Google is looking to fund and actively engage with the research community, exploring opportunities and pathways to leverage Google’s expertise in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the development of data-driven solutions that inform climate action. ML and AI models depend on strong benchmarks that are used to evaluate their performance and track their improvement over time.

Sid Boukabara, Senior Program Scientist for Strategy at NASA HQ, along with Kayla Rillo, Management and Program Analyst, Garik Gutman, LCLUC Program Manager, and Krishna, LCLUC Deputy Program Manager, concluded a successful week in Algiers. During their visit, they engaged with three Algerian Ministries, the Science and Technology University, and the Space Agency of Algeria. They visited various research units, including those focused on solar energy and astronomy, and received substantial support and engagement from the US Embassy.

The first informal meeting on the idea of combining Landsat and Sentinel-2 data for improving science and applications by reducing the gaps in observations started in a small room at UMD with French researchers from CESBIO and ESA. The idea was supported by Mike Freilich, NASA HQ who at that time had a leadership role in CEOS. This idea was initially implemented through the LCLUC Multi-Source Land Imaging (MuSLI) initiative. Dr.