Satellite data: the possibilities and experiments with an application concerning the leisure economy

Nowadays companies, organisation and government need specific data about visitors to coordinate their strategies. Thus, there is a high demand in insights into numbers, distribution in time and space and other data. Today, we have satellite images at our disposal, but their application is limited and subject to availability. The advantage of satellite data is that time series are available, with which potential longitudinal analyses can be performed. Moreover, it concerns images (and therefore data) that represent the actual situation and are not user-dependent or can be influenced in any other way by interests. To be able to analyse images on a large scale and automatically, the use of the correct algorithms / deep learning methodologies is crucial.

By means of this project, we aim to investigate whether it is possible to use open-source satellite data to provide insight into information that is relevant and valuable for the leisure sector. This project will give us a picture of the technical possibilities and challenges as well as offer a basis for a better, more informed assessment of what a broader rollout could mean for the leisure economy.

The project is part of the Data & Development Lab in which CELTH cooperates with NBTC and CBS.