International Society for Digital Earth

The Launch Ceremony of the Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was successfully held in Beijing, China on November 21.

The Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE) is an independent non-profit research institute affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It is comprised of the previous China Remote Sensing Satellite Station, Airborne Remote Sensing Center and Digital Earth Science Lab of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is responsible for the provision of national service for the acquisition, processing, archiving and distribution of airborne and spaceborne remote sensing data. In partnership with other institutions, CEODE also engages in research on the scientific and technical development of geospatial information and Digital Earth.

Mr. Jiang Mianheng (the Vice President of CAS), Mr. Cao Jianlin (the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China), Mr. Sun Laiyan (the Vice Director of Commission of Science Technology and Industry for National Defense of China, the Director General of China National Space Administration) attended the conference and delivered speeches. The Academicians of CAS, Mr. Chen Shupeng, Mr. Xu Guanhua, and Mr. Ouyang Ziyuan, the representatives from UNESCO, CCRS of Canada, CRC.SI of Australia, ITC of the Netherlands, and Taylor & Francis, and many other distinguished experts and officials attended this conference congratulating the establishment of CEODE.

On the conference, there are two research centers announced to be established. They are the Earth Observation Capability Building Center (EOCBC) established by Chinese Academy of Sciences and Canadian Natural Resource Department and the Spatial Information Joint Research Center (SIJRC) established by China and Australia. Meanwhile, the plaque of the Editorial Office of the International Journal of Digital Earth (IJDE) which will be published jointly by the International Society for Digital Earth and Taylor & Francis Group was unveiled.