The Queensland Earth Observation Hub, along with the University of Queensland, recently hosted a co-design workshop on harvesting Queensland’s agricultural potential through Earth Observation technologies. The workshop was held at the university’s agriculture focussed campus in Gatton, one hour west of Brisbane, bringing together industry and research stakeholders in both the agriculture and Earth observation value chains.
Attendees of the workshop in discussion
Agriculture is a priority sector for Queensland and Australia’s economic growth and Earth Observation is playing an increasingly significant role in driving agricultural productivity. From soil moisture analysis to yield estimation and precision agriculture, Earth Observation can deliver innovation and efficiencies across the value chain.
This innovation-focussed, co-design workshop brought together leading practitioners from Agriculture, AgTech and Earth Observation who had interesting problems to solve and teamed them up with the researchers with the expertise and capabilities to present innovative solutions. Throughout the workshop, industry leaders identified key themes and challenges, including weed management, land use, yield modelling and water utilisation. The following hours saw the group undertaking a design-thinking process, examining the problems and potential solutions. Finally, the various teams presented paper prototype solutions to the broader group.
(Left to right) SmartSat PhD student Than Myint Swe (University of Queensland), SmartSat COO Andrew Beveridge and Francesca Devoto (University of Queensland) at the workshop in Gatton.
These in-person workshops are key to the Queensland Earth Observation Hub’s goal of growing an active Earth Observation community in Queensland that then drives collaboration and capacity building. Through these workshops, participants are encouraged to develop their ideas and collaborations into proposals for the Queensland Earth Observation Hub funding program. The Hub’s funding programs focus on creating Queensland based opportunities through industry led research partnerships. The next round of funding, which is not limited to agricultural applications, is due to open in June 2024.
Queensland Earth Observation Hub Coordinator, Gavin Kennedy, addresses workshop attendees
Some of the prototype project proposals developed by attendees
To find out more about the Queensland Earth Observation Hub, or keep up with any upcoming Hub events, click here.
Gavin Kennedy
Queensland Earth Observation Hub Coordinator