CODE-DE Lab: Germany launches central cloud platform for satellite data

The German federal government is opening a new chapter in digital earth observation. With the launch of CODE-DE Lab, a central portal is now available that simplifies access to vast amounts of data from space. The platform is the result of a cooperation between the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV). It is intended to offer authorities, scientists, and companies a uniform infrastructure where they can find and directly process data from the European Copernicus missions, national earth observation data, and commercial satellite imagery in one place.

Previously, capacities were distributed across two systems. While the CODE-DE project primarily handled operational administrative tasks, EO-Lab focused on the scientific domain. With CODE-DE Lab, these worlds are being merged technically and organizationally. The BMV and BMFTR are jointly investing around 16 million euros in the concept, the implementation of which lies with the German Aerospace Agency at DLR.

For users, this primarily means an end to data silos: a single access point is sufficient to perform complex analyses. Users no longer have to laboriously download extensive data packages to local servers.

Bottleneck in Data Transmission

The platform's cloud-based architecture plays an important role here. Earth observation produces data volumes in the petabyte range, the transfer of which often becomes a bottleneck over conventional internet. CODE-DE Lab solves this problem by bringing computing power to the information – not the other way around. Users can execute their algorithms directly within the platform's cloud environment. Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) described the European Copernicus program as a global gold standard. By supplementing national missions and commercial data, a digital toolbox is being created that can help Germany solidify its position as a spacefaring nation and generate economic added value.

One focus is on the integration of Artificial Intelligence methods. In the pilot phase, researchers already used the cloud infrastructure to develop AI-based approaches for detecting forest damage or automatically identifying protected areas. The data is also used for monitoring critical infrastructure such as dams or analyzing floodplains.

Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) emphasizes the initiative's importance for resilient state infrastructure. Authorities are already intensively using the services for the atmosphere, climate, and oceans, for example, for environmental monitoring or to make the disbursement of agricultural subsidies more efficient.

Experienced Partners for Digital Public Services

A consortium is responsible for the realization. CloudFerro from Poland provides the infrastructure as well as data and processing services. The German company Urbetho CF is responsible for project management, support, and training. The partners were involved in previous projects, which is intended to ensure a seamless transition.

With the launch of CODE-DE Lab, the federal government is responding to the growing demand for precise real-time data in times of climate change and increased extreme weather events. Free access for authorized institutions is intended to lower the threshold for integrating satellite data into everyday work.

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