During the EURISY international conference 'Satellite Solutions for Smarter Islands', Prof. Saviour Formosa from the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, Ms Ashley Hili from the Malta Environment & Planning Authority (MEPA) and Mr Stephen Grixti from the Malta Council for Science & Technology (MCST) presented a session entitled 'Enhancing Social Wellbeing through Smart Apps: Satellite Solutions for Smart Islands App Challenge'. Following major effort committed by the University of Malta, MCST and MEPA in bringing spatial information to academics, data analysts and policy makers, the international Earth Observation deliveries were taken to the next step in ensuring the spread of such information aimed at enhancing social wellbeing.
The highlight of the conference, which focused on the development, delivery, use and applications of earth observation technologies and data, focused on the launching of an app challenge that aims to aid interested parties to conceptualise an app resultant in an award of €10000 in addition to €4000 worth of Airbus sponsored satellite based imagery.
Prof. Formosa highlighted Malta's Earth Observation legacy, the implementation realities and the need to target a bottom-up approach to citizen app usage.
The app challenge is aimed at anyone with drive, initiative and willing to go through a thorough concept-form-actuation process as led by the expert group set up for the activity.
A parallel challenge covers the implementation of Smart Apps with respective awards amounting to €15000.
Students and start-ups are encouraged to take up the challenge and register through the following link: www.eurisy.org/event-app-challenge_60/about.
Background papers on the Maltese developments and the use of spatial information are available online.