Podcasts shine light on Edinburgh’s space data strengths

The potential of Edinburgh to become the space data capital of Europe is the focus of a new podcast series by a Data-Driven Innovation Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr Murray Collins has teamed up with journalist Kim McAllister to examine the range of exciting work taking place in the city, from satellite data to space robots and even landing on comets.

In the series, professors, business leaders and students share insights from their work in space and satellite technology in Edinburgh and across the world, to reveal a compelling picture of why Scotland’s capital is on course to become the space data capital of Europe.

Dr Murray Collins, who leads the Bayes Centre’s space and satellite innovation programme, said: “Space and Satellites is one of 10 sectors which the University of Edinburgh is focussing on under its Data-Driven Innovation programme. As such, our University is rapidly becoming known as a Space University. However, for many people the subject conjurs up images of arcane technology and white lab coats. So I wanted to create a podcast that de-mystifies the work that we do across the University, and engages a broad range of listeners with a really exciting sector that is taking an increasingly important role in our lives, and in our economy.”

The series has launched with two episodes, looking at forestry data and space data.

Forests and space
Deforestation causes about 20% of carbon emissions – and it’s completely unnecessary. Murray and Kim talk to leading scientist Dr Ed Mitchard about his work mapping forests across the world using satellite data. Ed’s work is helping governments measure their efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and he has just won the contract to help train 50 new PhD students in this area.

Also in this episode, hear from mangrove specialist Ebuka Nwobi who first came to Edinburgh as a student on a government scholarship from Nigeria. He’s been practising his ceilidh dancing as well as working on a project to predict coffee yield in Brazil using satellite data.

Space data capital
Why does Edinburgh have the ambition of becoming Space Data Capital of Europe? The first episode in an eight-part series examines the space ecosystem in Edinburgh and its relationship with the rest of the world.

Kristina Tamane, Space Business Developer at the University of Edinburgh, discusses links between business and academia and Callum Norrie, Integrator of Space Network Scotland, describes designing the first LIDAR satellite to be owned by the European Space Agency.

Listen here to Edinburgh: Space Data Capital