O I RSPSOC remote sensing & photogrammetry society Annual Review April 2023- March 2024 ## **Objective of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society** To advance the education of its members and the public in the many fields of remote sensing and photogrammetry and to promote the benefits to be derived from their application. ## **Governing Instrument** Memorandum and Articles of Association ## **Company Type** Private company limited by guarantee without share capital ## **Incorporated** 12 July 1979 ## **Office Address** The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society School of Geography University of Nottingham University Park Nottingham NG7 2RD United Kingdom ## **Reporting Accountant** TCP Chartered Accountants 10 The Triangle NG2 Business Park Nottingham NG2 1AE Charity No: 292647 Company No: 01436807 © The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society 2024 The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society ## **Report of the Trustees of the Society** April 2023 – March 2024 RSPSoc Trustees N Bachiller-Jareño, M Foote, N Galiatsatos, A Novellino, S Pike, M Smye-Rumsby, M Warren, M Williams and W Xiao ## **Contents** Forward by the President of the Society .......................................................................................... 1 Message from the Chairman .......................................................................................................... 2 Council Membership ...................................................................................................................... 4 Report of the Honorary Treasurer .................................................................................................... 5 Awards & Professional Standards Committee ................................................................................. 6 Education and Training Committee ................................................................................................. 9 External Affairs Committee .......................................................................................................... 10 Publicity and Communications Committee ................................................................................... 12 Publications Committee .............................................................................................................. 15 Conference Committee ............................................................................................................... 16 Wavelength Representative .......................................................................................................... 18 Special Interest Groups ................................................................................................................ 19 Annex 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Annex 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 21 Annex 3 ....................................................................................................................................... 24 Annex 4 ....................................................................................................................................... 37 Annex 5 ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Annex 6 ....................................................................................................................................... 39 ## **Forward by the President of the Society** ## **Professor Sir Paul Curran** Our Society continues to thrive, thanks to the leadership of an active and engaged Council. I would like to thank Martin Smye-Rumsby (Chair), Dr Meredith Williams (Honorary General Secretary), Samuel Pike (Honorary Treasurer) and seven dedicated Council members (Trustees) for the huge amount of time and enthusiastic effort they put into ensuring the smooth running of our Society. Thanks also to eleven colleagues who attend Council meetings, to offer their skills and insights or to report as an editor or event organiser, and four Special Interest Group chairs who provide an application focus that is so valued by members. A highpoint in the Society’s calendar is our Annual Conference. In 2023 we held a highly successful one day conference at the British Geological Survey in Keyworth. In addition to the usual array of interesting spoken, poster and keynote sessions there was a memorable evening reception at the iconic Canalhouse in downtown Nottingham. This year our larger and longer Annual Conference is organised jointly with the National Centre for Earth Observation, the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation and the Satellite Applications Catapult at the National Stem Centre in York. Our conference will have a recognisably pre-pandemic format with plenty of time for discussion and a Gala Dinner on the final evening. I look forward to seeing you in September. Learned Societies, such as ours, have been under considerable financial pressure for more than a decade. As a result, they have been looking to better match their income with their costs, seek efficiencies wherever they can, and enhance their services for members. I am aware that our Council have been grappling with this financial challenge over the past year and I certainly look forward to hearing their recommendations at September’s AGM. Over the past year a considerable head of steam has been building around an initiative to ensure that the UK and London emerges as the global centre for space finance. A market that is forecast to reach around $1tn by 2040. The strength of UK financial markets, rapidly declining satellite launch costs, increasing availability of remotely sensed data and rapid developments in big data and AI have been among the important stimulants for this initiative. However, it is the experience gained from turning the City of London into a global centre for both Fintech and space insurance and the potential to gain competitive advantage in space regulation, that has driven much of the recent interest in space finance. It has been good to see an increasing realisation that not all space investments are high risk and the emergence of a compelling initiative that could harness a significant level of investment for our sector without reliance on the state. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to our fourteen generous corporate sponsors. They work in partnership with the Society and their support is much appreciated. It remains, as ever, a great honour and privilege to be the President of our Society. 1 ## **Message from the Chairman** ## **Martin Smye-Rumsby** efforts of Dr Kay Smith) and is detailed elsewhere in this annual review. It is an absolute privilege to provide you with my first annual review as Chairman of the Society, having been voted into office at the September 2023 annual general meeting, halfway through the reporting period for this annual review. Thank you for your vote of trust. I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Dr Kay Smith, who not only successfully led the Society through the COVID-19 pandemic during her term but gave so much time and effort to continue our development and reform. Kay has been involved with the Society for many years and is the archetype of our dedicated members. Similarly, the Society held a very popular Wavelength Conference 25-26 March 2024 at the University of Worcester which had delegates from across the UK. I was honoured to be asked to speak with our early career delegates about the Society and the impact of our exciting technical disciplines. A full report is provided in this review’s Wavelength section. My sincere thanks to Amritha Nair, Amelia Andrews, and Samuel Valman for their sterling organising efforts. I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to our stalwart staff, Rachel Hopkins (Executive Secretary) and Uta Feinstein (Office Administrator) for all their continued efforts during the reporting period. Since taking office, Rachel and Uta have hosted me during several visits to the RSPSoc office within the Sir Clive Granger Building at University of Nottingham to better understand their work. Rachel has kindly facilitated meetings at Nottingham with both Dr Matt Jones, Head of the School of Geography and Elaine Watts, Chair of the Membership Committee, British Cartographic Society. These engagements have helped me to better understand our Society’s operating context and the experience of other, similar, Learned Societies. At the time of writing, preparations are well underway for the UK Earth Observation Conference 10-12 September 2024 to be held at the National STEM Centre in York. This conference is being jointly organised with the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) and the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI), a great opportunity to strengthen our links across the community. As detailed elsewhere in the review, the Society launched an exciting new outreach initiative called _The Illumination Series_ at the Nottingham Geospatial Institute. The event featured a fascinating presentation about Quantum Gravity Sensing from Diviya Devani who worked on the ground-breaking CASPA space mission. Gratitude too is also due to my fellow members of the Executive Committee and Council. Without the dedication and effort of our volunteer Trustees, the Society would not be able to function and provide our community with the benefits and leadership it enjoys. Our Honorary General Secretary Dr Meredith Williams, in particular, has undertaken a _tremendous_ amount of work to organise the 2024 annual conference. The main focus of my term in office thus far has been to start addressing the significant headwinds that the Society is facing given changes in its external operating environment. A confluence of factors (including loss of journal royalties) has resulted in the Society posting an annual deficit for the fourth year in a row. Whilst the Society is a registered charity, it is also a non-profit limited company. In short, if the Society does not embark on a fundamental reform of our structure, systems, and processes then it will no longer be viable The Annual Conference was held 5-6 September 2023 at the fantastic British Geological Society (BGS) Keyworth Facility in Nottinghamshire (thanks to the 2 and, with the latest annual deficit at over £70,000, will likely close within the next 5 years. I appreciate that this may be sobering reading however I wish to assure you of my commitment to placing the Society onto a new path towards its 75[th] anniversary in 2027 and onwards to a centenary. **My aim is to conclude my term in office having returned the Society to an annual surplus on a sustainable basis.** We have already started work on our transformation journey, quickly commissioning a specialist contractor from a membership sector agency called Membership Bespoke in November 2023 for 4 months to review our membership systems and processes. The contractor produced a report with a series of recommendations, such as adopting modern tools and utilising Gift Aid to increase revenue from membership subscriptions. We are fortunate, as detailed in the Treasurer’s report, to have a significant financial reserve that we can use to invest in both our Society’s systems and our membership offer to you, our fellow members. The time to invest is now, and I anticipate providing an update at the Society’s annual general meeting during the UK Earth Observation Conference in September 2024. As ever, it behoves me as Chair to remind members of the personal and professional benefits that serving on Council and the Society’s committees can bring. Volunteering is a great way of developing new skills, knowledge and experiences in a supportive environment. If there is a particular technical or business area of practice that you are thinking about moving into, the Society allows you to do so before making a significant professional ‘leap’. On a personal level, volunteering fosters new connections with those you may not necessarily meet in your current context. Finally, I commend this annual review to you. Please do take some time to read about the wonderful efforts of our staff and volunteers. My thanks to them all. 3 ## **Council Membership** ## **Meredith Williams** The 2023-24 reporting period was another busy year for Council, who switched from all-day quarterly meetings to short monthly online meetings with targeted agendas to ensure more agile operation of council and overcome scheduling issues. The online meetings covered a broad range of topics, with a focus on how the Society needs to evolve in the face of rapidly changing commercial, governmental and academic environments for remote sensing and photogrammetry, and the evolving business plan to ensure long-term financial viability for the society. The 2023 annual conference went ahead as a financially successful stand-alone event at the British Geological Survey headquarters, Keyworth. Plans are well underway for the 2024 annual conference which, as in 2022, will be a joint conference with NCEO, CEOI and the Satellite Applications Catapult. The 2023 AGM was held during the RSPSoc2023 annual conference. There was only one new election to council during the reporting period, Mark Warren from Plymouth Marine laboratory. Fleur Visser, Chair of the Education & Training Committee, stepped down from council on completion of her second term. Council would like to thank Fleur for the excellent job she has done in this role. Alessandro Novellino has taken over as E&T Committee Chair. Both the 2023 and 2024 Wavelength conferences fell within the 2023-24 reporting period, at University of Southampton and University of Worcester, respectively. Thanks go to the Wavelength representatives who organised these events, Yanna Fidai and Amritha Nair respectively. The Wavelength series, now in its 11th year, continues to grow from strength to strength, with shadow representatives in place for the next 2 years, the 2025 event being in the hands of Samuel Valman at University of Nottingham. September 2023 also saw a change of society Chair. Kay Smith completed her 3-year term and handed over the reins to the former Vice-Chair Martin SmyeRumsby, who now has the task of leading RSPSoc through the challenging financial environment that lies ahead. On behalf of council I would like to thank Kay for her steadfast service that went well beyond the usual remit of the chair role and involved considerable inputs to the Conference and External Affairs committees, in addition to maintaining the website. As ever, on behalf of Council and the Society, the Honorary General Secretary will take this opportunity to thank the RSPSoc Office staff, Rachel Hopkins and Uta Feinstein, for their great work, running things efficiently and smoothly, and keeping us all on track throughout the year. At the end of the reporting period the Society’s ExOfficio Officers (as elected by Council each year) were Martin Smye-Rumsby ( _Chair_ ), Sam Pike ( _Honorary Treasurer_ ) and Meredith Williams ( _Honorary General Secretary_ ). The Vice-Chair post is vacant at the time of writing and a replacement is being sought. On behalf of the Society and its members, I take this opportunity to collectively thank all Council members (those in post, as well as those stepping down and up). 4 ## **Report of the Honorary Treasurer** ## **Samuel Pike** It is noted that there is a deficit this year; an action plan is underway to address this. For the fiscal year ending 31 March 2024, the society's total income was £50,684, a decrease from £53,037 in the previous year. Total expenditure was £122,857, reflecting an increase of £6,646 or 5.7% from £116,211 in 2023. The society ended the year with a deficit of £72,173, compared to a deficit of £63,174 in the previous year. Income from subscriptions saw a small decline, falling from £25,299 in 2023 to £24,182 in 2024, a reduction of £1,117 or 4.4%. Royalties decreased from £5,977 in 2023 to £39 in 2024, as there was no surplus available for distribution. Conference income increased from £345 in 2023 to £6,565 in 2024, reflecting the success of the Nottingham event. Revenue from "The Record" publication decreased, from £8,587 in 2023 to £192 in 2024, a drop of £8,395 or 97.8%. This change is due to the ending of honorarium payments from the publisher, which previously involved RSPSoc receiving payments as an interim before immediately paying the editors. This process has been simplified and no longer involves the Society, hence the decline in both income and expenditure for "The Record." Costs associated with raising funds increased from £2,216 in 2023 to £5,742 in 2024, mostly attributed to the increased efforts in organising our own conference which saw a rise from £351 in 2023 to £3,529 in 2024 — aligning with the increased conference income. Expenditures related to other trading activities, such as our publications, decreased significantly from £14,205 in 2023 to £2,815 in 2024, a reduction of £11,390 or 80.2%, mostly attributed to the cessation of honorarium payments. Governance costs, which constitute a major part of our expenses, rose from £98,901 in 2023 to £113,621 in 2024. The largest expenses, Staff and centre costs, increased from £80,235 to £84,354, which is roughly in line with inflation. Legal and professional fees increased from £2,018 in 2023 to £6,216 in 2024, due to the short-term hiring of a Membership Development Officer. Additionally, irrecoverable VAT increased from £14,966 in 2023 to £20,490 in 2024, a rise of £5,524, indicating higher non-claimable tax expenses. It is important to note that 2024 was the last year in which we were registered for VAT. The financial performance of the Learned Society for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2024, reflects both challenges and opportunities. By focusing on enhancing revenue, controlling expenditure, and implementing strategic financial planning, the society can improve its financial health and continue to support its mission effectively. The board remains committed to addressing the current deficit and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the society. As of 31 March 2024, The Society's fixed assets of investments increased from £179,324 in 2023 to £195,555 in 2024. Cash at bank, however, decreased from £339,422 in 2023 to £262,796 in 2024. Our net assets, which represent the difference between the current assets and our liabilities, declined from £506,043 in 2023 to £450,101 in 2024. Of this our unrestricted funds decreased from £553,631 in 2023 to £421,268 in 2024. Restricted funds decreased by £1,000 for the Bill Barlow Award, and now stands at £28,833. 5 ## **Awards & Professional Standards Committee** ## **Wen Xiao** The Society’s awards are given either in recognition of the contribution made to the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry disciplines by their recipients, or to recognise younger professionals with potential to make significant contributions to those disciplines. Below is a list of award recipients for the reporting period April 2023 to March 2024. They were awarded at the Annual Conference 5-6 September 2023 . Contributions to the fields of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing are also recognised in the awards for the best contributions to the Society’s three journals, the Len Curtis Award (International Journal of Remote Sensing), the E H Thompson Award (The Photogrammetric Record) and the Arthur Cracknell Award (Remote Sensing Letters). The successes and contributions of younger professionals in the Society are celebrated through the various student awards. This year a number of very strong theses were submitted for consideration by the Awards Committee. Applications for Student Travel Bursaries still remain at a low level, whereas the newly established Bill Barlow Award has received considerable attention and applications. ## **Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society Award** For ‘services to Remote Sensing and/or Photogrammetry’ through sustained and distinguished contributions to furthering the science and applications which use remote sensing or photogrammetry. The terms of the award state that it is to be awarded on an occasional basis and never more than once in any year. This award consists of a suitably inscribed Gold Medal and Honorary Membership of the Society for Life. This year The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society Award is presented to **Doreen Boyd** . ## **Founder’s Award** An award that is conferred upon those who have made significant, original and personal contributions to the Society. Recipients of the Founder’s Award should not be currently serving as Officers or Trustees of the Society. Awarded occasionally by resolution of Council and not more than once in any one year. This award consists of a Silver medal and a cheque for £250. The Founder’s Award has not been awarded this year. ## **Business Innovation Award** The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society’s new award is to be presented at the society’s Annual Conference focused on the commercial exploitation of Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry. Entitled the ‘Business Innovation Award’, the award has been created to recognize the leading technologies, products and services the society’s corporate company and individual members are delivering to users across di ff erent market sectors. The Business Innovation Award is awarded to The **Living England** project, led by Natural England. It is a multi-year programme delivering a satellitederived national map of England’s diverse habitats. The habitat map utilises satellite imagery and field data from both recent & historical surveys, to first derive an object-based framework from the imagery, creating boundaries around areas of homogenous habitat in the landscape, and then assign likely habitat classes through machine learning models. In March 2022, the project published its Phase IV national habitat probability map, describing the location and extent of broad scale habitats across England with an average accuracy of 88%. This is released under an Open Government License (OGL), allowing environmental practitioners and decision makers open use of this important dataset. 6 ## **Len Curtis Award** For an outstanding technical paper published in the International Journal of Remote Sensing (IJRS) during the preceding calendar year. It consists of a certificate and books to the value of £200 sponsored by Taylor and Francis. Nominations are considered by the Awards & Professional Standards Committee, and the award is confirmed by Council. Awarded to: **Jing Guo (Guo; Zhu; Gong).** A global forest reference set with time series annual change information from 2000 to 2020. International Journal of Remote Sensing 2022. ## **Arthur Cracknell Award** Awarded for the best letter published in the Remote Sensing Letters publication during the previous calendar year. The award winner receives a certificate and one year’s free subscription to the IJRS/RSL or a £100 book token. The award is sponsored by Taylor and Francis. Nominations are considered by the Awards & Professional Standards Committee, and the award is confirmed by Council. Awarded to: **Dan Runfola (D. Runfola, A. Stefanidis & H. Baier),** Using satellite data and deep learning to estimate educational outcomes in data-sparse environments, published in Remote Sensing Letters 2022. ## **E H Thompson Award** Awarded to the author of the paper in The Photogrammetric Record which most merits the award. The award will be made primarily for the originality of the content and the value of the paper to photogrammetry. It will be made from all those eligible papers published in the one-year period up to and including April of the year in which the award is to be made. The award usually takes the form of a certificate and £100. Nominations are considered by the Awards and Professional Standards Committee, and the award is confirmed by Council. Awarded to: **Shuo Zhang, Song Peng, Yunjia Wu, Bo Wen, Jianli Zhang, Yang Jia, Shaochuang Liu, Chen Qi, Youqing Ma, Yongzhe Yan, Hao Li,** Positioning Accuracy of the Zhurong Mars Rover’s Hand Eye System DOI’ , The Photogrammetric Record, 2022. ## **Bill Barlow Award** The Bill Barlow Award is newly established to support the cost of non-conference-related activities in the fields of Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry, Earth Observation and other related disciplines, as undertaken by a student. These activities could include (but are not limited to) data purchase, fieldwork expenses and/or equipment, and support for overseas exchange or internship. Awarded to: **Amritha Nair** at University of Worcester, to cover PhD fieldwork at the ECOSPHERE research laboratory at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. ## **Student Awards** The Society makes two student awards annually for the best Doctoral and Masters Theses, on the subjects of remote sensing and/or photogrammetry, accepted by a university during the previous calendar year. The submission of the theses should be made by the student’s supervisor, who is required to write a supporting letter. The thesis should be submitted in a softcopy format where possible. The Doctoral award is restricted to student members of the Society, and the award comprises a certificate and cheque for £500. The Masters award is open to any student who submits a thesis on the subject of remote sensing and/or photogrammetry, and the award comprises a certificate, a cheque for £250 and one year concessionary membership of the Society. ## **PhD Award** **Yu Tao (University College London),** ‘On Martian Surface Exploration: Development of Automated 3D Reconstruction and Super-Resolution Restoration Techniques for Mars Orbital Images’. 7 ## **MSc Award** **Roy Yuen (University College London),** ‘Potential of Consumer-Grade Cameras and Photogrammetric Guidelines for Subsurface Utility Mapping’ . ## **President’s Cup** The President’s Cup is awarded for the best oral presentation, not including keynote addresses or invited lectures, made at the Society’s Annual Conference. The award is determined by a combination of a secret ballot of conference attendees and chairs of the sessions at the annual conference. The award is in the form of a certificate and the engraving of the winner’s name on the President’s Cup trophy. The award is presented at the next year’s conference. So, the 2023 award will be presented at the UK Earth Observation Conference 1012 September 2024. The award is a certificate and £150 prize. Sponsored by MDPI and Whittles who also provide books to the winners. The award is presented at the next year’s conference. So, the 2023 award will be presented at the UK Earth Observation Conference 10-12 September 2024. The award was awarded at RSPSoc2023 to **Peppin, Nicholas** and **Teeuw, Richard** (University of Portsmouth, UK) for their work on ‘Long-term vegetation trends and driving factors of NDVI change on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Khalefa, Ehsan’. ## **Professional Membership** FRSPSoc Samuel Pike AFRSPSoc Toby Merritt ## **Travel Bursaries** The President’s Cup was awarded at RSPSoc2023 to **Akbari, Vahid; A Pirbasti, Mehran; Savitri, Maharaj; Marino, Armando; Bhomwik, Deepayan** , for their presentation entitled “Machine Learning-Based Detection and Mapping of Water Hyacinth Growth Cycles in Anzali International Wetland using Sentinel2 time series.” ## **Poster Paper Award** For the best poster paper displayed at the Annual Conference of the Society as judged by the Awards and Professional Standards Committee. Awarded for travel that supports the aims of the Society, especially towards part of the costs of student and early career members of the Society presenting papers at international conferences or carrying out fieldworks. One application was received and awarded to **Ms. Di Xu** from Imperial College London to attend AGU 2023. The Society is encouraging early career members to take advantage of this award for their travels. . 8 ## **Education and Training Committee** ## **Alessandro Novellino** We started the career webinar series. The aim is to have national/international speakers from different sectors (academia, industry, government) to talk about their work and, most importantly, how their career path developed. The rationale behind this activity is to provide the audience with the opportunity to learn about different career options in EO, ask questions, and network with experts. It is an invaluable resource for students and young professionals considering their future career options. At the moment we had two 1 hr sessions with an invited speaker (April and May) with ~10 attendees each mainly because it was restricted to RSPSoc members only. We are therefore planning to reformat these events from September 2024. The idea is to launch them as podcasts which will be displayed on YouTube towards a much wider audience and that we can use to advertise other RSPSoc events and activities. We have therefore created a Google Sheet for all the members to propose names of potential speakers we can invite. The intention is to have a fortnightly occurrence for these podcasts. 9 ## **External Affairs Committee** ## **Martin Smye-Rumsby** The purpose of the External Affairs Committee is to strengthen existing links and to build new links with relevant groups, societies or organisations with a similar focus on remote sensing or photogrammetry. RSPSoc is represented on the Earth Observation Advisory Committee (EOAC) to the UK Space Agency (UKSA), European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories (EARSeL) Council, International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) UK Sub-Committee, and the UKGeoForum. It also engages with government bodies such as the Geospatial Commission. ## **UK Space Agency (UKSA)** I met with Dr Beth Greenaway, Head of Earth Observation & Climate, at the UK Copernicus Information Day on 16 Jan 24 at the ESA Conference Centre, ECSAT on the Harwell Campus. The event comprised of: an overview of the status of Copernicus; information on the Expansion and Next Generation Sentinels; upcoming procurement opportunities; and details on specific procurement procedures. It was noted during my discussion with Dr Greenaway that the UK is chairing the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) during 2025. CEOS ensures international coordination of civil space-based Earth observation programs and promotes exchange of data to optimise societal benefit and inform decision-making for securing a prosperous and sustainable future for humankind. Aside from ensuring that CEOS delivers upon the work plan, the UK’s term as chair will also include a focus on human capital and ‘inspiring the next generation’ of specialists working in Earth observation. This is something that the Society is clearly well-placed to support. The 39[th] CEOS Plenary will be held in Bath 4- 6 Nov 25 and the committee will make best efforts to ensure that members have an opportunity to become involved. UKSA to help ensure that the UK official delegations to ESA are able to understand the perspective of the UK Earth Observation ecosystem. These are very interesting, and potentially impactful opportunities for members to influence flagship space missions for Earth Observation. UK Pre-meet ESA Data, Operations, Science and Technical Advisory Group (DOSTAG) UK Pre-meet ESA Programme Board for Earth Observation (PB-EO) UKSA Earth Observation Advisory Council (EOAC) ## **UK Geospatial Commission** I met with Stephen Thorp (Head of Remote Sensing at the Geospatial Commission) during the Defence Geospatial International (DGI) conference in London 11-13 Mar 24. I sought to understand how RSPSoc can help the Geospatial Commission to ensure that the UK has the necessary human capital to maximise the societal and economic benefits of remote sensing and photogrammetry. This meeting has led to follow-on discussions which the Society expects to report in the next annual review. Defence Geospatial Intelligence (DGI) 2024 Credit: NATO Communications and Information Agency The Society has also been invited throughout the reporting period to contribute to the following fora by 10 ## **UKspace** UKspace is the space sector trade association in the UK. On behalf of UK Earth Observation Conference Organising Committee, I provided a briefing on 18 Apr 24 to the UKspace Earth Observation Committee to promote the event and encourage companies to signup for supporter packages. This is a fairly new relationship for the Society and one which would benefit from further exploration during the next reporting period. ## **European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories (EARSeL)** I attended the 2023 annual meeting of Council held in Bucharest, Romania on 4 Jul 23 – participating online. The Council meeting was held at the same time as the 42[nd] EARSeL Symposium, also in Bucharest. A key development of interest to the Society was the election of Dr Elias Symeonakis, Reader in Earth Observation and GIS at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), as the new UK National Representative. In addition, it was confirmed that the 43[rd] EARSeL Symposium and 47[th] EARSeL General Assembly would be held in Manchester 17 – 20 Jun 24. Unfortunately, owing to resource constraints, the committee was not able to attend the 2024 symposium however it is anticipated that participation may be possible for future events. ## **International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)** The reporting period has not seen a significant level of activity to report with regards to the Society’s role as the UK Ordinary Member, in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineers (CICES), and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Several individuals who have been long-standing stewards of the RSPSoc / ISPRS relationship are relinquishing their roles. Consequently, there is a need to re-engage during the next reporting period to ensure that the Society is benefiting from a relationship which has high potential for mutual benefit. ## **Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS)** On 4 Aug 23, I held an exploratory online meeting with Dr Prakash Chauhan, President of ISRS, and Dr Praveen Kumar Thakur, Head of Department at the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS). The purpose of this exchange was to open a dialogue between RSPSoc and ISRS, and to begin understanding whether it might be possible to collaborate for mutual benefit. ## **British Association of Remote Sensing Companies (BARSC)** I had an online meeting with Alistair Maclenan, Chairman of BARSC, on 4 Dec 23 to understand how the Society and BARSC might work together without causing any mutual difficulty. For example, RSPSoc has corporate members that may also be BARSC corporate members. Since this meeting, BARSC has invested in its website and appears to be more active than in previous years. The Society therefore still needs to consider during the next reporting period how best to work with BARSC for mutual benefit. ## **British Cartographic Society (BCS)** Rachel Hopkins kindly arranged a meeting with Elaine Watts, the Chair of the BCS Membership Committee, on 1 Nov 23 at the School of Geography, University of Nottingham. The BCS is, in many ways, not too dissimilar as a Learned Society to RSPSoc. Elaine kindly provided a briefing about the BCS and how it operates. This has provided useful context given that RSPSoc will need to consider its own operational structure and processes going forwards. . 11 ## **Publicity and Communications Committee** ## **Martin Smye-Rumsby** The Publicity and Communications Committee (PCC) has continued to oversee the growth of our online presence during the reporting period. This has primarily been driven through the LinkedIn social media platform. ## **Social Media** The Society now has over 30,000 followers on LinkedIn, having gained about 5,000 over the reporting year. Our total followership is more than either the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) or the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). However, it is about 10% of the more than 300,000 followers that the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors enjoys and so we have some way to go! Annual conference 2023 poster Regular LinkedIn posting of useful information such as sector developments, employment opportunities, events, courses etc. allows the Society to fulfil its charitable mission to inform and educate the public both in the UK and around the world. A significant number of new followers are located in India which, given the existence of the vibrant Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS) and thriving Indian Earth observation ecosystem, is certainly rather interesting. Discerning this type of insight using the platform’s analytics is very useful and provides decision-support information. For example, one of the reasons that the External Affairs Committee engaged with the ISRS (see separate section) is that we have this large followership in India. There is much more that the Society can do using LinkedIn to deliver upon its charitable mission which we will attempt to action during the forthcoming year. For example, IEEE GRSS have a great feature in the form of an ‘article of the week’ post showcasing papers from their magazine. We have 3 affiliated journals with an abundance of material to regularly share with the general public. As ever, the voluntary basis of our organisation means that our aspirations often outmatch our capacity to execute. If members have a strong view on how the Society is, or should be, using social media please do contact office@rspsoc.org.uk with your thoughts. For example, the Society does have a profile on X, however it does not feature nearly as much content as that on LinkedIn. Also it might be that, despite some concern about data privacy, the Society should open an account on TikTok if some of our target membership demographic are users. ## **Website** Aside from social media, our venerable website has continued to provide the official online presence of the Society. The previous Chair, Dr Kay Smith, did a 12 wonderful job negotiating the tricky content management system to keep the website updated. Revamping the website to be in keeping with modern design sensibilities, as well as to ensure ease of editing, is an aspiration of the committee during the next reporting period. ## **Event Marketing** Continuing our efforts to ensure that the Society is marketing in contemporary fashion, we have availed ourselves of a non-profit license for the Canva graphic design web service. Developing something of a ‘house style’, we have managed to reduce the effort to make visually compelling marketing collateral that can be both in digital and hardcopy format. A couple of examples are included in this section which seemed to be well received when posted on the Society’s LinkedIn page. One such event that utilised these contemporary communication techniques was the Society’s new outreach & education initiative - _The Illumination Series_ . Designed to be a core activity for the Society, which provides value to members and the public alike, the success of the initiative as a networking event of course depended upon attendance levels, and The Illumination Series poster The Illumination Series event registration page on www.trybooking.com 13 SENSED Front Cover January 2024 therefore building awareness. This was achieved using a new event management provider, _trybooking_ . A screenshot of the event registration page (taken afterwards) is included here to give a sense of how the Society has publicised so far. ## **SENSED** The Society has continued to publish the SENSED quarterly digital magazine, bringing a broad and varied offering of articles about all things remote sensing and photogrammetry to our members and public. I am extraordinarily grateful for the considerable efforts of our Editors James O’Connor and Chris Lavers, and our Executive Secretary Rachel Hopkins which have ensured that the magazine has been able to be published on a regular basis. After sending to our members first, SENSED is subsequently published on our website for the general public after a grace period of a few months. Given that SENSED is a publication (not an academic journal of course though still a digital magazine), it might be that it is covered in the _Publications Committee_ section of the Annual Review in future. . 14 ## **Publications Committee** ## **Nikolaos Galiatsatos** The Publications Committee is responsible for ‘developing and coordinating the Society’s publications’. It is chaired by Nikolaos Galiatsatos. Also on the Publications Committee are Kevin Tansey (Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Remote Sensing), Costas Varotsos (Editor-in-Chief, Remote Sensing Letters), Yongjun Zhang and Debra F. Laefer (Co-Editors-in-Chief, The Photogrammetric Record), Rachel Hopkins (in attendance), Eilish Richards (Journal Publishing Manager, The Photogrammetric Record) and Samuel Pike (RSPSoc Honorary Treasurer). The committee liaises with our publishing partners – Wiley (The Photogrammetric Record), and Taylor and Francis (International Journal of Remote Sensing, Remote Sensing Letters). International Journal of Remote Sensing (IJRS) and Remote Sensing Letters (RSL) (published by Taylor & Francis). Submissions to IJRS have kept a steady flow and the number of published articles remains high (425 in 2021, 310 in 2022 [SCImago]). The upward trend on Open Access articles has increased expectations (6% in 2021, 15% in 2022), so a plateau may take place next year. The impact factor slightly dropped from 3.151 (2021) to 3 (2022) [Web of Science group], or 3.5 (2021) to 3.4 (2022) [Scopus]. Similar patterns appear in RSL. Submissions are increased and the number of published articles remains high (120 in 2020, 120 in 2022). The Open Access articles have also increased (4% in 2021, 6% in 2022) with a prediction to increase further. However, the impact factor dropped a bit from 2.58 (2021) to 2.3 (2022). Photogrammetric Record (PhoR) (published by Wiley). Slight drop in the impact factor from 2.618 (2021) to 2.4 (2022), but still at a higher level than previous years. The journal is a key asset to the Society, maintaining a distinct focus on contributions in Photogrammetry, alongside a reputation for high quality papers. The Editorial teams, and the Society, are grateful for the efforts of RSPSoc members to help build the success of the journals (by submitting and reviewing articles) and we encourage them to continue and be further involved. For example, PHOR launched in 2022 an Early Career Researcher Editorial Board for junior researchers to get a year of editorial experience. Overall, there is a general push towards open access publications, thus ensuring that research/innovation communities and wider society can access and build on the research findings. Taylor & Francis are offering members of RSPSoc open access publication in the IJRS and RSL with a 50% discount on the standard article processing charge (APC). Both Wiley and Taylor & Francis have open access agreements with institutions (for example JISC in UK, Bibliosan in Italy, etc). Our academic journals remain a key part of the Society’s activities, helping us to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise in remote sensing and photogrammetry. The move towards open access continues to push academic publishing in a new direction. For example, UKRI extended its open access policy to apply to long-form publications (e.g. monographs, book chapters and edited collections). The Publications Committee will continue to monitor the impacts of this changing publishing landscape on members’ interests, to ensure our publications play their important part in our mission to inform and educate both members and the public. 15 ## **Conference Committee** ## **Meredith Williams** The Conference Committee (CC) aims to ensure vibrant and engaging events are available for the Society’s members. The RSPSoc calendar on the Society website continues to provide information on forthcoming events in remote sensing and photogrammetry, as well as deadlines for abstract submissions and registrations. The 2023-24 reporting period saw the introduction of two new series of events to the calendar, in addition to the existing annual conference and Wavelength events. The Education and Training Committee launched their career webinar series in February 2024. This new series of public lunchtime career webinars on Zoom is aimed at early-career colleagues and students who might benefit from the opportunity to learn from the experiences and knowledge of remote sensing and photogrammetry professionals in industry, government and academia. The series kicked off with a webinar from Dr Arjen Luijendijk from Deltares and TU Delft University on 16th February 2024, and continues into the 2024-25 reporting period. A new initiative by our chair Martin Smye-Rumsby toward the end of this reporting period led to the creation of the Illumination Series events, networking events that will be hosted at venues around the UK. The first of these fell slightly outside our reporting period. On 26th April 2024 Diviya Devani, a Space Systems Engineer at BAE Systems, gave a fascinating talk on ‘Quantum Gravity Sensing: Launching the next generation of technologies into space’. The event was hosted by the Nottingham Geospatial Institute, and a full report on the event can be found elsewhere in the July issue of SENSED. The next Illumination Series event is planned for late September 2024 at Imperial College, hosted by our former Honorary General Secretary Dr Philippa Mason. The Wavelength conference, now in its 11th year, continues to provide a great opportunity for postgraduates and early career researchers and professionals to network and showcase their work. Due to the late timing of Easter in 2023 two Wavelength events fall within the 2023/24 reporting period. Both were hybrid events, hosted at University of Southampton 2-4 April 2023 by Yanna Fidai & Amritha Nair, and at University of Worcester 25-26 March 2024 by Amritha Nair & Samuel Valman. Planning for Wavelength 2025 at University of Nottingham is well underway, with a shadow representative in place for the next couple of years. The RSPSoc 2023 Annual Conference was held 5-6th September at the British Geological Survey, Keyworth, and was titled ‘Earth Observation and Photogrammetry for real world applications’ to keep the appeal as broad as possible. This was the first time since Harwell in 2019 that the RSPSoc Annual Conference was a stand-alone face-to-face event, having been online only in 2020 and a joint NCEO/CEOI/SAC/RSPSoc event in 2021 & 2022. The British Geological Survey were kind enough to give us access to the conference facilities at their Keyworth Headquarters in Nottinghamshire, charging only for catering & security, keeping our costs and registration fees as low as possible and ensuring the financial viability of the event. Our thanks go out to Sally Stone and her team for hosting us, along with our former Chair Kay Smith and local contact at BGS and RSPSoc Council Member Alessandro Novellino for assistance with logistics. The event was run as a single stream due to venue limitations, but despite this we were able to pack in 32 oral presentations and 4 keynotes over the two days, with over 80 delegates attending. A full event report can be found in the November 2023 issue of SENSED. For 2024 RSPSoc will be joining forces with NCEO, CEOI & SAC again for a joint Earth Observation Conference to be held in York 10-12th September, for which planning is well underway. As yet there are no firm plans for the 2025 annual conference which could potentially be online, hybrid, or in-person. If any 16 members are interested in hosting this or getting involved, please contact the RSPSoc office. We welcome your ideas for facilitating discussion about the many and varied matters of the moment in our respective disciplines. Please send any suggestions for new events, and feedback on events, to office@rspsoc.org.uk. 17 ## **Wavelength Representative** ## **Amritha Nair** The Wavelength meeting, launched in 2013 by RSPSoc, caters to PhD students and early career researchers in remote sensing and photogrammetry. Wavelength 2024 Conference was held on March 25 and 26 at the University of Worcester, with 40 attendees participating both in person and online. The event was supported by Taylor and Francis (T&F) and RSPSoc. Across two days, the conference featured numerous presentations from PhD students and early-career researchers, alongside keynotes, workshops, and a careers panel. Topics ranged from real-time automated geological interpretations to habitat mapping and monitoring. The first day included two keynotes and a wellreceived careers panel session in the afternoon, led by industry experts and academics. The event began with a warm welcome from Dr Fleur Visser of the University of Worcester, who chaired the RSPSoc Education & Training Committee until 2023. Following this, Dr Meredith Williams, Honorary General Secretary of RSPSoc from the University of Greenwich, delivered an insightful keynote, emphasising active participation within the remote sensing community. Keynotes on Day 1 included Dr Milton Kampel (INPE) discussing environmental challenges in Brazil and Dr Geoff Smith (SpectoNatura), exploring the latest strategies for the effective and sustainable use of AI in real-world applications. A highlight was the Careers Panel, featuring Dr Geoff Smith, Dr Bethany Jackson (University of Nottingham), Dr Vishal Bandugula (Dendra Systems), Kathie Bowden (Satellite Applications Catapult), and Dr Alessandro Novellino (British Geological Survey). They offered valuable career insights, which received highly positive feedback from attendees, eager to share ideas and suggestions with emerging scientists and researchers. Since the majority of attendees were in person, ample networking opportunities were created. This allowed participants to actively engage in conversations during breaks and keynotes. Day 2 of Wavelength began with an inspiring keynote by Nick Everard (UKCEH), exploring innovative river flow monitoring methods using non-contact technologies such as phones, drones, and satellites. The morning session featured technical presentations by participants from the National Physical Laboratory, covering biophysical parameter retrieval and pre-flight data gathering for Earth Observation sensors. Isabelle Crozier-Morris (Ordnance Survey) followed with insights on leveraging EO and Geospatial data for realworld impact. Participants also benefited from workshops led by industry experts like Dr Robbie Ramsay (NERC FSF) on spectroscopy and Tricia Pantos (T&F) on effective research paper techniques. Liz Scott (Satellite Applications Catapult) delivered a visually engaging keynote on 'Earth Observation: How Hard Can It Be?'. Following this, Martin Smye-Rumsby, Chair of RSPSoc, encouraged newcomers to join the society and share their insights. Online voting swiftly determined the Best Presentation and Best Poster awards, showcasing exceptional contributions acknowledged by Taylor and Francis and RSPSoc, respectively. Following the conference, a networking event at an arcade provided a relaxed setting for attendees to connect informally. Overall, Wavelength 2024 received highly positive feedback from attendees, ensuring a showcase of innovation and collaboration in the remote sensing community. Thanks to all sponsors, speakers, workshop hosts, panellists, participants, and attendees for contributing to its success. As we look ahead to future editions, I pass the baton to Samuel Valman, the 2025 Wavelength Representative, wishing him and his team the very best. 18 ## **Special Interest Groups** ## **Nuria Bachiller-Jareño** ## **Overview** As shown below, the SIGs have remained active over the period. Having headed up the GRSG for six years, successfully steering the groups through challenging enterprises such as a global pandemic, previous GRSG SIG Chair Charlotte Bishop passed the role to Jennifer Scoular. The RSPSoc Council would like to express their gratitude to Charlotte for her dedicated work during the years she headed the GRSG. I would like to thank the SIGs conveners and their members for their effort and enthusiasm during this year. I would also like to take the opportunity to encourage the Society’s members to become active members of the SIGs or to contact us if they have an idea for a new SIG. The SIGs act as foci for members of the Society within particular specialist or application areas to meet and share ideas. ## **Conveners** Archaeology - Chris Brooke (University of Nottingham) and Louise Rayne (Newcastle University, UK) Emergency, Disaster and Risk Management (ED&RM) – Richard Teeuw (University of Portsmouth, UK) Geological Remote Sensing Group (GRSG) - Jennifer Scoular (SkyGeo, Netherlands) ## **Archaeology SIG** The main activity of the SIG over this period was their participation in the RSPSoc Annual Conference last September. The group conveners co-chair the Archaeology & Heritage session, including a wide range of research topics in the field. Louise delivered a talk about the applications of GEE in Archaeological investigation. ## **Emergency, Disaster and Risk Management (ED&RM) SIG** Richard Teeuw co-chaired the Elevation session at the RSPSoc annual conference last September. The session had a multisectoral profile including speakers from consultancies such as including Petroleum Development Oman, Atkins as well as academic and public sectors organisations such as and Berlin’s Freie University, Ordnance Survey and University of Portsmouth. Richard opened the session with a talk on the use of terrain mapping for disaster risk management in the British Virgin Islands. ## **Geological Remote Sensing Group (GRSG) SIG** The Geological Remote Sensing Group (GRSG) had their Annual Conference in December at The Geological Society, Burlington House, London. It was a 3-day programme with 90 attendees. As part of the acts in their Annual Conference, they gave out 3 student awards of £500 as well as 2 travel bursaries to students attending conferences. 19 ## **Annex 1** ## **Council Membership at the End of the Reporting Period - 31st March 2024** ## **Company Directors & Ex-Officio (Trustees)** Mr M Smye-Rumsby Chairman BAE Systems Plc Dr M Williams Honorary General Secretary University of Greenwich Mr S Pike Honorary Treasurer Environment Systems Ltd Note: The Vice-Chair role is gapped ## **Elected Members (Trustees)** Ms N Bachiller-Jareño University of Portsmouth Mr M Foote Howden Group Holdings Dr N Galiatsatos Freelance Dr A Novellino British Geological Survey Dr M Warren Plymouth Marine Laboratory Dr W Xiao China University of Sciences, Wuhan ## **In Attendance** Prof Sir P Curran President, RSPSoc Prof G Foody Liaison Officer, University of Nottingham Dr C Lavers Co-Editor, SENSED Dr J O’Connor Co-Editor, SENSED Dr D F Laefer Co-Editor, The Photogrammetric Record Dr K Smith Past-Chair, RSPSoc Prof K Tansey Editor, International Journal of Remote Sensing Prof C Varotsos Editor, Remote Sensing Letters Dr Y Zhang Co-Editor, The Photogrammetric Record Ms A Nair Wavelength Representative 2023-24 Mr S Valman Wavelength Representative 2023-24 Ms R Hopkins Executive Secretary, RSPSoc 20 ## **Annex 2** ## **Committee Membership and Terms of Reference (April 2023 – March 2024)** ## **Awards and Professional Standards** To make timely recommendations for the awards and professional membership of the Society. Wen Xiao (Convenor) Richard Armitage Rachel Gaulton ## **Conference Committee** To advise the Conference Convenor on the content of the Society’s meetings Calendar To encourage remote sensing and photogrammetry related meetings with other societies and professional bodies Core Members: Meredith Williams (Convener) Martin Smye-Rumsby Rachel Hopkins (in attendance) ## **Education and Training** Working with teachers (and practitioners) at all levels of education and promoting interaction between remote sensing scientists and professionals and those in the teaching profession to support use of remote sensing/earth observation and photogrammetry in teaching. This may include: Supporting outreach activities in schools Developing teaching materials for use in schools Organising teacher CPD activities. Influencing education curriculum. Supporting or undertaking the provision of training to introduce a wider audience to RS/EO techniques. Alessandro Novellino (Convenor) Kathie Bowden Nigel Edmead Niko Galiatsatos Chris Mewse Gail Millin-Chalabi Amy Woodget 21 ## **Executive Committee** To advise the Chair, Hon. Gen. Secretary and Executive Secretary on such day-to-day management, executive or administrative affairs as may be necessary. The quorum is three. Martin Smye-Rumsby (Convener) Meredith Williams Samuel Pike Rachel Hopkins (in attendance) ## **External Affairs** To review existing alliances To consider new alliances To liaise with UKGeoForum, EARSeL, ISPSRS and other relevant national and international organisations Martin Smye-Rumsby (Convener) Matthew Foote Affiliated members: Beth Greenaway, UK Space Agency Earth Observation Advisory Committee (EOAC) membership Alistair Maclenan (BARSC) ISPRS Sub-committee: RSPSoc Chair - Martin Smye-Rumsby (Chairman) RSPSoc Honorary Treasurer - Samuel Pike (Treasurer) Ian Dowman (Secretary) Ann Allen (CICES) Sally Cooper (EuroSDR) Allan Jamieson (OS) James Kavanagh (RICS) Jon Mills (ISPRS fellow) ## **Finance** To advise the Treasurer on all aspects of the Society’s Financial Affairs. Samuel Pike (Convener) Uta Feinstein (in attendance) Rachel Hopkins (in attendance) 22 ## **Publications** To be responsible for the editing and production of the Society’s publications and ensure their technical quality. Nikolaos Galiatsatos (Convener) Costas Varotsos (Editor, RSL) Kevin Tansey (Editor, IJRS) Martin Smye-Rumsby (RSPSoc Chair) Debra Laefer (Co-Editor, The Photogrammetric Record) Yongjun Zhang (Co-Editor, The Photogrammetric Record) Rachel Hopkins (in attendance) ## **Publicity and Communications** To promote and publicise the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society To provide relevant material for the RSPSoc website and social media To provide brochures and publicity/promotional material as requested by Council To identify on an annual basis the events at which promotional material should be displayed To coordinate press releases on the work of the Society when required To be responsible for the editing and production of the Society’s newsletter SENSED To promote Society membership through publicity Martin Smye-Rumsby (Convenor) James O’Connor (Co-Editor, SENSED) Chris Lavers (Co-Editor, SENSED) Rachel Hopkins (in attendance) ## **Special Interest Groups** To coordinate and facilitate communications between the Society’s affiliated and wholly owned Special Interest Groups. Nuria Bachiller-Jareño (Convenor) Archaeology (Chris Brooke and Louise Rayne) Emergency, Disaster and Risk Management (Richard Teeuw) Geological Remote Sensing Group (GRSG) (Jennifer Scoular) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) (Amy Woodget) 23 Annex 3 Accounts REGISTEREDCOIIPAliY Ill￿1BER.. 01436807 IEn%land WalE51 REflSTERED CHARITI. NVIIBER.. 291647 REP()RT OF THE TRUSTEE8AND UNAIIDTTF.D FI￿.4￿([Al. ST.4TF.P41F.Yrs FOR THI YEAR EJDED 31 ￿lARCH I￿24 FOR THE REMOTE SENSINf..4ND PIIOTQfJRAMMETRY ClkTI' IA COMPANY I.IMITF.D BYGLARAITEE} n82 bu&iness park nollin&phJni rt82 lae 24 THE IIEMOTE SEyS1*4L AND PHoT￿lL￿mm￿TItV tONTENTS THE Tr"INkYLIAL STATEMEN"rs FOR THF_ I'F_AR F.%DFD.11 141ARfll zn24 PaKe Rtpprt DEt4llEd Stilemrlll ofFkn••dil Art1￿11 25 THE REIIOTE SENSINC. A.YD PHOTOGIL*MMETRY s{￿IETy REPORT OF TIIE TRUSTEES FOR TIIE YE,IR EliDED 31 TrIARal 2024 The Iru4tee% are alw director% ril the clk1rity lor ihe puryrtisesol'ihe C'oinTranie4 Act 21Mlh. pre4eni their with the linanci411 %la¢ement% ol'th¢ charity ihe year ¢￿ed.￿l Marcli 2(1?4. Tlietrystee4 3dopied the p￿￿ls1nDSDfAC{ounti￿g and Re￿irrIng hy Lliarrties. staten￿E nt. Re¢nmmended Practi¢e appli¢able to charitie4 prepgring their a¢¢ounts In a¢cDrdBn¢e with th¢ Financial Rcp)rting SL￿￿1rd￿pPIiCabIe in Ilie UK and Rcpublic of Ircland IFRS 10?) leffocti￿e l January 20211 0￿EcTI3.ES AND ACTIIqTIES ObjcctiVE5 aDd al￿5 nie iilih¢ ilidrity 1% io &dwdnce iheeduLdtion ofthepublii in the many fielJ%vl-ReiMte Seniln¥ and P￿I0¥r￿mme1ry. 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Page I 26 THE RENIOTE SEN51YG' A￿D PHUTOCI(AMMEI'RY -SOCIETV REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR EhDED 31 NIARCH 2024 -8TRIICTIIRF_, CrtIVF.RY.4YCF. 4ND M4N.4C.F.MFNT R¢rrulimeThl appointrnent Trf trystvv The ArtiLle.4 the rebrullltiun& In iesyecl ofthe app)inTtnenl and re-e]2ction&uftheTTUSteea and Council MembpT l)oelslon Jnaklng ThL dLXi%j(bn rnaking for thc Sth'ieiy is dL%emiined by vario￿S Cornmittees comprising both Trnstces and Council members ofthe REFERENCE AND,IDNIINISTIL*TII'E DETAILS Koglstorod Re%lstered Chsrltv Thutnber Roglstorod lTrffict ThL ol'cjeography Nultin￿arn NG7 21U) Tru%lee5 Th¢ fi>lILTr￿lng Tru8t¢e% are Ex-oificio Tru%iee8 and ar¢ aL%o ¢hecoDwaDydir￿0r4'. Mr M B STnye-Rurnsby Ichlliil Dr K Smith 1rc5i￿Ld 0￿,09￿202)I Ichatrl Dr M Williaw The fullowinur wete Trusteeyiluring the yeai llndei review but arenot cumwny d￿tori.. Dr P Vi&%L Dr W Xiao M FI￿1¢ Dr A Novellino Dr N GllliaL%al0¥ N BaLhiller-JarL'nO Comp4nY.Secr¢larv tjr M willia￿ IDdeppDdpTrt ExAthI￿er ILP l¥bl group It $2 hu%ine%% park Approvcd by ordcrofthc of PlbAuguSt 2024 and Signed lis bch&ifby'. Mr M B Smye-Rumsby- Trnstec 8nd Chair Page2 27 vliDEPE￿DE￿T EX4MINER'S REPORT TO THE TRL¥fEES nF THE REMOTE SENSINCT AND PHOTOGIL4MhlETRY SOCILTY I￿dePendent ￿port t￿tbe tru51et5 Df Tbe Remote SeDsID% And Phot0krA￿￿etTy kncltty I rcwn to Ihc ch8ntyifuStccs ortiny LxamirtAtion ofthcACCOunts ofthc CompAmy forthc ycarcndcd 31 Mgyeh2024. ￿hleh arc Sct Ollt onpaye%41011. Resptstsslbllltles th￿d b*&ls olrtwTrrt AhtheLhaniy%ifu%ieL%ofihL L'ompAny{and alwiisdirecior% forihcpiirpo%e.%ofcomp&ny la￿} youarerespmsible forihe preparniion ofthe accounts in acwrdJnce with ihe r4uirernenls ofihe Coinpanies Aci 2M6 Ilhe 2￿6 Acl,). H&vin¥ sai1sfiL￿ mySLllthai the aecourtL% ofthL Company not TcquifLd audiltd undtt Part 1601'thL 20ffi Act andare cligible fnr Independen¢ eXa1￿l￿at10n. I reV￿rt in re%[￿1 ofiny exaininatioD ofyour cbari¢y'.4 accoun1% carried ou¢ und¢r Yctioii 145 t)fthe Cknrities Acl ?01 I Ilhv 2011 Art'l. In Laryn&p uut my examindtion I hdve followed the Diiectiuns by thecharity Cornmi55iOD I￿dePendent exAmlner's StAte￿e￿t I hayc L0Tnp1L￿￿ Tllv LxatmnJtiun. l Lonfirnlthaino m&ttetshavccomcio myattention irt toiinet￿LM1 witb thttxamiiLltIOn givirtgme accountinbF recoThls weie nol kept in rwecl oltheCon]pany a% Tequired by yectioD 386 ofthe 2006 Act," OT thcA¢COuttli do noi accord wtiih tho4c records". tsr Ihe ￿Count￿￿O uiniply wilh ihe A¢Liiuiiiin8 wuirenwnL4 of seciion 396 ofihe 20(kn Aci oiher than any reqUiren￿￿1 that theacLount¥ bpi%e a me Jnd fdirTrieH ￿hILh i¥ nola malterconsidered ofJn independent examinalion." thL ￿t￿Un￿ha5L not bL'LnprLPated InJLLo￿￿LL wilh IhL tllLihodsJndprinLiplcsoflhL StalLYthEni tsfRL'iknmmendLd PtaL'tICQ ror ￿cOUnt1n& and rwortin¥ by ihari¢i¢4 iapplicl4 trile io charitie.% prepanng their accoun18 In accordance with the Financial Repollinb, SL￿d￿ra dpplicable in the UK and Republic ollrelJnd IFRS 102}1. I have no con¢ern% and hase corne cri)%% no other matieTh in conneition wilh the examinaiion io whKh ai*niion should be drnwn in this re￿rt in ord¢rtoenabk a woper under￿ding7 ofihe a¢wunL¥ lo be r¢a¢h¢d. tcp {&Tb) Itd 10 thc tnanglc n82 busine%5 park nottinthdtn noTt1nghdtnsh￿e n82 lae Page 3 28 THE RLNIOTE SENSINC. PHOTUCIUMMETRY STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AcfIviTIES FOR THE I'EAR EliDED 31 fvIARCH 2024 311312024 Toial rund 311312023 fund fund Notes INCOME AND ENDOIIMENfs FROM Dom&tiOrtS artd legaeics 24.221 31276 7.882 7.S82 10.732 Otherincome 50.684 50.684 53.037 LxpLriDI'I URE ON lkni&inb, fund¥ 4.742 5.742 2216 her T￿tAl 1.0 122.857 NKI. (LXPLNI)ITL1KLIIINCO￿1E 11.(K)O) Qther re(￿MISed lAlJ￿Ill￿&s¢5) Gain￿{10￿￿e5I on rLi'aluliun of fixed 0.7561 i ￿v*￿*￿t funds 169.930} RECONCILIATION OF FUYDS T4)t*l futsd5 brtsugbt forw*rd 476.210 29333 506.043 575.973 TOTAL FUYD8 C.ARRIED FORIIARD 421268 The DDles [l￿Mpart0[ these stsie]neDLs Pa&￿4 29 THF. RF.MOTE 8EY8I%Cv AND PHOTOCVRA Tr+lNIETRY SOCIETI. BAI.ANC.F SHEET 31 ￿l.￿RCH 2024 31nnl)24 UrtY¢Stsicicd fvnd Restric￿d fvnd To￿1 fund rund Notes FIXED.45SETS 195.555 195.555 179J24 CIIRRF.NT K88ETS 13.322 262.796 Q8sh at bank 233.963 28.¥33 339.422 247.285 28.833 352,727 CREDITQILS Arnounl% lallin¥ duL wiihin onc yt8r 26.008} ET CURREliT ASSETS 225.713 28.833 254.546 326.719 TOTAL ASSET8 LESS CURRENT LI.4BILITIES 421.2&¥ 2¥.83J NET LSSET8 4212&8 506.043 Fu￿Ds 421.26 28.S33 Re¥triLled fund 29.833 TOTAL FUNDS 506.N3 The charitable company 1% entitled ¢0 exemp¢ion from audi¢ under Sec¢ion 477 of the Comwiies Ac¢ 20￿5 for ilie year ended 31 March 2024 The member% hav¢ not requir¢d the Company ￿ obL￿n audil of iL8 financial sL3t¢Tn¢nls for the year ended 31 March 2024 In acc4)rdance wiTh Section 476 ofihECompdn1￿ ALI2006. The m¥tees aLknO￿le￿￿Te their respDnsibilitie¥ for ensurin¥ thai ihL chanmblc LDmpany keeps aL*OunTing recoiits thai eomply Steiiony 386 artd 387 ofthccompanits A pre￿rlnlT finJncial ¥taiernen￿. which yse J true and fair view ofthe sLite ofJtTairs ofthecharitable companyi% ai the end of ch fintsnCi81 yLtsfandol'ils wtpluSOrdcfiCit ftsreach finartcial y￿rin aL'LOrdanLC wilh ihL fLNuircmcnts tsfsLCtiOrt$ 3948￿1 79$ aiid which i1¢herwi%¢ comply with the requir¢meni% of Ihe CDmpanie4 Ail 2nlkn relating tD fillancial %taiemeni%. %0 far as appliLable to the LhanLthle cornpany. These fina￿ljI %iaieni¢nt& hAY¢ bewi prunl intere%t T¢Jlal ITrcLbmlTr% resources 53,037 ExPE￿DITuRE Ralslng dDnAllfjn5 and IcgAcits CoiThni¢ie¢'. Award% and standards Conference expense Donatiijn 3.529 40 5.742 2.216 Otber tradlDK Xctlvllles IIRS LxNndilur ISPRS (x￿nditi1rC PH(IR Exp¢ny% I￿0 2.52¥ 217 2.815 14.205 5￿pp￿rt roJl$ Jjank ihar£es Over intere%t payable 679 679 889 C¥overnance Costs StJrrJnd Lentreco¥t¥ 84.354 966 63 6,210 170 80.235 1.230 Posits¥L. printing amd staiiortery Pft)lesbi0tt81 Web%iie cn%i% 2.018 ca￿lCd forwatd 91.769 83,731 This pagcdttsrtot forni part of tht Stslutory financial Sta￿ments Pase 10 35 THL kKMOTE SEN51NC AND PHUTOG1￿mmL1'RV SOCIETY DETAILED sT,1TEfvIE￿T OF FINA￿CIAL.￿CTIVITIES FOR'I HL YLAR EYDED JI MARCH 2024 Broyghi fiTrrwdrd Repdirs Jnd renewal SoeiLty sllbscnption 5urtdrv LxrK*SL Irrecoverable VAT 91.769 204 21).4 14.96( Tts￿1 ttSOufcL% expertded 122.S57 Net expenditure 72.1&91 63.1741 Thi¥p¥e nut fijnn patT of the stallllory financial stalement PA8e 11 36 ## **Annex 4** ## **Special Interest Groups (SIGs)** Membership of the SIGs is open to all RSPSoc members. For details of SIG activities please contact the Conveners listed below via the Society’s office or website. ## **Archaeology** The Archaeology SIG aims to encourage the exchange of research and methodology between remote sensing scientists and archaeologists, especially those concerned with methods of site prospection and novel applications. Chris Brooke Louise Rayne ## **Disaster Management** The aim of the Disaster Management SIG is to promote best practice and innovative applications in the use of remote sensing and photogrammetry in all aspects of disaster management, both pre-disaster (e.g. disaster preparedness; hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment) and post-disaster (e.g. crisis response, damage estimation and disaster recovery). Richard Teeuw ## **Geological Remote Sensing Group** The Geological Remote Sensing Group (GRSG) is a special interest group of the Geological Society of London (GeolSoc), and the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society (RSPSoc) founded in 1989. The GRSG is an association of enthusiasts keen on the geological aspects of remote sensing. Jennifer Scoular ## **Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles** UAV systems are established as platforms for remote sensing activity both for high-altitude long endurance (HALE) missions and for low-altitude lightweight fixed-wing, helicopters and blimp / balloons / microlites. The benefits of UAVs mainly lie in the ease, rapidity and cost of flexibility of deployment that lends itself to many land surface measurement and monitoring applications. Amy Woodget 37 ## **Annex 5** ## **Professional Members: Fellows, Associate Fellows, and Honorary Members** ## **Fellow (FRSPSoc)** R Armitage P Atkinson S M J Baban J C Boardman C D R Chan H T Chuah K Challis T Clarke A J Fox A Hart R Hill L A Hisscott C Jordan A Koh W M McKay P Mason S Pike C Power R Stanbridge I L Thomas T Thomson A M Thriscutt G Vincent E H F Wickens ## **Associate Fellow (AFRSPSoc)** ## **Honorary** A S Belward PS Amin K Bishop DWG Arthur C J Brooke K B Atkinson A R Condal D Bowers A C Cook D Boyd G C Deane G Brachet FRSPSoc D N M Donoghue V Brown P I Downey P Curran FRSPSoc J Duignan G Davison FRSPSoc P Eales I J Dowman AFRSPSoc N D J Edmead G Ducher H Epp J E Farrow R Evans G M Foody AFRSPSoc M J F Fowler C S Fraser G B Groom P Goldsmith FRSPSoc K-A Henderson Stuart Granshaw R F E Jones R Gurney C Kidd J Hale J Kupiec GH Holder P Lakin J Houghton FRSPSoc V V Lawrence RJ Hulme R MacDonald SO Ihemadu Toby Merritt LS Koh FRSPSoc J McMorrow A S Macdonald AFRSPSoc C M Mould P Mason FRSPSoc T Moore E J Milton AFRSPSoc J-P A L Muller D Muir Wood P J Naylor I Newton T Nishidai G Paterson A G Nwosu D W Proctor B F Plummer D W Rhind S Plummer I Robinson AFRSPSoc M R Pooley H F Ross W G Rees A N Schofield A D Robinson G H Thomson R J S Rowe J E Todd R F Scott J Townsend M R Shortis J L van Genderen FRSPSoc A Smart B V Vinogradov FRSPSoc G D’Souza S Wilson FRSPSoc J C Taylor J A T Young FRSPSoc R M Teeuw N Veck R M Walpole D A Wallis FRSPSoc R M Warwick Smith A S Walker FRSPSoc M J C Weir M Wooster T C Welsh K White A K Wilson 38 ## **Annex 6** ## **Corporate Members** **NCGI National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence** IKM Info. Division, Pathfinder Building, RAF Wyton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2EA ## **EARSeL** EARSeL Head Office, W Am Dill 169, 48163 Münster, Germany secretariat@earsel.org https://earsel.org **Environment Agency** Lower Bristol Road, Twerton, Bath, BA2 9ES, UK +44 (0) 1225 444066 www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environmentagency **Historic England** The Survey Team, The Photogrammetric Unit, 37 Tanner Row, York, YO1 6WP, UK +44 (0) 1904 601959 https://historicengland.org.uk ## **IIC Technologies Ltd (Photoarc Surveys Ltd)** The Catalyst, York Science Park, Baird Lane, York, YO10 5GA www.iictechnologies.com ## **National Centre For Earth Observation** Space Research Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH info@nceo.ac.uk www.nceo.ac.uk ## **Ordnance Survey** Adanac Drive, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 OAS +44 (0) 2380 792349 enquiries@ordnancesurvey.co.uk ## **Ordnance Survey Of Northern Ireland** Survey Infrastructure Development, Lanyon Plaza, Belfast, BT1 3LP +44 (0) 28 90 255740 osni@nics.gov.uk www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/ordnance-survey-ofnorthern-ireland) **Skye Instruments Ltd** Unit 22 Ddole Enterprise Park, Llandrindod wells, POWYS, LD1 6DF www.skyeinstruments.com ## **Tailte Éireann** Páirc An Fhionnuisce, Baile Átha Cliath 8, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, D08 F6E4, Ireland +353 1802 5383 www.osi.ie ## **UK Space Agency** Polaris House, Room C204, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 1SZ www.gov.uk/government/organisation/uk-spaceagency ## **UK Hydrographic Office** Admiralty Way, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 2DN +44 (0)1823 484444 UKHO-Secretariat@UKHO.gov.uk www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ukhydrographic-office ## **Vexcel Imaging GmbH** Anzengrubergasse 8/4, 8010 Graz, Austria +43 (0) 316 849 066 – 966 angelika.soels@vexcel-imaging.com 39