Imagery analysis and in particular satellite image analysis is an important component of defence intelligence. It enables to gather strategic and operational information on facilities, vehicles and forces on the ground and on the seas with a good geographic coverage across the Earth, and to assess the status of suspicious or hostile activities.

Satellite imagery analysis has long relied on traditional techniques, but the ever-increasing amounts of available satellite images has led to a need for automated analysis technologies. These technologies have been the subject of much research over several decades, and the steady progress of artificial intelligence (AI) and in particular of AI-based image recognition has led to new tools appearing on the market. However, much of the development work and technological challenges in this field have focused on image types other than satellite images, and there is a need to foster the progress of satellite image analysis technologies. In this context, the general objective of this call topic is to enhance these technologies by giving research teams the opportunity to benefit from the organisation of a technological challenge dedicated to them.

The outcome should contribute to:

• an enhanced exploitation of satellite images, by automating the workflow of imagery intelligence production and enabling analysts to focus on value-added tasks;
• the EU technological edge and autonomy for defence-related satellite imagery analysis.