Assessing technical and operational readiness Most EO implementations demand a robust technical foundation, which includes infrastructure and expertise in remote sensing, data science and software engineering. Accessing EO data typically demands expert involvement, which limits its reach to industries without geospatial knowledge and access to specialized tools. This dependency hinders the scalability of EO across industries that would benefit from it but lack in-house knowledge and resources. Assessing an organization’s current infrastructure and expertise for handling these complex datasets is critical. A capability assessment should be conducted to evaluate the existing technical infrastructure, data-handling practices and human resources. Where gaps exist, organizations can partner with specialized EO providers, or even identify an end-to-end service provider to simply purchase the EO insight itself. For organizations able and willing to develop in- house resources, given the rapid evolution of EO solutions,17 it is not sufficient to solely focus on current capabilities – they should also anticipate future technological needs. For example, today’s EO platforms leverage cloud-based storage and AI-driven analytics to process the terabytes of data produced by satellites, but soon, advances in edge computing may decentralize data processing closer to the satellite, reducing latency and enhancing timely decision-making. Increasingly, organizations need experts familiar with multi- source data fusion (combining satellite, aerial and ground-based sensors). Organizations may also need the capacity to handle novel data types, like hyper-spectral imagery or synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, both of which provide unique insights but may come with significant and specific data processing demands. Establishing a governance structure A clear governance structure is essential for coordinated adoption of EO that aligns with organizational objectives. Appointing an EO champion at the executive level strengthens alignment with business goals and facilitates the integration of EO insights into strategic decision- making processes. This leadership role is crucial for cross-departmental collaboration, as it illustrates EO’s value to actors across the organization, providing consistency in its use. To further embed EO’s applicability and use across the entire organization, an EO working group consisting of stakeholders from relevant departments – such as sustainability, IT, compliance and operations – should be established. This group would define key metrics (e.g. the accuracy of monitoring systems and required data latency) and promote alignment with corporate objectives, managing all aspects of EO implementation, from data acquisition to ethical use policies.3.1 Readiness and resources We’re very lucky to live in a time when we have such abundant EO data, but we need to close the gap between the C-suite and data specialists. We know more about our world than ever before and it’s imperative that we translate this knowledge into clear value, bridging the gap between observing the Earth and taking strategic action. Jed Sundwall, Radiant Earth Aligning EO adoption with financial planning EO implementations typically include significant upfront costs related to high-resolution imagery, third-party software or custom analytics services. Traditionally, organizations have had to purchase large datasets, even when only small portions are needed. The traditional EO business model, which relies on a price-per-image framework, is inherently flawed and impedes the widespread adoption of EO technologies. Indeed, such a system ties revenue directly to the number of satellites deployed, making it difficult to achieve economies of scale. Launching satellites into orbit is unlikely to become sufficiently affordable to support widespread adoption in industries requiring continuous monitoring, such as agriculture. Furthermore, the pricing structure for EO data often does not align with customer needs. Typically, data is sold in entire satellite scenes covering extensive geographic areas, whereas most customers require insights for smaller, more specific regions. This leads to prohibitively high costs for organizations operating on narrow margins, limiting EO adoption to high-value, niche applications. The Executive’s Playbook on Earth Observation: Strategic Insights for a Changing Planet 23

The Executive%E2%80%99s Playbook on Earth Observation