BBCSpace technology is to be harnessed to predict and monitor blue-green algae in Lough Neagh.
A Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) has been launched by the UK Space Agency to support the development of technology to observe, detect and predict the development and movement of algal blooms.
The £360,000 competition is funded by the Agency’s Unlocking Space for Government (USG) programme and is being run in collaboration with NI SPACE and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) and.
The Agency says it is “particularly interested” in solutions that combine terrestrial data and services that link AI and drones with satellite data and services, along with analysis.
Robert Hill, the NI SPACE Cluster Manager, said “satellites can give us a unique perspective and provide us with a rich layer of information to add to our existing knowledge and understanding of environmental ecosystems.
“This SBRI competition will help us to support public sector and business community interaction and collaboration to develop new products, services and solutions in relation to the blue-green algae issue.”
The announcement was welcomed by Environment Minister Andrew Muir, who said it would complement the work being undertaken in the Lough Neagh Action Plan which was approved by the Executive in July 2024.
And Economy Minister Conor Murphy said it would “encourage growth in the space sector and support sustainability.”
The technology will be applied to water bodies across Northern Ireland.
Three bidders will receive funding up to £120,000 each.