Greece First Country to Build a National Wildfire System using OroraTech Technology
ATHENS, GREECE, July 2nd, 2024 – The Ministry of Digital Governance announced the investment into four thermal satellites and a wildfire system with the thermal intelligence provider OroraTech. Together with a consortium of Greek subcontractors, OroraTech will deliver a system for wildfire management, including ground systems and processing services, as well as a constellation of thermal imaging satellites dedicated to monitoring the entire country of Greece for wildfires. This development contract will be implemented by the European Space Agency and led by the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance and the Hellenic Space Center. This €20 million investment provides an urgent solution to combating the problem of the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires.
“By investing specifically into orbital technology, we are making a real difference in monitoring wildfires that threaten human lives, our ecosystems, and our economy,” claims Greek Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou. “OroraTech’s wildfire detection and monitoring system scans for fires from orbit, creating unmatched situational awareness.”
OroraTech and its Greek partners won the contract in an open tender by the European Space Agency to support the Greek National Satellites Space Program led by the Hellenic Space Center. Founded in 2018, OroraTech, a Munich-based company, uses infrared data from satellites to provide wildfire intelligence to government and private industry customers.
“The capability OroraTech developed through the agency’s funding is a powerful example of space technologies providing immediate and critical benefits here on Earth”, comments the Director of Earth Observation Programmes at the European Space Agency Simonetta Cheli. “As the Ministry of Digital Governance and OroraTech build Greece’s thermal constellation, we at the European Space Agency continue providing our expertise as we build a safer and more resilient Europe”.
OroraTech’s data services will be directly connected to the Greek emergency services and employ the expertise of Greek universities and industry. The company partners with the National Technical University of Athens to develop data product algorithms, the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens on space sensor development and calibration initiatives, Satways Ltd. on product interoperability, and Attisat S.A. on building a Greek-based ground station.
“The world-class know-how of our Greek partners for thermal sensing is instrumental in providing the best solution for this country,” stated CEO and CTO Martin Langer of OroraTech. “Greece will be the first country worldwide to have a national satellite-based wildfire system in place."
OroraTech will significantly invest in Greece over the next years by opening an operations hub in Athens for its entire fleet of space sensors and a development team dedicated to advanced infrared sensing technology.
This project comes as Greece prepares for another hot summer with the threat of destructive wildfires. In recent years, Greece has experienced a significant number of wildfires that have affected approximately 2 percent of the country’s total land area. Because of its rough mountainous terrain and over 6,000 islands, fighting wildfires in Greece is difficult. Monitoring for fire in remote and mountainous areas, where communication is limited, calls for more advanced detection technologies.
For all media inquiries, please contact:
Dimitra Tsoukali
Communications Manager
Ministry of Digital Governance
d.tsoukali@mindigital.gr
+30 6943086101
Ninja Menning
Head of Newsroom and Media Relations
European Space Agency
ninja.menning@esa.int
+31 6 21437558
Zach Ricklefs
Content & Communications Manager
OroraTech
zach.ricklefs@ororatech.com
+49 5118894931
