Feds investing in Canadian companies to harness space data
by CM Staff
smartEarth contributions will support job creation and innovation across Canada
PHOTO: The unpiloted Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft is pictured near the International Space Station/NASA
LONGUEUIL, QC, Nov. 24, 2020 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada is helping Canadian companies take full advantage of the opportunities enabled by space. Under the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA’s) smartEarth initiative, 16 companies across Canada are receiving contributions to advance research and development (R&D) projects that will develop approaches to maximize the use of Earth observation data with advanced disruptive technologies.
“The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that our country remains a world leader in acquiring and using satellite data to support science excellence, innovation and economic growth,” said Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in a prepared statement. “It is with investments like these smartEarth contributions that we will be able to embrace the potential of space data to grow Canada’s economy and create the jobs of tomorrow.”
According to a statement, some of the R&D projects focus on enabling access to data or advancing data analytics that combine multiple types of data. Others aim to maximize the use of data and develop innovative applications to help monitor and protect Earth and its environment by, for example, mapping changes in forests, taking stock of wetlands and detecting methane emissions in the atmosphere.
It is anticipated that 240 new jobs will be created across Canada through these contributions.
