Press Release
The Baltic Sea Region Is Going Green: OHB Digital Connect Coordinates the Baltic GTIF Project
Bremen, March 14, 2024. Climate change is leaving a clear mark—particularly in the Baltic Sea region, where far-reaching changes are being observed that are having a noticeable impact on the sea and the surrounding areas. With an annual temperature increase of 0.1°C in the north and 0.7°C in the south, warming in the region exceeds the global trend, thereby endangering ecosystems and public health.
To address this challenge, the European Space Agency (ESA) is funding the project “Green Transition Information Factories – Kick Starters Baltic,” or Baltic GTIF for short. As part of the GTIF initiative, Earth observation data will be combined with modern analysis and cloud computing technologies to meet the information needs related to the green transition expressed by regional stakeholders.
Following a successful GTIF demonstration project for Austria (https://gtif.esa.int/), the services are now set to be expanded and adapted for various European regions. One of these regions is the Baltic States, with Lithuania serving as the pilot partner. Implementation will be carried out by a European consortium coordinated by OHB Digital Connect GmbH, a subsidiary of the aerospace and technology group OHB.
Climate Neutrality by 2050
The European Union aims to become climate-neutral by 2050. By 2030, greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by at least 55 percent compared to 1990 levels. To achieve this goal, the economy and society must be realigned in many areas.
ESA supports this transformation process through initiatives aimed at making Earth observation data usable, among other things. Under the umbrella term “Green Transition Information Factories” (GTIF), decision-makers are to be empowered—through innovative methods of data processing and analysis—to better assess the effectiveness of policy measures and planning projects. “Simplifying decision-making processes through clear visual representations of analyzed data is invaluable—not only for decision-makers, but also for companies seeking to develop new solutions for a green economy, as well as for the general public to deepen their understanding of climate change,” explains OHB’s Head of Business Development, Theresa Bohnet.
Supporting the Green Transition in the Baltic Sea Region
The Baltic GTIF project focuses on the Baltic Sea region. “As a first step, the goal is to develop solutions for the pilot country, Lithuania, that can be scaled up at a later date and adapted for the other Baltic states and beyond. The project’s goal is to develop cloud-based services that transform complex Earth observation data streams—provided, among other sources, by satellites from the Copernicus program—into practical, easily accessible information,” explains OHB project manager Daro Krummrich. “This information will then be used to advance the green transition in Lithuania and throughout the entire Baltic Sea region. This makes the project a great addition to our portfolio in the area of EO-based climate adaptation strategies.”
With its diverse landscapes and varied climate, Lithuania is an ideal pilot region for Baltic GTIF. The project will focus on four priority areas based on the needs and interests of Lithuanian stakeholders. These include: sustainable urban development, agricultural carbon balances, resilient food systems, and adaptive forestry practices.
The project began in early March, and the total duration is 24 months.
In addition to OHB Digital Connect GmbH as the prime contractor, OHB Digital Services GmbH, the Lithuanian companies Coetus UAB and Geomatrix UAB, and the Austrian company EOX IT Services GmbH are participating in the project’s implementation as subcontractors.
About OHB Digital Connect
OHB Digital Connect is a subsidiary of the Bremen-based space and technology group OHB SE.
Our mission: We establish the connection between the ground and space and bring satellite data into application.
We.Connect.Space.
Media Contact
Pia Bausch
Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 421 2020 6511
Email: pia.bausch@ohb.de