Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation

CEOI was created in 2007 and receives support from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Technology Strategy Board. Its key aim is to develop UK capabilities in future space instrumentation for Earth Observation (EO) through the teaming of scientists and industrialists.  With a vision to develop and strengthen UK expertise and capabilities in EO instrumentation, the CEOI will help to position the UK to win leading roles in future international programmes. 

The Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI) is a catalyst for the development of technologies for environmental and security monitoring from space.

The CEOI welcomes the involvement of all UK academic and industrial partners who can contribute to the development of UK EO capability.  In addition to technology projects led by the CEOI partners, the CEOI is also funding projects resulting from 'Open Calls', which have been led by the University of Edinburgh, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, SSTL Ltd and others. 

Set up as a partnership around technology developments, CEOI is managed by the following organisations:

• Astrium
• QinetiQ
• University of Leicester
• STFC/Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Space offers many exciting opportunities to both the scientific and industrial communities.  To capitalise on this, the CEOI programme is geared towards knowledge exchange and knowledge transfer activities that will assist in: 

• Assessment of  future needs and requirements of the industry
• Identification of  potentially disruptive technologies
• Aiding the adaptation and adoption of technologies being developed elsewhere.
• Delivering measurable results through well-targeted technology programmes.

Leading scientists are actively engaged on the development of the science drivers and critical instrument technology areas, within teams relevant to the different projects.  This will ensure that technology development is aligned with scientific need.  The key problems of climate, environment and air quality are science priorities that need to be addressed in the near term and which are well matched to existing UK academic and industrial capability. The CEOI projects chosen reflect these imperatives - investing in clearly identified gaps in short- and mid-term instrumentation requirements maximizing impacts of UK developed technologies in European programmes.