Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to spearhead the SaveCrops4EU project, a key initiative under ESA’s Digital Twin Earth programme. This pre-operational digital twin-component is designed to strengthen agriculture’s resilience to climate change and optimise resource management.
The SaveCrops4EU digital twin-component is built around three core scientific pillars. It utilises advanced satellite data and agronomic indicators for real-time crop monitoring, integrates Earth observation data with crop growth models to improve yield forecasting, and employs scenario testing to assess the impact of abiotic stresses such as drought and heat, along with management strategies like irrigation and fertilisation.
As the lead organisation, Thales Alenia Space will oversee the integration and architectural design of the digital twin, ensuring seamless incorporation of scientific models with Earth observation data. The modular framework of the system allows for broad applicability, supporting diverse agricultural use cases across different regions.
SaveCrops4EU aligns with Europe’s broader efforts to develop digital twins of Earth, including ESA’s Digital Twin Earth (DTE) and the European Commission-funded Destination Earth (DestinE). These initiatives aim to create a comprehensive digital model of the planet to monitor environmental changes, anticipate extreme weather events and guide sustainable climate policies. The synergy between DTE and DestinE ensures that pre-operational digital twins, such as SaveCrops4EU, can transition into fully operational systems, maximising their impact.
To validate its effectiveness, SaveCrops4EU will be tested in four key locations—Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Spain. These real-world trials will evaluate the accuracy of the models, their ability to predict climate-related stress on agriculture, and their usefulness for decision-making in the agricultural sector. The project is also designed for interoperability with other digital twin components and will support future scalability by enabling the integration of additional models and crop types. By the end of 2026, it aims to deliver a pre-operational solution that fosters economically and environmentally sustainable farming in Europe.
“For several years, Thales Alenia Space has been at the forefront of innovation, developing enhanced digital solutions for Earth observation to enhance decision-making and support responsible climate policies. We are proud that ESA renewed its trust in our company with SaveCrops4EU, leveraging the legacy and experience we gained in developing the flood prediction digital twin in 2023,” said Étienne Barritault, Managing Director of Thales Alenia Space in Luxembourg.
To lead the SaveCrops4EU project, Thales Alenia Space has formed a European consortium, with each partner contributing specialized expertise in complementary fields. The consortium brings together the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, the scientific lead, and the University of Valencia as remote sensing experts. It also includes Forschungszentrum Jülich, specialists in bioscience and geoscience simulation, the Walloon Agricultural Research Center, and CropOM, experts in agriculture.
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