D. Papastergiou: "Greece is moving from planning to action - We are taking advantage of the opportunities of space"

It is an indisputable fact that the project, which was carried out under the "umbrella" of the Ministry of Digital Governance, was implemented to produce solutions, leading the public administration, security and sustainable development of the country into a new era, which is being shaped through the systematic utilization of satellite data originating from the Greek space program. Already, two operational microsatellites are in the vastness of space, as well as three experimental-research microsatellites for technological demonstration, with the aim of testing new space technologies developed in Greece with the aim of strengthening the domestic industry. Now, through the systematic exploitation of satellite data, the country is entering a new era that promises significant benefits for citizens.

The Athens-Macedonian News Agency (APE-MPE) presents today the first photographs of the microsatellites: The first was taken on December 13, 2025 and depicts the port of Piraeus and Perama, while the second, high-resolution optical satellite image, has a semiotic character, since it has to do with the Belharra frigate "KIMON" (January 15, 2026) and its arrival in our country from France, in order to be integrated into the strength of the Greek Navy.

"The prospect of Greece's presence in space once seemed either a joke or a utopia. Fortunately, we have left those times behind us. Within just a month and a half of their launch, we have in our hands the first images of the satellites of the 'National Microsatellite Program'. This is a milestone that confirms that as a country we are moving from planning to practice and acquiring a substantial presence in space, with direct benefit for the state and the citizen. Beyond the enormous symbolic value of taking images of Greek territory from Greek satellites in space, it also has enormous practical value,” the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, told APE-MPA.

As he continued, “we will continuously receive critical data, which we will use to strengthen Public Administration, improve decision-making and formulate more effective policies in key sectors. For example, in the agricultural sector they contribute to ensuring transparency in aid, while offering valuable information to producers. In environmental protection, they allow continuous monitoring of forests, waters and protected areas. In civil protection, they contribute to timely prevention, rapid response and documented assessment of crises. In defense, they facilitate the surveillance of areas of interest. At the same time, they create new prospects for research, innovation and entrepreneurship. With resources from the Recovery Fund, we invest in cutting-edge technologies and exploit the opportunities that space offers us with the aim of development, security and a sustainable future for all.”

Greece is now in a new era in the field of digital and space infrastructure with the implementation of a single, central digital platform, which will collect and utilize data from all Greek and international satellites. This infrastructure will allow the transformation of information coming from space into immediately applicable policy tools, bringing about significant changes in the everyday lives of citizens.

The central infrastructure will function as the common operational core of the state, managing the collection, scheduling of acquisitions, storage and processing of satellite data. The creation of this platform allows all ministries and public services to have access to reliable and updated data, without the need for specialized technical knowledge. The central government hub will be located in Athens and will cooperate with the Hellenic Space Center, providing a single point of access to satellite services.

In practice, the country gains the ability to systematically map the entire territory, as well as to respond immediately to critical events. Optical, thermal and radar satellite data are combined to provide a day and night image, even in cloudy conditions. The existence of satellite constellations allows multiple shots within the same day throughout Greece, providing a continuous and updated image of the country. The data reaches the system in a minimum of time and is automatically converted into “ready-to-analyze” products, drastically reducing decision-making time.

The contribution to the agricultural sector is particularly crucial. Through the applications, the agricultural sector gains a reliable, objective tool for monitoring and documenting agricultural subsidies. Satellite data allows for the precise mapping of agricultural parcels, the confirmation of the type and extent of crops, as well as the identification of changes or deviations from producers' declarations. In this way, checks are carried out faster, more fairly and with less bureaucracy, while errors are significantly reduced. At the same time, farmers benefit from information on the health of their crops, irrigation needs and the effects of extreme weather events, reducing costs and increasing productivity.

In the field of the natural environment, the possibilities are equally decisive. The continuous monitoring of protected areas, the mapping and valuation of forests, the recording of changes in land use and the assessment of water status provide the competent agencies with a strong scientific basis for evidence-based policies. Natura areas are systematically monitored with optical, thermal and radar data, allowing for the early detection of pressures such as illegal interventions, changes in vegetation, drought or habitat degradation. At the same time, areas with high environmental pressure, such as coastal zones, tourist areas and forest ecosystems, are monitored on a continuous basis, so that the competent authorities can intervene before the impacts become irreversible. Climate change ceases to be an abstract concept and is transformed into measurable data.

The role in issues of civil protection and assessment of climate change is also decisive. The early detection of forest fires, the monitoring of their development, the identification of flooding phenomena and the assessment of damages are carried out in an automated manner, with data reaching directly to the Fire Department and competent authorities, allowing faster evacuations, better protection of property and documented assessment of damages. Thermal data allows the early detection of fire outbreaks, optical data allows the mapping of affected areas and radar data allows the recording of floods, even when there are clouds or darkness.

In the maritime area, Greece gains a complete picture of the entire Eastern Mediterranean. Through satellite data, it becomes possible to locate ships, vessels and objects of interest, enhancing border surveillance, migration flow management, navigation safety and the protection of critical infrastructure. More specifically, radar satellite data locates ships regardless of weather or time, while optical and thermal data contribute to the monitoring of pollution, sea heat waves and protected marine areas,

At the same time, defense and national security are substantially strengthened. Multi-sensory monitoring of areas of interest, the protection of critical installations and the ability to rapidly assess situations create a new level of strategic autonomy, with data remaining under national control and high cybersecurity standards.

Furthermore, the same infrastructure functions as a powerful lever for innovation and economic development. Research centers, universities and businesses gain access to high-value-added data sets, creating the conditions for the development of new applications, advanced digital services and solutions that utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning. These applications, through institutional procedures that will be announced in the near future, will be able to be commercially exploited at an international and global level. Moreover, satellite systems are not geographically limited only above Greece, but cover the entire planet, creating significant opportunities for extroversion, development and international competitiveness for Greek industry and the country's space and digital technology ecosystem.

In this way, Greece is building its digital "nervous system" from Space: a unified, smart and secure infrastructure that connects cutting-edge technology with the real needs of society, enhancing the resilience, efficiency of the state and the digital transformation of the country.