January 29, 2007

Successful conclusion to evaluation of Applied Remote Sensing Cluster

Between January 23 and 25, 2007, the scientific competence and strategic positioning of the institutes composing DLR’s Applied Remote Sensing Cluster were analyzed by an international group of evaluators seven years after its founding. Over three days, the 13 experts in the group, representing the scientific, public and private sectors, had an opportunity to inform themselves in some detail about the work of the cluster.

On the first day the evaluators toured the facilities of the Remote Sensing Technology Institute and the German Remote Sensing Data Center and were informed by the staff about the work being carried out there in general. On January 24 there were presentations in more depth taking the form of a public colloquium with both overall assessments and more specific technical reports.

At the end the evaluators presented their conclusions. With its combination, unique in Europe, of methodology and processor development, plus an expertise in ground segment design, information management and operations which has matured over many years, the cluster can be regarded as a “Center of Excellence.” It is predestined to function as a European operations and applications center for GMES. Its imminent participation in the national missions TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X and EnMap will, according to the evaluators, put the cluster along with other DLR institutes and partner organizations in a key position in earth observation also on the international level.

Cluster Evaluation
Impressions collected during the evaluation. From left to right: Dr. R. Haydn, Prof. P. Hoppe, Dr. G. Kohlhammer, Dr. W. Lengert, Dr. H. Reile (DLR-PD-W), Dr. Hans Windauer, Prof. J. Bogardi, Dr. E. Attema, Prof. R. Bamler (DLR-IMF), Prof. M. Schardt, Prof. S. Dech (DLR-DFD), Prof. K. Itten; Further evaluators: Prof. H.-B. Bähr, Prof. H. Graßl, Dr. K. Heller, Dr. F. Merkle.