The final Challenge pitches and winners event on 23 March at the Geovation hub was great to hear all 4 finalists pitch their ideas to an audience and judges. On the panel was Mark Casey Head of Research, Design and Innovation at UKHO, Charlie Draper Business Change and Innovation at Ordnance Survey and Chris Parker Founder of Geovation.
The 4 finalists were:
The two winners of the challenged both proposed impressive solutions to the issue of diffuse pollution on our coasts. Find out more about their company and solution below!
GlobalTrust is a data analytics company using the power of satellites to guide organisations worldwide to develop and deliver sustainability strategies while embedding ethical practices into the future of decision making.
GlobalTrust’s solution uses satellite data and a geo-temporal platform built on datacube architecture to identify environmental degradation and pollution in coastal areas which derive from diffusive pollution factors. They are currently developing a machine learning algorithm to identify the presence of anomalous activities, issuing subsequent alerts.
Satsense Solutions is a UK based start-up that uses satellite remote sensing and geospatial analytics to provide business and governance solutions. The company is passionate about applying satellite earth observation to solve the challenges of sustainable development, resource management and climate change, and has successfully deployed commercial solutions for the Water Resources, Hydropower and Infrastructure sectors.
The proposed solution makes use of two key concepts, namely, Satellite-based Water Quality Assessment and a Watershed Approach; to identify problematic watersheds that contribute excessive amounts of sediment, nutrient and pollutant loads and suggests best land management practices to mitigate these discharges. Thereby helping to solve some of the major problems of diffuse coastal pollution in a targeted and cost-effective way.
Nikhil Pasari, from Satsense Solutions who pitched at the live event.
Diffuse pollution comes from multiple sources that become a cumulative problem and is the main source of water quality degradation worldwide. Geovation launched a challenge with the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) to find a sustainable solution to tackle the problem of diffuse coastal pollution. The Challenge focused on the sources, pathways and impact of diffuse pollution on our coastal regions and environments.
Applicants to the challenge had access to data from Ordnance Survey, UKHO, Met Office, and British Geological Survey and deep dive research to help them develop their solutions. Geovation ran a bootcamp with all the teams to assess their current ideas and help them to further develop them into feasible ideas. The final Challenge pitches and winners event took place on 23 March at the Geovation hub.