The ESA Living Planet Symposium 2025 in Vienna brought together over 6,500 participants from 119 countries, including researchers, educators, policymakers, and industry representatives. With more than 4,200 scientific presentations, 150 capacity building sessions, 60 agora talks, and 55 exhibitors, the event provided a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration across the Earth Observation (EO) community.
A key highlight for the SpaceSUITE project was its presentation in the session “Trends in Earth Observation Education and Capacity Building: Embracing Emerging Technologies and Open Innovations – PART 1.” The presentation, titled “Advancing Earth Observation Literacy: A Strategic Approach to Skills Development in the Downstream Space Sector,” was delivered by Martyna A. Stelmaszczuk-Górska (Friedrich Schiller University Jena, EO College), together with project partners.
The talk highlighted the strategic vision of SpaceSUITE in supporting the development of cross-domain skills and fostering a more agile, inclusive, and data-literate space workforce. Emphasis was placed on innovative learning approaches such as blended learning, microcredentials, and data-informed skills mapping, with the aim to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and workforce needs in EO, SatCom, and GNSS.
Beyond the dedicated education sessions, skills development was a recurring theme throughout the week. Discussions on citizen science, disaster resilience, and AI-driven tools underscored the importance of co-creation, inclusivity, and open innovation in capacity building.
The presence of over 2,200 school students from across Austria and dedicated outreach activities also illustrated growing public interest in space literacy.
SpaceSUITE will continue building on these insights to strengthen skills ecosystems, develop tailored training solutions, and contribute to the wider goal of fostering downstream space uptake in Europe and beyond.
