In a new partnership Westbrook Racing, the European Space Agency (ESA) and EOMAP are set to enhance environmental monitoring across the E1 Championship, a series of electric powerboat racing. The initiative launched at the Lake Como race on 24 and 25 April 2026. Altogether, it marks a new step in applying Earth Observation science to water sports events.

“High-resolution satellite data can tell a lot about water quality. Through the insights we create, we wish to help Westbrook Racing better understand and manage the ecological footprint of the races. Together, we will demonstrate how Earth Observation can guide the responsible development of water-based events,” stated Dr. Eva Maria Haas, Head of Strategic Accounts Europe at EOMAP.

Science‑based water quality monitoring across race venues

At the heart of the collaboration is EOMAP’s advanced water quality monitoring. Using satellite data, the programme introduces a non‑intrusive, science‑driven approach to understanding how race activity interacts with local aquatic ecosystems.

Drawing on imagery from ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel‑2 mission and Planet SuperDove satellites, EOMAP will deliver high‑resolution, near real‑time insights into environmental conditions before, during, and after race events.

Turbidity analysis to understand sediment disturbance

A key focus of the monitoring framework is water turbidity. For instance, EOMAP’s analysis will help identify sediment disturbance patterns that may be linked to race operations or external environmental factors. As a result, this supports a more informed assessment of environmental impact at each venue.

This data will provide valuable context for race planning, ultimately helping the team manage activities responsibly in sensitive water environments.

Satellite detection of floating plastic pollution

In parallel, EOMAP will conduct dedicated analysis of floating plastic debris using satellite imagery. This work will support the identification of pollution accumulation zones and track changes over time. This will also help define priority areas for targeted clean‑up efforts in collaboration with local authorities and environmental organisations.

Environmental intelligence through cloud‑based analytics

All insights generated by EOMAP’s water quality services will be integrated into the cloud‑based analytics platform eoapp AQUA. This will give Westbrook Racing direct access to actionable environmental intelligence for operational use, post‑event assessment, and transparent reporting to stakeholders, communities, and fans.

Lake Como as a benchmark

The Lake Como event will serve as the first deployment of the monitoring framework, establishing a benchmark for future race locations. From there, the programme scales across the E1 Championship calendar. In effect, this creates a consistent approach to water quality monitoring at each venue.

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Learn More

• Access Westbrook Racing’s press release here.
• Contact our water quality team for more details.

With the year 2025 coming to an end, we say “Thank you” to all colleagues, partners, clients and supporters. The past year brought its share of challenges, but together we turned most into achievements. Again, it was your collaborative spirit, trust and support that made the difference.

Here are a few highlights from this past year at EOMAP:

11,000 new colleagues

In February 2025, Fugro decided to complement their portfolio with satellite-based solutions. Overnight, we had 11,000 new colleagues, many of them eager to integrate Earth Observation (EO) into their client offerings.

As Fugro’s global EO hub, we collaborate closely with the Climate & Nature group. – A natural fit that feels just right!

Highlighting EO

The new website and enquiry page will help exploit these synergies and once more make the case for easily accessible Earth Observation insights.

By the way: In March, gaining access to water quality information within a few mouse clicks was acknowledged by the German Innovation Prize for eoapp AQUA.

Beyond data

How can we survey coastlines most efficiently? When should we time dredging activities? Where can we best target seagrass restoration efforts? – Clients in many sectors enjoyed satellite-based decision support on such questions.

For example, the Ports of Los Angeles for their kelp conservation activities. Discover this and many more use cases.

More blue economy

Offshore renewables, maritime surveillance, or tourism … – Apart from hydrography, engineering and water management, there is a range of promising new fields, where Earth Observation can be a game changer.

In particular, blue carbon assessments of coastal habitats like mangroves are high on our innovation lab’s list.

A growing EOMAP family

Throughout 2025, the EOMAP core team grew from 50 to 60 experts in Geodata, Physics, IT or AI.

Together, we drive EO solutions worldwide. But we also enjoy Oktoberfest, boulder nights, beach volleyball and many company events more.

Your experience?

When we map coastal waters, monitor rivers and lakes, or classify ecosystems across the world, there is one thing that drives us most: your needs. A customer satisfaction survey in 2025 showed an encouraging value of 9 out of 10. – Yet, there is always room for improvement. Just let us know!

Once again, thank you for playing a key role in our success stories! We look forward to turning space data into even more environmental intelligence in 2026.

• Sign up for our Newsletter (in the footer of this page).
• Follow us on Linked In.

An opinion piece by Dr. Rainer Ressl – Head of Climate and Biodiversity Solutions at EOMAP

The Conference of the Parties of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém started – once more – with high expectations. It ended with mixed reactions. Science warned – once more – that time is nearly up. Negotiators made some progress on adaptation, forests and oceans but stepped back from tougher decisions – once more – on reducing fossil fuels and deforestation.

For us working in climate, water, and nature data, the message was clear: the world needs stronger action, and it needs reliable information to support it.

Climate: Alarming signals, limited breakthroughs

The conference opened with repeated warnings from global scientific bodies. While the exact temperature figures vary across reports, all agreed that 2025 is expected to rank among the warmest years on record and that the world remains far off the 1.5°C pathway (WMO). Analyses of national climate pledges highlight a significant gap between current trajectories and emissions reductions required for climate safety.

Yet, COP30 could not agree on a firm language to phase out fossil fuels. Countries with oil- and gas-dependent economies resisted to create a binding global commitment. The outcome also avoided any detailed roadmap for reducing fossil fuel production and use. This was one of the most widely criticised shortcomings of Belém.

Nature and biodiversity: Action grows through reporting and corporate standards

Across COP30 side events and initiatives, momentum grew around improving biodiversity measurement and disclosure. While no single ISO biodiversity standard was formally released at COP30, the global push for more consistent, auditable nature reporting frameworks was evident and will likely influence environmental management in the coming years.

Oceans: A clear step forward

One of Belém’s more positive storylines came from the ocean agenda. More countries joined efforts to integrate the ocean into their national climate plans, building on initiatives like the Blue NDC Challenge. While exact global percentages vary, analyses agree that an increasing number of coastal and island nations now include ocean-based climate solutions in their pledges.

Albeit this positive development, ocean observing systems remain under pressure. The latest Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) report highlights a mix of progress and vulnerability. Observing infrastructure is improving but remains underfunded and uneven. Without coordinated investment, global ocean monitoring will struggle to meet rising climate and biodiversity challenges.

In a nutshell, we can state the following challenges and positive signals.

Challenges

There is an obvious gap between talk and action. Specifically, we can identify these shortcomings:

• No commitment to phase out fossil fuels.
• No binding roadmap to stop deforestation.
• Climate and biodiversity finance still fall short of what science calls necessary.
• Ocean data systems remain fragile.
• The global emissions trajectory continues to miss the 1.5°C pathway.
• These gaps reinforce that political will, not scientific uncertainty, is the limiting factor.

Positive signals

Despite these drawbacks, we can see progress through these initiatives and partnerships:

• A significant forest-finance mechanism was launched through the Tropical Forest Forever Facility.
• Adaptation finance receives heightened priority.
• Ocean and coastal resilience rise in national climate planning.
• Improved biodiversity measurement and nature-positive approaches gain traction.
• These developments move climate, nature and ocean issues closer together, creating a more integrated policy landscape

What this means for our work

COP30 sends a clear message: data, monitoring and nature-intelligence will be essential for delivering real progress.

The outcomes reinforce our strategic direction within EOMAP, a Fugro company, and Fugro’s Climate & Nature team.

1. Scale up blue-carbon and coastal-ecosystem monitoring
   Countries need reliable mapping and long-term monitoring of mangroves, seagrasses and tidal wetlands. Our satellite-based analytics and coastal data services can support integration of these ecosystems into climate planning and nature finance.
2. Strengthen water-quality and coastal-risk services
   From turbidity and sediment dynamics to bloom detection and coastal erosion, monitoring will be central to adaptation projects as finance increases.
3. Support the growing demand for biodiversity assessment and disclosure
   As environmental reporting frameworks mature, organizations will need transparent, science-based tools. Our EO capabilities can help quantify ecosystem change and impact.
4. Expand partnerships for ocean observation
   COP30 highlighted the fragility of global ocean and coastal observing systems. Collaboration with governments, research institutions and private partners is essential to generate climate relevant data and insights.
5. Accelerate translation of global policy into practical tools
   Our role is to turn national and international commitments into workable, measurable solutions and decision support tools for coastal managers, NGOs, governmental institutions and industries.

Closing thought

COP30 did not deliver everything the world had hoped for. However, it strengthened the case for applied science and high-quality environmental data.

For us at EOMAP, the takeaway is very straightforward: Our expertise in coastal, aquatic and nature observation is becoming even more critical for climate action.

Further readings

Analysis of outcomes by “Carbonbrief”, the award-winning UK-based website on climate science and policy

Round-up by the UN Ocean Decade, the IOC-driven initiative stimulating ocean science and knowledge generation

The Búzios Statement by 250 scientists, pinpointing global benchmarks, such as the reduction of global fossil fuel production

An analysis of COP30’s fossil fuel and deforestation talks by the Institute of Sustainable Development

Let’s connect

Check out more climate-related projects here.

Discuss your needs with Rainer and the coastal team.

EOMAP’s App for water quality is finalist of the German Innovation Award 2025

Seefeld, March 2025 – The jury of the German Innovation Prize 2025 has chosen EOMAP for the top 3 medium-sized companies. EOMAP beat out 120 companies with eoapp AQUA – an online solution for monitoring water quality from space. In the end, the winning product was an aluminium wheel. Nevertheless, Thomas Heege and his 50-strong team consider it a great honour to be a nationwide finalist – alongside big names such as Infineon and SIEMENS Energy.

eoapp AQUA enables users to keep an eye on waters all over the world via satellite data within a few mouse clicks. Users can identify key parameters of water quality, detect long-term trends or changes in near-realtime. They can also see upcoming dangerous developments, a feature becoming increasingly critical in times of global warming. Authorities use the online solution for example to assess climate change impacts or monitor bathing waters. In contrast to other solutions, users of eoapp AQUA need only little expert knowledge in Earth Observation to gain insights on the waters of their interest.

AQUA is part of EOMAP’s eoapp-series, a range of web apps that harvest on satellite data rapidly and user friendly. In 2022 another eoapp – SDB-Online – convinced another jury: It won the Bavarian Innovation Prize. Next to this and many other international awards in the course of the years, EOMAP was listed among the Global Top 100 Geospatial Companies for the third time in 2025.

The Jury of the Award consists of highly qualified representatives from science and industry.

Media Service

Read more about the “Deutsche Innovationspreis”.

Learn more about the – already awarded by EARSC – eoapp AQUA.

For further questions or imagery, please contact:
Andrea Schmölzer, Head of Marketing, E-Mail: schmoelzer@eomap.de , Tel: +49 176 11 773 773

About EOMAP

EOMAP is a German company leading in aquatic Earth Observation and relevant software solutions. With its headquarters in Munich and global affiliations, the German SME provides data, software, and intelligence ‘powered by space’ to industry, governments, and academia. As a spin-off from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) EOMAP has received various awards for technological excellence and keeps partnering in European innovation projects. The team’s overarching goal remains to support the sustainable management of the world’s key resource: water.

Since February 2025, EOMAP is a Fugro company. – Find more news at the EOMAP Press Room

Pressemitteilung

2024 in brief

With the year 2024 coming to an end, we’d like to say “Thank you” for the success stories we’ve shared. Your inspiring cooperation, support and trust are what make us smile. – Here are a few highlights from this past year at EOMAP:

Hydrography for good

+100 projects are on this year’s list. Moreover, we registered hundreds of new sign-ups to eoapp SDB-ONLINE and more clients for our SDB software. With SDB, we supported humanitarian aid in the Gaza strip and improved bathymetric knowledge from Denmark to Canada to the Pacific. Our global team delivered more projects of societal value, for Australian Marine Parks or drinking water reservoirs in the US.

A growing EOMAP family

Offering high-quality jobs with an employee satisfaction of 83% is not easy these days. We see the EOMAP family grow but keep a careful eye on our work-life balance: With outdoor events, joint lunch breaks, or e-gym twice a week. And we love to celebrate: 51 birthdays, 3 marriages, 7 job anniversaries and 4 new Masters and PhDs on our team.

Creating user value

Big Data from Space is nice. But decision makers need easily accessible and actionable information. This is what our eoapp series provide: Space-based support within mouse clicks, for hydrographers, coastal engineers, water authorities, and hydropower managers. In 2024, the newly launched eoapp AQUA received the EARSC Product Award!

Spreading EO knowledge

In +30 events in 13 countries, we flew the Earth Observation flag. This included Oceanology International, the UN Ocean Decade event, two HYDROs and a project showdown at ESA in Frascati. Topics ranged from coastal hydrography and lake monitoring to hydropower and aquaculture management.

Innovating in coastal resilience

Welcome to our innovation labs! We team up with research, industry and NGOs to overcome tech challenges and bridge the gap to solutions – for example in multispectral drone mapping and renewable energy. Blue Carbon is especially high on our agenda. We have a lot to say about coastal habitats and blue carbon assessments. Read more on seagrass in Italy or Germany, mangroves in Madagascar and the brand-new COASTS project.

Follow us on Linked In or sign up to our Newsletter (in the footer on this page) to stay up to date on our activities!

“Towards Coastal Digital Twins” is our motto for the annual Hydrographic Conference from 5 – 7 November. This annual get together of the hydrographic community will be hosted in Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany.

Meet EOMAP at HYDRO 2024 in Rostock Warnemünde

Meet our experts on satellite-derived bathymetry and monitoring of coastal dynamics on occasion of the THE hydrography event. Hosted by the German Hydrographic Society (DHyG) and co-sponsored by EOMAP, HYDRO 2024 will provide new trends, challenges and technology for the hydrographic industry. Access the full conference programme here.

Feel welcome to talk to our team in Rostock to learn more, how we bridge the gap between science and market-ready solutions! – Let’s dive into these topics:

Technology, Innovations and Use Cases

📍State-of-the-art Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB)
📍Understanding coastal morphology, dynamics, unveiling shoals
📍Demo tour of cloud processing solutions: SDB-Online and eoapp AQUA
📍Use cases from across the oceans and our contributions to EmoDnet Bathymetry or Seabed2030.
📍Solutions for coastal monitoring and impact assessment of natural hazards.

Meet our colleagues at

• Mona Reithmeier’s conference talk about “Mapping and monitoring the global coast” on 5th November (13:55), Auditorium A
• Fugro’s Session on “Multi-Scale Hydrographic and Ecosystem Mapping: Scaling Up the ISPRA Mediterranean Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project”. Next to co-presenters from ISPRA, Fugro and PlanBlue, Kim Knauer will showcase, how satellite data on bathymetry and seagrass habitats plays into the integrated mapping solutions of this project – on 6 November at 10:45 am.
  
• Kim Knauer’s conference talk about “Satellites, the autonomous surveyors – rapid assessment of storm-induced impacts to coastlines” on 7th November (09:00), Auditorium A
• or visit the EOMAP booth #22 from 5 – 7 November!

Mona, Kim and Knut will gladly outline how satellite-based information on water depth, coastal changes, and water quality can enhance your work.

Contact

For further questions, please contact our coastal team via e-mail.