Author: Scanway
Publication date:
The Cooperation Agreement signed today at MSPO aims to create synergies among Polish companies in order to enhance their growth potential for the benefit of national security.
Kielce, September 3, 2024 – ICEYE Polska, the Polish subsidiary of ICEYE, a global leader in continuous Earth monitoring using SAR radar satellites, and Wrocław-based Scanway, a company specializing in state-of-the-art optical and imaging technologies for the space sector, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the design of high-resolution optical satellites for Polish users and, in the future, potentially also for global customers. The document was signed during the International Defense Industry Exhibition in Kielce by ICEYE’s CEO and co-founder, Rafał Modrzewski, and the CEO and founder of Scanway S.A., Jędrzej Kowalewski.
The new satellites are intended for defense purposes and will achieve an optical resolution of 50 cm, which is necessary for the accurate detection and identification of targets. They will complement ICEYE’s existing SAR systems, giving Polish customers access to comprehensive Earth observation data that combines the advantages of optical and radar systems.
ICEYE has selected Scanway as an experienced manufacturer of optical telescope systems that supplies its products to international customers for a wide range of missions. ICEYE has placed its trust in Scanway as an international company with experience in developing satellite systems weighing 150–200 kg. Both companies anticipate that additional partners may join the consortium over time.
– Currently, the military needs optical systems with a resolution of at least 50 cm. Such systems can be mounted on 150–200 kg satellites—the very type that ICEYE manufactures and operates. We have unique experience in building, launching, and operating satellites of this size, as we have already placed 38 of them in orbit. I am very pleased with the agreement with the Polish company Scanway, as our collaboration will contribute to enhancing Poland’s security. “—said Rafał Modrzewski, co-founder and CEO of ICEYE.”
– Providing customers with increasingly larger and more advanced optical instruments capable of imaging at a resolution of less than 1 meter is a strategic direction for Scanway’s development, and the opportunity to pursue this with a partner like ICEYE is a tremendous honor for us and opens up the potential to achieve natural synergies resulting from the combination of the strengths of optical and radar systems. Scanway’s integration into ICEYE’s existing and regularly expanding constellation also serves as a validation of our capabilities and a confirmation of the significant position we hold in the global market for satellite imaging providers. I am convinced that this announced collaboration will enable us to develop the advanced systems that Poland and Europe so urgently need – commented Jędrzej Kowalewski, founder and CEO of Scanway S.A.
ICEYE owns and operates the world’s largest constellation of satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and is a trusted partner to government agencies and businesses. ICEYE’s numerous SAR satellites—38 of which have already been launched into orbit—can revisit the same location on Earth up to several dozen times a day and capture radar imagery day and night, regardless of weather conditions. Enhancing the capabilities of SAR satellites with imaging reconnaissance satellites will expand their operational capabilities by enabling them to provide very high-resolution optical imagery.
Scanway’s expertise in providing advanced optical solutions and vision systems for industry is widely utilized around the world. Over the past few years, the company has carried out many important space missions, including the launch of the STAR VIBE satellite, which provided Scanway with flight heritage and continues to deliver high-quality images of Earth. In 2024, Scanway signed contracts to supply its optical systems for constellation-based projects, specifically for Nara Space of South Korea and Marble Imaging of Germany, with additional funding from the ESA. In addition, the Company is continuing the PIAST project, carried out for the Ministry of National Defense. On July 9 of this year, Scanway delivered a dual-camera optical suite that was successfully used during the maiden flight of Europe’s largest launch vehicle, the Ariane 6.
About ICEYE:
ICEYE provides unparalleled, continuous monitoring capabilities that enable the detection of and response to changes anywhere on Earth, faster and more accurately than ever before.
With the world’s largest constellation of Earth observation satellites equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), ICEYE provides objective data in near real time. This gives customers unique access to information they can use to take further action, day or night, even in challenging weather conditions. As a trusted partner to government agencies and industry, ICEYE provides data for sectors such as insurance, crisis management, security, maritime monitoring, and finance. This enables decision-making processes that contribute to community resilience and sustainable development.
ICEYE operates internationally, with offices in Finland, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It has over 700 employees, all inspired by a shared vision of improving lives by becoming the global source of truth in Earth observation.
Visit www.iceye.com and follow ICEYE on LinkedIn and X to stay up to date with the latest news.
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About Scanway:
Scanway is a Polish company operating in the field of observation technology and computer vision. The company develops and commercializes two business lines: products for the space sector (optical instruments for Earth observation and satellite self-diagnostics) and for the manufacturing industry (machine vision systems).
Scanway is the only company in Poland—and one of a dozen or so companies worldwide—to have developed a comprehensive technology for Earth observation and the self-diagnostics of satellites and spacecraft. The company offers complete systems based on its own proprietary algorithms for image processing and analysis. As part of the STAR VIBE mission in 2023, a satellite was launched carrying a imaging system and an optical telescope developed and manufactured in the company’s laboratories; thereby establishing flight heritage and delivering the best images from space ever obtained by Polish satellite instruments. The company is also a key consortium member in Poland’s largest space projects, including, among others, EagleEye and PIAST.
The Company also aims to apply space-based solutions in the manufacturing industry. Scanway provides technological solutions tailored to the needs of medium and large manufacturing plants, primarily in the area of quality control. In October 2023, Scanway made its debut on the NewConnect market. For more information, visit https://scanway.pl/ and https://scanway.space/
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