From 14 to 19 June 2026, ETH Zurich hosted the Beyond the Visible Summer School at its recently created Heilbronn campus in Germany, bringing together students and early-career researchers from around the world to explore the role of artificial intelligence and Earth observation in supporting more sustainable management of terrestrial resources, with a particular focus on opportunities for innovation within the commercial sector.
The week-long programme combined lectures from a plethora of experts invited from academia, industry, and government (e.g., Schwarz Gruppe, Heilbronn Agricultural Office, SBB, ESA BIC Switzerland and Hesse companies), coupled with technical sessions, mentoring, and group project work, with participants invited to examine how satellite data and AI-based approaches can help address challenges linked to land, water, food, energy, and environmental change.
ESA’s Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes was invited to contribute to the summer school, with sessions delivered by Dr. Francesco Sarti, Dr. Anca Anghelea, Connor Heeney, and Dr. Lorenzo Papa. Their contributions introduced participants to a range of current and emerging Earth observation activities, from the use of satellite data for resource management to open science, digital innovation, and the growing role of AI in the analysis of EO data.
Dr. Francesco Sarti and Connor Heeney opened ESA’s contribution with a session on Earth observation for resource management, highlighting how satellite data can support applications across land, water, atmosphere, and hazards. Dr. Anca Anghelea then introduced ESA’s work on digital innovation, FAIR data, and open science, while Dr. Lorenzo Papa presented new developments in AI for Earth observation and the opportunities these approaches create for next-generation EO applications.
As part of the technical component of the course, Connor Heeney also led a practical session on mapping agriculture from space using WorldCereal. The session gave participants the opportunity to explore how satellite-based products can be used to monitor global cropland and seasonal crop types, while also considering the uncertainties and practical challenges involved in turning EO data into reliable information for users.
Following the ESA-led sessions and technical workshops, Connor Heeney, Dr. Francesco Sarti, and Dr. Lorenzo Giuliano Papale, a researcher from the University of Tor Vergata, continued to support the course as mentors. Over the remainder of the week, they worked with student teams as they developed project ideas, refined their concepts, and prepared their final presentations for the pitch arena on the last day of the summer school. Alongside these invigorating discussions with the students, it also provided an opportunity to bring together individuals from ESA, ETH Zurich, Swiss GeoLab, and several commercial companies to discuss upcoming opportunities for collaboration, both within the capacity building domain and research and innovation.
The final pitches challenged participants to bring together the scientific, technical, and practical aspects of their work, considering not only what can be achieved with Earth observation and AI, but also how such ideas could be developed into useful and scalable commercial solutions.
By contributing lectures, hands-on training, and mentoring throughout the week, ESA was able to support the broader goal of the summer school, which aimed to help participants better understand how Earth observation can be applied to real-world resource management challenges. Initiatives such as Beyond the Visible play an invaluable role in connecting young researchers and practitioners with the tools, data, and expertise that is needed to make better use of satellite information for society and the environment.
