Earth Observation and Climate Monitoring

Peter B. de Selding is co-founder and chief editor of Space Intel Report, a news website created in early 2017 and devoted to the business aspects of the space industry. Prior to this, he was Paris Bureau Chief for SpaceNews for many years.

Jarkko Antila is the CEO of Kuva Space, a pioneering Finnish Earth observation company. He has a strong background in deep-tech entrepreneurship and a proven track record in product innovation, fundraising, and effective leadership. Jarkko’s experience includes leading technology teams at renowned organizations like the Finnish Research Center (VTT) and Inficon. In 2014 he co-founded Spectral Engines, a successful spectral sensor company, where he served as CEO for six years before its exit. Prior to his role at Kuva Space, Jarkko founded Leaping Boulder, a deep-tech business consultancy firm.

With a Master’s degree in Space Technology, he has been involved in various space projects, including the development of hyperspectral payloads for satellite missions such as OMI and Aalto-1. Jarkko brings his extensive expertise and passion for space technology to drive innovation and business growth at Kuva Space.

Malcolm Davidson has over 20 years of experience at ESA with a professional track record that integrates mission and campaign science throughout all phases of EO missions, from the initial science idea, through feasibility studies, mission implementation, launch and in-orbit use. More recently Malcolm took up a leading role in developing the renewed Earth Observation Science Strategy 2040 which was published in September 2024 and guides all Earth Observation science activities including new satellite missions within ESA.

Dr Marco Esposito is Managing Director at cosine Remote Sensing.

Marco completed his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Naples, specializing in airborne remote sensing for air quality and land management. Having worked on various aerospace projects in Italy, most recently as coordinator of the Environmental Research Aircraft Lab of the Italian National Research Council, Marco moved to the Netherlands.

Marco spent almost 4 years at ESA ESTEC as calibration engineer first, in the science department working on EUV to IR sensors calibration for future planetary missions, and then as performance engineer in the Earth Observation department working on Sentinel 5 Precursor spectrometer TROPOMI.

Marco has been involved in a variety of research and development activities at cosine, all focusing on the miniaturization of optical instruments for Earth Observation and miniaturized suites of instruments for planetary exploration. Marco has been leading the development of space products including space Lidars for vegetation and bathymetry, as well as intelligent spectral imagers for EO from small satellites. He has produced more than 40 scientific publications, either as first author or as a co-author.

Having gained experience as system and performance engineer, project manager, program manager and team leader at cosine, Marco became managing director of cosine Remote Sensing as well as of the Italian branch of cosine.

Marco led the commercialization of the hyperspectral product line at cosine, the first ever miniaturized class of imagers able to connect hyperspectral, thermal imaging and artificial intelligence techniques in one compact solution for the Earth observation market.

Marco is currently leading the scale-up of the remote sensing business at cosine as well as the setup of the space factory for the series production of smart remote sensing instruments for Earth Observation.

Andrea Vena brings over 30 years of expertise in the space sector, spanning both industry and institutional roles. With a degree in Electronic Engineering and a Master in Telecommunication Systems, he began his career at Alenia Spazio, now Leonardo.
Since joining ESA in 2000, Andrea has held strategic leadership roles, including Head of the Corporate Strategic Planning Office (2006) and Head of the Corporate Development Office (2016), where he drove the organization’s strategic evolution.
Under his leadership, ESA launched transformative initiatives in strategic planning, corporate risk management and knowledge management, that set industry benchmarks.
Appointed Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer in 2021, Andrea leads ESA’s Green Agenda, aligning the agency’s activities with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, fostering sustainability practices across the space sector.
Passionate about innovation, Andrea champions the role of space technologies in addressing global climate challenges and the value of space exploration for the future of humankind on Earth. An advocate of international collaboration, Andrea works across borders to promote sustainability through the promotion of the Statement for a Responsible Space Sector.