. From places in Space, the sky, on the ground, and in the air, technologies were deployed to address national ambitions as
well as individual well-being. For much of the 20th century, emphasis on distributive capitalism helped create a rising tide that lifted many from poverty and sickness and into better (although admittedly far from perfect) states of existence. These technologies were also at play during the COVID-19 pandemic, as thousands of applications were developed and deployed to track the incidence of the virus. Geospatial leaders, particularly in the private sector, spoke glowingly of how their technologies were able to respond to the great threat of our time. But few, if any, spoke about the risk of these “human” focused applications to individual citizens and the post-war balance between the need for collective action and protection of individual rights.
Some observers of capitalist economies and the intersection of geospatial technologies have advanced the term “surveillance capitalism” to describe
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EXPERT OPINION
the silent and unspoken threat emanating from the grand global geospatial opportunity of the 21st century. Massive volumes of data are being created and shared via a wide variety of technology platforms. Data entrepreneurs have been able to analyze and monetize reams of data, including data about individuals, to push individual consumer behavior towards profitable outcomes. Data activists are employing technology and data to disrupt existing social and economic paradigms, using the ability to attract and configure news and narratives to incite reactionary politics and thinking.
Supremacy in the new world order In such an environment, facts matter little and emotions matter more — leaving the politics of passion and the decline of reason.
Supremacy in this new world order rests with those who own the machinery and data associated with surveillance capitalism Fertile ground is thus being tilled for nationalistic and xenophobic politics. When complex location analytics and data are accessed by rogue nation-state actors, they are able to target local populations and disrupt political systems, representative politics, the inviolable principles of sovereignty of nation states, and the supremacy of the citizen. Supremacy in this new world order rests with those who own the machinery and data associated with surveillance capitalism.
Fundamentally, it bears note that surveillance capitalism is also skewed towards rich nations and multinational corporations, the latter who owe their allegiance to neither democracy
nor citizens. Their allegiance rests with the accumulation of profit and capital, and heralds a new age where the data is rapidly being deployed as the lingua franca of technological imperialism. It is conferring to those owning the technology greater economic, social, political knowledge and power in the pursuit of selfish interest. The post-Covid economic and social order should be at the center of the use of the technology and data which we showcase as having the power to save humanity. It is noteworthy that this technology and data are being quietly and aggressively monetized. We must recognize and speak out when the digital dream is devaluing the power and capability of our institutions of global order, national protection and sovereignty, and the primacy of the individual citizen.
Courtesy: Harvard Business School
It is time for our collective voices to emerge — not simply to glorify dashboards and electronic maps, but to ensure that our generation rises to meet the challenges. It also may require us to point out that those grand challenges are not the ones we are showcasing.
Some observers of capitalist economies and the intersection of geospatial technologies have advanced the term ‘surveillance capitalism’ to describe the silent and unspoken threat emanating from the grand global geospatial opportunity of the 21st century 38 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Prashant Shukle is currently head of the Global Geospatial Group and was the Director-General of the Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation from 2009 to 2019.
EXPERT OPINION
GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION IS UNDERPINNING DATA ECOSYSTEM Things have completely turned around in the last few years, especially in the wake of COVID-19. The demographic and statistical information in Excel spreadsheets can now be merged with geospatial information and used to build a platform not only to communicate data, but also to gather it. By Timothy Petty
W
hen we started working on geospatial data management a decade ago, we weren’t thinking about the new era. The use of geospatial data and information was compartmentalized, and people had concrete ideas about how they wanted to use data. This actually acted as a force multiplier. Over the years, we have created a whole new paradigm of how to integrate information and data resources. Today, an incredible amount of data is being integrated into communications, and there have also been huge advancements in medicine. A decade or two ago, we never considered geospatial data could be necessary for the healthcare sector. Things have completely turned around in the last few years, especially in the wake of COVID-19. The demographic and statistical information in Excel spreadsheets can now be merged with geospatial information and used to build a platform not only to communicate data, but also to gather it.
Significance of data The order of things has changed — data is guiding states in dealing with the outbreak. Based on maps, the authorities can integrate information and form relationships county by county, town by town, street by street, and get answers to queries like where is the nearest hospital. If the outbreak is happening on the other side of the county, transportation can be planned in a way that allows July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 39
EXPERT OPINION
resources to be applied to the parts of the county that need it most. Geospatial information is underpinning the entire data ecosystem.
There is a need to understand how different authoritative datasets are integrated into different requirements of federal and state governments. In the 1990s, the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) came into existence with the A-16 Circular (circular for coordination of geographic information and related spatial data activities), providing governance for authoritative datasets that can be utilized multiple times. Today, these authoritative data need to be integrated to create a whole new platform of data that was not even imagined a few years ago.
Progress made on The National Map The USGS National Geospatial Program has undergone years of rigorous transformation to become an authoritative data source through The National Map products and services. The question is, how do we take the social data and integrate that with data from The National Map to demonstrate information? Another question is, who will be responsible for maintaining and validating that dataset? Incorporating data of value from the public into a reliable, authoritative product requires rigorous quality control and technology improvements, yet could offer tremendous new insights and capabilities. 40 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Huge progress on The National Map has taken place by leveraging LiDAR technology and the dataset generated by it
In the last decade, huge progress on The National Map has taken place by leveraging LiDAR technology and the dataset generated by it. This is just one example of how we are constantly improving The National Map using new technology to improve the fidelity and accuracy of geospatial data and information available to all. It will be exciting to see what the next new technology will be, and how we are going to arrive there.
Sometimes there are phases where science may not be the answer, and you would require more relationships in creating credibility and build-in reliability on why you are doing what you are doing
Engaging policymakers There has already been a discussion around the privacy issue in one of the FGDC meetings. Changes in public policy first require educating policymakers through better communication. That communication can enable cross-pollination of thoughts. Sometimes there are phases where science may not be the answer, and you would require more relationships in creating credibility and build-in reliability on why you are doing what you are doing. That’s critical.
The pandemic will provide a perfect test, as all the reports and analyses are based on maps, which are the basis for making decisions. This integrated data with revealing information becomes the basis for policy analysis. Moving forward, I would really like tackle other policy decisions concerning science and technology. Timothy Petty Assistant Secretary, United States Department of the Interior.
DEFENSE & SECURITY
CATCHING UP WITH NEIGHBOR For India to match China’s Earth Observation capacity in defense, it requires comprehensive efforts around research, development and innovation. By Meenal Dhande
O
ver the last few years, China has been increasing its economic and military presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), currently estimated to be worth $87 billion, is a multi-purpose project which includes development of the deep-sea port of Gwadar, and is viewed as an attempt by the authorities in Beijing to increase
their strategic footprint in IOR. This increasing influence has often irked countries in the region, including India. India and China, the two Asian giants, are known to have shared a complex relationship, often marred by territorial disputes. The recent face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh has seen various twists and turns in the last few months.
In June, satellite imagery confirmed that China had built new structures near the site of border clash with India, escalating the possibility of further conflict — even as the two sides were working towards disengagement. The current border tension has brought to the fore the power of Space technology, especially Earth Observation (EO), which plays a key role in monitoring the
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DEFENSE & SECURITY
situation on the ground, thereby enabling the decision-makers to plan and mobilize resources. No wonder that the two countries have been scaling up their Space/ EO programs to increase their surveillance and monitoring capabilities.
Budgetary allocation In 2019, India and China were the top two spenders in the Space sector in Asia. In its budget for 2020-21, India allocated INR 13,479.47 crore ($1.9 billion) for the Department of Space (DOS), a 7.5% increase from last year, and a 45.2% rise since the 2015-16 budget.
On the other hand, according to the Economic Survey of India 2019-20, China has spent seven times more than India on its Space program. Although opaque, China’s 2017 Space budget was estimated at $8.4 billion by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. If China maintains about 6% per year economic growth to 2030 and scales the space budget in proportion to the overall economy then China would be at about $15 to 20 billion for a 2030 Space budget.
Satellites have emerged as strategic assets, playing a critical role in enabling the decision-makers to plan and mobilize the resources 42 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Military EO Satellite Capability
INDIA India needs to proactively consider utilizing its Space capacities for safeguarding its territorial interests. Although the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the nodal Space agency, is a civilian agency, it also caters to defense and intelligence requirements. Since its inception in 1965, ISRO has launched 119 spacecraft, which include both military and civilian use satellites. Cartosat Satellite Series
The Cartosat satellite series is part of the Indian Remote Sensing Program, and is used for Earth’s resource management, defense services and monitoring. Cartosat-3 is the ninth satellite in this series, a third-generation advanced satellite having high-resolution imaging capability. Notably, the Cartosat-2 series played a crucial role in the 2016 “surgical strike”. It has a resolution of almost 0.65 meter and a revisit of 90 minutes. This satellite is reportedly to be capable of capturing a minute-long video of a fixed spot through its agile attitude control. RISAT
ISRO also has a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites that allow night and cloud viewing — RISAT (Radar Imaging Satellite). RISAT-2BR1 is the second spacecraft in a new series of RISAT-2B satellites which is nearly identical to the first satellite. It is an all-weather radar reconnaissance satellite, which is able to image the Earth regardless of clouds obscuring the surface. RISAT-2B series enhances India’s defense capabilities, and the RISAT constellation
complements optical imaging satellites, such as the Cartosat series. It can be used for monitoring troop movement and military build-up. EMISAT
Rightly termed “Spy in the Sky”, India’s first electronic surveillance satellite, EMISAT adds teeth to situational awareness of the armed forces, as it provides location of hostile radars. This Space-based electronic intelligence, or ELINT, can monitor electronic or human activity on the India-China and India-Pakistan border. HysIS
Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) is often dubbed as “Sharp Eye”. Central to HysIS is an optical imaging detector chip, which has been indigenously designed by the Space Application Centre (SAC) of ISRO. HysIS is believed to have the capacity to detect and identify hidden targets. This means even if the resolution of an optical device is low, it can be detected and classified if its spectral signature is known. For example, man-made objects on sea surface, tanks in the desert, camouflaged missile launchers, etc. It also has advanced target detection and missile cueing systems for UAVs and manned combat aircraft.
S. No. Satellite
Launch Date
Orbit Type
Orbit Period
Revisit
Inclination Resolution Degree
11 December 2019
LEO
96.1 minutes
—
37°
Mx of 1 meter
—
97.5°
Ground resolution of 0.25 m with 16 km swath
1
RISAT-2BR1
2
CARTOSAT 3 27 November 2019 SSPO
94.8 minutes
3
RISAT-2B
22 May 2019
LEO
93 minutes —
37°
About 3.3 feet (1 meter)
4
EMISAT
1 April 2019
SSPO
—
98.376°
—
5
HySIS
28 November 2018 SSPO
97.95°
30 meters
6
CARTOSAT-2 12 January 2018 Series
SSPO
97.446 minutes
7
CARTOSAT-2 22 June 2016 Series
SSPO
90 minutes —
—
97 minutes — 26 seconds
4/5 days 97.9°
97.4 °
< 1m
0.65
July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 43
DEFENSE & SECURITY
CHINA
China National Space Administration (CNSA), the country’s national Space agency, is responsible for its Space program. Even though it is difficult to determine China’s actual Space capabilities, especially since its programs are cloaked in layers of secrecy, in view of the past and current capacity, it won’t be incorrect to say that China is ahead of India in terms of the overall Space infrastructure. S. No. Satellite
Launch Date
Believed Type
Orbit Period
Revisit
Inclination Resolution Degree
1.
Shiyan-6 (02) 4 July 2020
Experimental remote sensing
98.7 minutes
—
98.2°
—
2.
Gaofen 9-03
17 June 2020
Optical remote sensing
94.5 minutes
—
97.3°
Sub-meter
3.
HEAD-5
17 June 2020
Automated Identification System (AIS)
94.5 minutes
—
97.3°
—
4.
Gaofen-9 02
01 June 2020
—
94.5 minutes
97.3°
—
Sub-meter level
5.
HEAD-4
01 June 2020
—
94.5 minutes
—
97.3°
—
6.
Yaogan-30 Group 6 #1-3
24 March 2020
—
96.7 minutes
—
35.0°
—
7.
Gaofen-7
03 November 2019 —
94.7 minutes
97.5°
Sub-meter level
8.
Yaogan 30N, 30Q, 30P
25 July 2019
—
96.7 minutes —
35.0 °
—
9.
Yaogan 32A, 32B
9 October 2018
Probable ELINT
—
—
—
10.
Yaogan 31A, 31B, 31C
10 April 2018
Probable ELINT
107.0 minutes —
63.4°
—
11.
Yaogan 30K, 30L, 30M
25 January 2018
Probable ELINT
—
—
35°
—
12.
Yaogan 30G, 30H, 30J
25 December 2017
Probable ELINT
—
—
35°
—
13.
Yaogan 30D, 30E, 30F
24 November 2017
Probable electro-optical
—
—
35°
—
14.
Yaogan 30A, 30B, 30C
29 September 2017
Probable ELINT
—
—
35°
—
15.
ZiYuan-3 02 (ZY-3 02)
30 May 2016
—
94.7 minutes
3–5 days
97.4 °
2.7 m
16.
Yaogan 30
15 May 2016
Optical
101.2 minutes
—
98.0°
—
17.
Yaogan 29
26 November 2015
SAR
97.0 minutes
—
97.9°
—
18.
Yaogan 28
8 November 2015
Optical
94.5 minutes
—
97.3°
—
19.
Yaogan 27
27 August 2015
Optical
109.4 minutes —
100.4°
—
44 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
—
Shiyan-6 (02) China has recently launched the classified Shiyan-6 (02) satellite, which, according to the State media, is aimed at “Space environment study and related technology experiments”. A similar description is used for Yaogan satellite series that is believed to be used for military reconnaissance. Gaofen 9-03 and HEAD-5 Claimed to be “mainly used for civilian purpose”, the Gaofen 9-03 is the third satellite to be launched under the Gaofen 9-series. Chinese media reports suggest that all payloads carried optical Earth-imaging cameras with a resolution of better than 3.3 feet, or 1 meter. The Gaofen fleet includes satellites with optical, infrared and radar imaging observatories. The HEAD-5 microsatellite can carry out on-orbit information collection, including that on ships and aircraft, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Yaogan-30 Group 6
Must dos for India
China has also launched three Yaogan-30 Group 6 surveillance satellites, which will be used for electromagnetic environment detection and related technological tests. The Yaogan series is believed to be operated by the Chinese military, primarily for intelligence gathering. However, analysts suggest the Yaogan-30 family of satellites could be testing new electronic eavesdropping equipment or helping the Chinese military track US and other foreign naval deployments.
The Chinese Space program continues to mature rapidly. For the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Space is critical to the overall warfare. Although India is trying to catch up, it has to do a great deal of work in terms of number of launches and manufacturing capacity.
Gaofen-7 Beijing wants to reduce its reliance on foreign technology in topographic mapping, and Gaofen-7, a high-resolution Remote Sensing satellite, is a step in that direction. Capable of providing stereoscopic imagery, Gaofen-7 is a sub-meter resolution optical satellite that can map the entire world’s land stereoscopically, with a margin of error of less than a meter.
Gaofen 9-02 and HEAD-4
Ziyuan III 02
The Gaofen 9-02 and HEAD-4 satellites will be used for the new “EO technology experiment”. The Gaofen 9-02 is an optical Remote Sensing satellite which is capable of providing photographs with a resolution of about one meter and will also support construction of projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The HEAD-4 will help in collecting information on ships, aircraft and the IoT.
The Ziyuan III 02 is the second satellite in the Remote Sensing mapping system that China aims to build by 2030. This satellite will join i Ziyuan III 01, to create a network and capture high-definition 3D images and multispectral data. The Ziyuan program seems to cover different civil and military EO programs. Though the new ZiYuan-3 series will be used for stereo mapping, its application does cover national security.
Formalizing missions: India needs to make rapid progress in the formalization of definite missions of the Defence Space Agency (DSA) and the Defence Space Research Organisation (DSRO). The Indian government established DSA and DSRO in April 2019 and June 2019, respectively — in an attempt to modernize the armed forces with the integration of Space technology. DSA will develop capabilities to protect India’s interests in outer Space and deal with the threat of a Space wars. DSA will also guide the development of various capabilities and platforms, including co-orbital weapons, to protect the country’s assets in Space. On the other hand, DSRO is tasked to provide technical and research support to DSA.
Expand navigation operations: China recently completed Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), which is fully functional now. Beidou provides an accuracy of 3.6 m (public), 2.6 m (Asia Pacific, public) and 10 cm (encrypted). China is promoting its use in July-Aug 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 45
DEFENSE & SECURITY
the countries signed-up for BRI. China’s push for a new navigation network was driven by a desire to reduce its dependence on America’s GPS, particularly in its armed forces.
India’s has its own navigation system, Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NavIC. To date, ISRO has built nine satellites in the IRNSS series, of which eight are currently in orbit, though there are plans to increase the constellation size to eleven. NavIC provides a position accuracy of 5 meter to civilians and 10-20 cm for encrypted/military purpose. BDS has an advantage over its Indian counterpart because it is a global system with 35 satellites in LEO operating in the L1 and L2 bands which are common to other global GNSS systems like GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. NavIC will work with eight Geosynchronous satellites and offers regional navigational facility. However, NAVIC has a higher location precision and works better in urban and mountainous regions. A satellite image taken over Galwan Valley in Ladakh, India, parts of which are contested with China, June 16, 2020
46 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | July-Aug 2020
Accelerate launch targets:
Upsurge manufacturing:
Earlier this year, Beijing released a blue book setting out China’s Space achievements and future missions, and announced that it is going to send more than 60 spacecraft into orbit with over 40 launches in 2020. China will be mainly focusing on the completion of three major missions: Beidou-3 (fully operational), the Lunar exploration and the network of Gaofen observation satellites.
In terms of number of launches per year, China clearly has an edge over India. The lesser number of missions clearly indicates the lack of production capabilities within ISRO to support the growing demand in the country for Spacebased services. The electronic components and systems of Indian satellites are generally imported. These components have to meet strict quality standards and have to be reliable and work through the entire mission life of a satellite (15 years). The requirement for such components is only going to increase as the Space agency becomes more aggressive in pursuing new missions. India should, therefore, consider increasing its workforce and in-house capacity to meet the demand, apart from actively involving private players in the Space industry.
India needs to launch more EO satellites to deliver better imaging capabilities. In 2019, India only launched seven spacecraft out of which four were EO satellites, whereas China completed 34 Space launches, more than any other country in the world.
ISRO is planning to launch 10 EO satellites by March 2021, along with 26 missions, including Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan. Also in the pipeline is a new series of Remote Sensing satellites, Geo-Imaging Satellite-1 (Gisat-1) and Gisat-2, which will enhance India’s land mapping capabilities. Gisat has both military and civilian use.
Faster replacement: India lags in terms of building satellites that can be replaced before their expiration. When an old satellite expires, it leads to a data gap that is filled only when a replacement satellite is launched. Operating an updated fleet means precise and real-time information, which further helps in better decision-making.
Technology has made modern warfare almost contactless. Securing borders requires surveillance and Remote Sensing, real-time situational awareness, information processing and communication. Satellites have, therefore, emerged as strategic assets, playing a critical role in this process. For India to catch up with China on this front, it will have to make comprehensive efforts around research, development and innovation. Meenal Dhande Senior Assistant Editor Defense & Intelligence meenal@geospatialmedia.net
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