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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for eo science for society
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DTSTART:20260329T010000
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DTSTART:20261025T010000
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20260505T083000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Helsinki:20260507T170000
DTSTAMP:20260420T171907
CREATED:20251008T071413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T095019Z
UID:29142-1777969800-1778173200@eo4society.esa.int
SUMMARY:StatEO26
DESCRIPTION:Background\n\nThe EO for Official Statistics and policy indicators reporting Conference is planned to take place from 05 to 07 May 2026 in ESRIN. The conference will facilitate the integration EO into national statistics processes and policy reporting\, addressing how EO data can enhance the accuracy\, timeliness\, and spatial granularity of key metrics used for example in natural capital assessments\, agricultural monitoring\, and GHG emission reporting. The aim is to identify how EO can effectively support policy implementation and the simplification of transversal reporting. The event is co-organised with DG ESTAT\, DG JRC\, DG DEFIS\, DG ENV\, EARSC\, EEA\, OECD\, UNSD\, FAO\, UNECE\, University of Hannover\, and Biodiversity Alliance & CIAT.\n\n\n  \n\nAbstract submission is closed now!\nThere are no Special Proceedings foreseen for the Conference.\n  \nPlease go to the StatEO26 website for further information for authors and guidelines HERE\n\n\nRegistration\nThe registration is now open\, to register for the conference\, please click HERE and complete the registration form.\nPlease note that the number of seats is limited. Priority will be given to authors and co-authors of accepted contributions included in the conference programme\, and remaining seats will be allocated to other participants on a first‑come\, first‑served basis.\n\n\nThere is no participation fee; however\, lunch vouchers must be purchased during the registration process to avoid long queues at the canteen.\nPlease also note that no funds are available\, and participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. \n\n  \n\n\nThematic oral sessions\n\n\nThe oral sessions feature traditional conference presentations where the speakers share their latest work and insights. Contributors are invited to submit original research or case studies that can be effectively communicated within the allocated presentation time. These sessions offer a platform for formal knowledge dissemination and scholarly discussion. Contributions showcasing \, including developing countries or those working in fragile contexts are encouraged\, with a focus on how EO can address capacity gaps and improve statistical coverage where resources may be limited. \n\n Agriculture Statistics\n\nThis session will highlight best practices and case studies where Earth Observation (EO) has been integrated into agricultural statistics. We welcome contributions demonstrating how EO supports crop-type mapping\, yield estimation\, seasonal monitoring\, and land use change detection\, linked to specific statistical outputs (national crop area/yield tables\, SDGs/SEEA related indicators) and the compiling authority). Contributions can showcase operational examples\, methodological innovations\, how EO is enhancing the timeliness\, granularity\, and cost-effectiveness of agricultural data production\, integration with traditional data sources\, and institutional practices that have enabled the uptake of EO in agricultural data production.\nFurthermore\, use cases can include:\n– design-based area and yield estimation using EO (e.g.\, model-assisted regression\, map-corrected estimators\, dual-frame designs) and uncertainty reporting aligned with official statistics.\n– survey-calibrated mapping and operational accuracy/variance reporting in national releases.\nWe encourage contributions from both European and international countries\, with emphasis on operational examples and clear routes to uptake by statistical authorities. \n\n Natural Capital Accounting\n\nThis session invites presentations on how Earth Observation (EO) data is being used to support Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) frameworks\, such as the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA)\, including ecosystem accounting. Examples can showcase how EO contributes to the assessment of the changes in the stock and condition of natural capital\, the assessment of ecosystem extent\, condition and services\, as well as other environmental accounting frameworks such as air emissions\, water\, land and Ocean accounts\, with traceable methods and description of metadata. \nWe encourage provision of guidance on calibration/validation protocols for ecosystem extent/condition consistent with design-based inference and traceable metadata\, including change-over-time uncertainty. \n\n Integration of EO into SDGs and environmental Policy Reporting\n\nThis session will focus on the use of Earth Observation (EO) to support national reporting in key environmental policy frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Biodiversity Framework. The contributions can showcase how EO can be integrated into National Statistical Systems to track development policies and sustainability progress\, and how EO can support the production of targets and indicators within such policy frameworks\, particularly where geospatial data can add value. The presentations should describe the processing steps and algorithms used\, and reporting on uncertainty and accuracy. Presentations could also highlight aspects related to cost effectiveness and the operational status/technology readiness level of the proposed solutions. \n\n Land Use / Land Cover (LULC)\n\nThis session aims to showcase operational approaches and best practices for generating and using Earth Observation (EO)-derived Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) data in statistical reporting. Presentations may include methodologies for classification and change detection\, integration with institutional operational practices\, and use in cross-sectoral analyses (e.g.\, agriculture\, forestry\, urban planning). Contributions can highlight how EO-based LULC data is being validated and used in regular statistical production cycles or geospatial frameworks.\nGiven the intended use of LCLU maps for statistics\, two important aspects for presentation to address are the area-adjusted accuracy and map-to-stats conversion (e.g.\, Olofsson-style post-classification inference)\, plus reporting unit alignment (grid/NUTS/administrative).\nThe presenters are encouraged to highlight links with spatial information directives (e.g. INSPIRE) and land registries\, specifying the reporting units utilized (e.g. grid\, NUTS) to ensure statistical comparability. \n\n People & Urban Areas\n\nThis session will focus how Earth Observation (EO) is being used to generate data on population distribution\, urban growth\, urban settlements\, and access to services. This session will focus on how EO can support statistical reporting on human settlements\, including integration with census data/reporting units\, and the production of disaggregated indicators (e.g.\, by density\, built-up area\, green space per capita). Examples may include the use of EO for dynamic population modelling\, integration with census frames and small area estimation\, urban expansion/building footprints\, bias checks when using building footprints/nightlights for population proxies informal-settlement/slum mapping\, impervious-surface and soil-sealing trends\, urban heat-island\, etc.   \n\n Economy and Infrastructure\n\nThis session will explore the use of Earth Observation (EO) to support statistics on infrastructure\, economic activities and territorial development. We welcome contributions on mapping and monitoring transport networks\, industrial zones\, construction activity\, or economic proxies derived from remote sensing (e.g. construction permits\, cadastral/land registries\, building detection\, night-time lights\, vessel-port authority). Presentations may show how EO is being used alongside traditional statistical sources to provide insights into economic trends\, regional inequalities\, or development monitoring. Approaches that improve the spatial granularity or timeliness of economic indicators and infrastructure location using EO are of particular interest. \n\nSustainability indicators\n\nThis session focuses on Earth Observation (EO)-based monitoring of policy-relevant indicators for environmental sustainability and climate action. Examples may include monitoring of forest cover change\, land degradation and habitat destruction\, biodiversity\, and anthropogenic emissions. Submissions should describe how EO-derived data is or could be integrated with national inventories\, validated\, and used for official reporting or environmental statistics. \n\n\n\n\nWorkshops\n\n\nWorkshops are designed to be interactive and collaborative\, focusing on the indicated predefined thematic topics. Submitters should provide an outline detailing the workshop content and the planned structure (e.g. World Café\, breakout discussions\, or other participatory formats). The aim is to foster engagement\, dialogue\, and hands-on learning among participants\, encouraging active contribution and exchange of ideas. Importantly\, each workshop is expected to produce concrete outcomes\, including actionable recommendations\, which will contribute to advancing the field and informing future work. \n\n User Needs\, Experiences\, and Challenges\n\nThis session is dedicated to understanding the needs of users and providers (National Statistical Institutes\, Mapping Agencies\, Environment Agencies and other stakeholders) in managing statistical reporting obligations\, as well as learning from their experiences and discussing pressing challenges in integrating Earth Observation (EO) -based information into their operational practices. It will also explore how EO-based information can help meet the growing demand for statistical reporting under multiple frameworks. Emphasis will be placed on user perspectives: what do users need from EO-based information? What are the main gaps\, and what are the success stories? What are the requirements for an in-situ data quality framework including sampling design\, response design\, EO-based QC? How can EO help to reduce redundancy and improve efficiency in information production and use?  Additionally\, contributors are invited to outline a brief user journey and note any procurement constraints that have affected EO uptake and reporting efficiency \n\n Integration of In-Situ and EO Data\n\nThis session will focus on methodologies and protocols for integrating Earth Observation (EO) data with in-situ measurements\, statistical surveys\, and national inventories.  It will explore best practices for co-designing in-situ data collection campaigns that are optimised for the calibration and validation of EO-derived products\, while ensuring sound data governance\, including data protection\, licensing and accessibility considerations. Participants are encouraged to discuss current and future needs to improve the complementarity between EO and in-situ data\, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the robustness and reliability of andreanalysed EO-products.  \n\n Standardization and quality of EO in Statistical Processes \n\nThis session will address the challenges and solutions for standardizing Earth Observation (EO)-based information within official statistical systems and frameworks\, as well as how to build solid data quality standards. The workshop should aim to discuss what quality information does data users and producers need\, and how to align this to existing international statistical standards.  Topics can include ensuring consistency across spatial\, temporal scales\, alignments with thematic classifications\, and policy reporting coherence\, including interinstitutional mechanisms and harmonisation. Discussions around metadata standards\, the role of international statistical guidelines\, and the potential of EO to support harmonized statistics across countries are encouraged. \n\n Trust of EO data and uncertainty\n\nTrust in Earth Observation (EO)-based information products is essential for its adoption in official statistics. This session will focus on discussing transparency of EO-based information products and how to build solid methods for quantifying and communicating the uncertainty associated with EO products. Participants will discuss frameworks for assessing data quality\, replicability of EO-based methodologies and best practices in metadata. Discussion is also encouraged on how trust can be built between users of global EO products and national authorities\, whose interests do not always align. The session aims to answer the critical question: what factors build or erode trust in EO data? (particularly when misalignment occurs with other data and statistics). Special attention will be given to assessing and communicating statistical uncertainty of EO data. \n\n Accessibility\, Data Infrastructure\, and Interoperability (including Copernicus Services)\n\nThis session will address the challenges and barriers related to accessing and integrating Earth Observation (EO) data within broader data ecosystems. Discussions will focus on data platforms\, policies and metadata standards\, as well as on the interoperability of EO data\, tools and infrastructures with traditional statistical systems. The workshop will also highlight the role of Copernicus and other public EO services in supporting national data infrastructure. Participants are invited to explore both technical and institutional solutions to enhance data accessibility and usability\, particularly in low-resource settings\, and to discuss strategies for achieving full interoperability between EO and official statistics infrastructures. \n\n Capacity Building \n\nThis session will focus on capacity and knowledge gaps that hinder the effective use of Earth Observation (EO) in national statistics\, particularly in fragile and developing country contexts. It will particularly explore needs for technical training and institutional development. Discussions around successful model of international cooperation and long-term capacity-building programs are encouraged. Special emphasis will be placed on identifying country-specific needs and inclusive partnerships\, and alignment with relevant statistical-geospatial frameworks. \n\n Future Steps Toward Operational Integration of EO\n\nThis forward-looking session will explore how Earth Observation (EO)-based information products can evolve toto better support official and statistical applications. Discussions will address advances in spatial and temporal resolution\, the use of near-real-time EO for early warning and rapid assessments\, and the development of modelling approaches\, including AI\, digital twins\, and other data-driven methods\, to derive reliable statistics from EO data. Participants are invited to reflect on strategies to ensure the \, and to consider how these resources can best meet the evolving needs of National Statistical Institutes (NSIs) and other uses. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDeadlines\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCall for abstracts and workshops submission:  opening\n07 October 2025\n\n\nCall for abstract and workshops submission:  closure (extended)\n31 January 2026\n\n\nNotification of Acceptance\n18 March 2026\n\n\nRegistration Opening\n19 March 2026\n\n\nIssue of Preliminary Programme\n31 March 2026\n\n\nIssue of Final Programme\n13 April 2026\n\n\nRegistration Closure\n20 April 2026\n\n\nConference starts\n05 May 2026\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n\n\n\n\nScientific Committee\n\n\n\nYifang Ban\nKTH Royal Institute of Technology \n\n\n\n\nAlexandre Banquet\nOECD \n\n\n\n\nNils Barthel\nUniversity of Hannover \n\n\n\n\nNektarios Chrysoulakis\nIACM FORTH \n\n\n\n\nRaphael d’Andrimont\nDG AGRI \n\n\n\n\nSytze de Bruin\nWUR \n\n\n\n\nPaolo Gamba\nUniversity of Pavia \n\n\n\n\nJavier Garcia Perez\nUN FAO \n\n\n\n\nZacharias Kandylakis\nEurostat \n\n\n\n\nThomas Kemper\nJRC \n\n\n\n\nFederica Marando\nESA \n\n\n\n\nCarla Martins\nEurostat \n\n\n\n\nPaul May\nSDSMT \n\n\n\n\nZina Mitraka\nIACM FORTH \n\n\n\n\nJean Maurice Muneza\nUNGGKIC \n\n\n\n\nErik Naesset\nNorwegian University of Life Sciences \n\n\n\n\nMarc Paganini\nESA \n\n\n\n\nHannes Reuter\nEurostat \n\n\n\n\nNandika Tsendbazar\nWUR \n\n\n\n\nHugo Valin\nOECD \n\n\n\n\nMarijn Van der Velde\nJRC \n\n\n\n\nMayra Zurbaran\nJRC \n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n\n\n\nContact info\nFor information regarding the submissions\, author instructions\, scientific committee related inquiries please contact EO4Society.Conf@esa.int\nFor information regarding the logistics of the venue place\, support with logistics booking and registration\, please contact events.organisation@esa.int\n\n\n\nESA Personal Data Protection Policy\n\n\n\n\n\n
URL:https://eo4society.esa.int/event/stateo26/
LOCATION:ESA-ESRIN\, Largo Galileo Galilei\, 1\, Frascati\, RM\, 00044\, Italy
CATEGORIES:Conference,Workshops
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