The Space Research Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine, in collaboration with the Department of Mathematical Modeling and Data Analysis (MMDA) and a consortium of researchers from UCLouvain (Belgium), have won a European Space Agency (ESA) tender for the project “Agricultural and Ecological Monitoring Services for Ukraine – EXPRO PLUS.”
The project aims to improve Ukraine’s agricultural statistics using satellite data and to adapt European approaches to the needs of Ukrainian government institutions.
A key tool in this initiative will be Sen4Stat—a European system designed to utilize satellite data for agricultural statistics, specifically for crop classification and the estimation of crop areas. Within the framework of the project, the system will be adapted to Ukrainian conditions, user requirements, and national statistical processes.
The team’s primary tasks include:
– Identifying user needs, use cases, and requirements for the future service, in cooperation with the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine;
– Organizing roundtables, working meetings, and consultations with Ukrainian stakeholders to co-design the system;
– Collecting and harmonizing satellite and ground-based data, drawing on both long-term historical field data and information from ongoing initiatives in Ukraine;
– Adapting and expanding Sen4Stat for the Ukrainian context, including the development of a user-friendly interface and necessary additional components;
– Testing and validating the service together with end-users, and preparing recommendations for its continued application within the operational workflows of Ukrainian institutions. A key feature of the project is its co-design approach, which involves government institutions not only in defining initial requirements but also in testing and refining the service throughout the project’s duration.
European experts from UCLouvain—who have experience implementing Sen4Stat in EU countries—will also participate, allowing for the integration of Ukrainian experience and needs with established European practices.
The project will span 18 months, with a total budget of 200,000 euros.
This project represents a significant step toward developing a modern agricultural statistics system for Ukraine based on satellite data, strengthening collaboration between the scientific community and government institutions, and aligning Ukrainian practices with European Union standards and approaches.
The first meeting with representatives from the State Statistics Service to discuss the project took place on September 15, 2026, at KPI.