a day ago
South Gyeongsang Province inks space tech deal with Finland's ICEYE
South Gyeongsang Province has signed an investment and business cooperation agreement with ICEYE, a Finnish global leader in synthetic aperture radar technology for small satellites, the province announced Thursday.
The agreement was formalized on Monday in Copenhagen, Denmark, during a visit by a delegation from the province led by Governor Park Wan-soo. South Gyeongsang Province is home to the nation's newly established space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration.
The partnership aims to support the province's growing aerospace industry by integrating ICEYE's advanced satellite capabilities. ICEYE operates the world's largest fleet of SAR satellites, which provide high-resolution Earth observation data — up to 25 centimeters — regardless of weather or lighting conditions. To date, the company has launched 48 satellites for both internal and client missions.
SAR technology, which uses radar to capture images of the Earth's surface, is effective for observation at night or through cloud cover. It is used across a range of sectors, including disaster monitoring, national defense and environmental surveillance.
Under the agreement, the two parties plan to explore joint initiatives such as partnerships with local companies, expanded use of satellite constellations, promotion of the satellite data industry and development of related talent.
'South Gyeongsang Province is the center of South Korea's aerospace industry, ranking first nationally, and this agreement with ICEYE will serve as a turning point for expanding our aerospace industry into the global market,' Governor Park said. 'The province will provide full support to ensure successful cooperation between the two parties.'
