In a landmark move that strengthens global collaboration for sustainable development, European Earth observation satellite operator GEOSAT has made history as the first European entity to join the SDG Data Alliance — the international coalition dedicated to unlocking data-driven progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Antigua & Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The formal partnership agreement, signed with the PVBLIC Foundation — the New York-based non-profit that convenes the alliance — was finalized during the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, marking a major step forward in connecting European space technology with the most climate-vulnerable nations on Earth.
As a member of the alliance, GEOSAT now joins an elite network of partners working alongside the United Nations and global stakeholders to expand access to very high-resolution (VHR) satellite imagery and geospatial data across more than 3,000 islands spanning nearly 40 SIDS, the coalition’s priority focus regions. VHR technology enables the capture of imagery that can distinguish ground objects smaller than one meter, delivering the granular detail needed for precision environmental and development planning.
Under the partnership framework, the alliance will identify national and regional leaders to spearhead on-the-ground implementation. GEOSAT will contribute raw VHR imagery, which will be transformed alongside other alliance partners into actionable intelligence that supports better policy and operational decision-making. A key innovation of the collaboration is joint procurement of satellite capabilities, a model that allows small island nations to access advanced geospatial tools that most could not afford or implement independently. These capabilities span a wide range of critical use cases, including sustainable land management, agricultural productivity planning, forest conservation, coastal erosion monitoring, and rapid emergency response to climate-driven disasters.
GEOSAT brings decades of proven operational experience to the alliance, holding recognition from the European Commission and the Copernicus Programme as one of only five accredited VHR satellite operators in Europe. The company has a long track record of delivering satellite coverage to public and private stakeholders across the continent, with a core mission of making space-derived data accessible to communities worldwide. In a notable prior collaboration with Airbus, GEOSAT launched VHR 24, the first complete high-resolution satellite coverage of the entire European landmass. It also contributes thousands of imagery captures annually for emergency response scenarios and is an active participant in the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters.
The new membership builds on existing work GEOSAT has already completed in SIDS regions. In 2023, the company supported the launch of the Maldives Space Research Organisation (MSRO), contributing technical expertise and data to the organization’s inaugural Goidhoo Earth Observation Pilot. The project was later selected for showcase at the UN Peace Forum held in Paris, highlighting its successful model for local sustainable development. GEOSAT has already begun developing the first two new implementation pilots as part of its SDG Data Alliance partnership.
“Satellite images and space-based information are critical assets to support populations in climate change adaptation,” said Francisco Vilhena da Cunha, Chief Executive Officer of GEOSAT. “By joining the SDG Data Alliance, GEOSAT commits to continue working to bring space to people, leveraging local knowledge and value chains that can lead to the sustainable use of Earth Observation for social development.”