Next Generation Land Management services for Agriculture and Forestry

Project Information

NextLand

Grant agreement ID: 869520

DOI

10.3030/869520

Project closed

EC signature date 14 April 2020

Start date 1 June 2020

End date 30 November 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 3 420 571,43

EU contribution

€ 2 806 000,00

Coordinated by

DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NextLand (Next Generation Land Management services for Agriculture and Forestry)

Reporting period: 2021-12-01 to 2023-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

NextLand strives to develop a complete set of operational midstream agriculture and forestry EO-based services under a shared service delivery platform, leveraging GEOSS and Copernicus data collections and products (namely Sentinel 1, 2, and 3 imagery and meteorological datasets) complemented by the absorption of other very high-resolution EO and in situ data streams. It acts as a one-stop shop for added value service providers and end-users, offering unique or bundled EO services tailored to specific needs. These services, developed in co-creation with a wide set of users, prioritize high accuracy, up-to-date information, rapid-on-demand access, high customization, and competitive pricing. By facilitating service provider offerings to downstream markets and end-users with technological expertise, NextLand addresses diverse user requirements in the 2 sectors.

The project envisions revolutionizing EO service provision, emphasizing verifiable accuracy and consistency while offering seasonal data takes, tailor-made solutions, free accessible EO data, and personal support services. Ensuring reliability and reproducibility of processes and results, NextLand aims to streamline decision-making and implementation in forestry and agriculture sectors.

Key project objectives include co-designing commercial services, promoting international service uptake across vertical markets and ensuring long-term commercial sustainability with actionable business plans.

As the main outcome, NextLand successfully integrated 17 commercial EO-based services related to agriculture and forestry from 6 institutions into a single operational online store. The project created an ecosystem to demonstrate European service providers’ strengths throughout the whole value chain of the high-tech agriculture and forestry sectors. NextLand's business model overcomes sector fragmentation by federating European midstream EO service providers and offering a diverse range of services with competitive pricing.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Throughout the NextLand project, significant progress has been made towards its objectives. The consortium fully achieved its goal of establishing a common service delivery platform, with the NextLand online store now integrating 17 commercial agriculture and forestry midstream services. These services, from 6 providers, are based on Copernicus and GEOSS data collections, co-evolved with input from alpha and beta users and continuously refined, including with in-situ validation data.

Engagement with European commercial sectors in agriculture and forestry was a key focus, involving alpha users from different markets to co-design services and provide feedback. Additional beta users were selected from various European regions to ensure broad coverage. Promotion efforts included creating user scenarios, identifying target markets, participating in trade events and rolling out a large-scale email marketing campaign supported by communication materials.

Capacity building efforts included webinars, workshops, bilateral meetings and presence at key events. To ensure long-term sustainability, target markets and valuable services were identified, pricing strategies were devised and sales forecasts were executed. Engagement with partners and ongoing discussions with customers solidified NextLand's market position.

The exploitation strategy involves leveraging NextLand's service portfolio and market engagement to drive commercial success, which includes continued collaboration with EO service providers, targeted sales efforts and refining the business model to adapt to market dynamics. NextLand aims to capitalize on its position as a one-stop-shop for EO services, offering bundled solutions and customizable offerings to meet diverse user needs.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Overall, the NextLand project has made a significant progress beyond the state of the art in EO-based solutions for the European agriculture and forestry sectors in establishing a comprehensive operational platform for 17 macro commercial midstream services, achieving its objectives of widening market reach and delivering economic, social, and policy value to European citizens. The project's success is reflected in the diverse range of services offered, extensive promotional activities undertaken, and efforts towards long-term commercial sustainability. Moving forward, NextLand is well-positioned to continue its growth and innovation in the EO sector, further contributing to the advancement of agriculture and forestry industries.

At the end of the project, NextLand counts on the following main achieved results:

- Service Portfolio Expansion: NextLand successfully integrated 17 commercial EO-based services related to agriculture and forestry into its offering, provided by six different institutions.
- Engagement and Collaboration: The project maintained active involvement in the EuroGEOSS initiative, contributing to Agriculture and Land Use/Land Cover action groups. Moreover, NextLand engaged with 6 alpha users and 11 beta users from diverse target markets, gathering requirements, testing services, and receiving feedback for continuous improvement.
- Market Development: NextLand's efforts led to significant sales activities, resulting in 600 sales prospects, 79 contacts from fairs and sales events, 20 leads, 3 commercial agreements, and ongoing negotiations.
- Capacity Building: several webinars, workshops, demos, and bilateral meetings were organized to enhance user knowledge and capability in utilizing NextLand services.
- Service Validation: The project conducted comprehensive evaluations of service reliability and usability through user reviews, surveys, and UI/UX assessments. This iterative process ensured continuous improvement and alignment with user needs.

The main impacts to highlight are the following:

- Market Mobilization: NextLand contributed to developing a mass market for EO-based services in agriculture and forestry by engaging dynamic actors across Europe and organizing showcase events. The marketplace approach facilitated collaboration and positioned NextLand as a mid-stream EO product supplier.
- Business Model Innovation: NextLand's business model overcame sector fragmentation by federating European midstream EO service providers. The platform offers a diverse range of services with competitive pricing, positioning itself as a one-stop-shop for both service providers and end-users.
- Validation and Differentiation: Through participation in events and sales interactions, NextLand validated its value proposition and business approach. It identified market opportunities, competitive strategies, and potential partnerships to ensure continued growth and innovation.

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