Australian Dr Stuart Minchin has been presented with a lifetime achievement award at the 2025 Group on Earth Observations Awards in Rome.

He was one of five people described as “changemakers transforming the field of Earth Intelligence” to receive awards at the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Global Forum on 7 May.

According to the GOE, Minchin’s career has redefined how Earth observation data supports entire regions. He is currently the Director-General (in Noumea) of the Pacific Community (SPC).

As the architect behind Digital Earth Australia and a key figure in launching Digital Earth Africa and efforts in the Pacific, Minchin has championed access to satellite-based tools for climate resilience, water security and disaster response.

His leadership has brought Earth observations to the hands of governments, researchers and communities in more than 80 countries.

“Global uptake and impact of Earth observations for many years suffered from a chronic lack of scale and repeatability,” said Minchin.

“The development of Earth observation data cubes and subsequent Digital Earth infrastructure in Australia, Africa and now the Pacific has changed the landscape of Earth Intelligence dramatically, leading to much greater economic and social impact and uptake.”

There were two other recipients of lifetime achievement awards: Lawrence A. Friedl and Professor Yifang Ban.

Friedl has worked in NASA’s Mission Control and has led its Applied Sciences Program, turning satellite science into real-world solutions. According to the GEO, his leadership has brought Earth Intelligence into policy, planning, and humanitarian action, driving progress on air quality, public health, agriculture, disaster risk reduction and more.

He has been a champion of open data and capacity-building, and shaped how satellite data supports communities and been a driving force in strengthening GEO’s mission.

“I’ve learned that innovation is not just scientific and technical but also programmatic,” said Friedl.

“These programmatic innovations created environments where Earth observations could expand their reach across fields because deliberate partnerships – farmers with scientists, health officials with data specialists, water managers with technologists – were collaborative, agile and responsive to what the challenges demanded.

“The sweet spot is where innovation and partnerships support human needs and accelerate the journey from insight to impact.”

Professor Yifang Ban is a global leader in urban remote sensing, whose work at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology has advanced the use of synthetic aperture radar and AI for applications in disaster response, climate resilience and urban sustainability.

Professor Ban has devoted her career to making Earth Intelligence accessible, actionable and impactful, particularly in developing regions.

“By championing open data and accessible tools, fostering global collaboration, and building capacity across diverse communities, I strive to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and real-world application,” she said.

The awards ceremony also saw two people receive Emerging Leader Awards: Michael Jurua and Dr Linyi Liu.

In Uganda, Michael Jurua harnesses Earth Intelligence to protect biodiversity and empower local communities. He has trained more than 200 young professionals to use geospatial tools to monitor wildfires and assess forest loss, and his integration of machine learning and local knowledge is improving response times, shaping forest policy and supporting livelihoods.

“As a conservation scientist, I believe that timely, accurate, and accessible Earth observation data is critical to protecting the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems,” he said.

A rising leader in Earth Intelligence for agriculture and environmental health, Dr Linyi Liu integrates satellite data, biological models and AI to forecast crop pest and disease outbreaks, helping reduce pesticide use and improve food security. A driving force in global collaboration and open data sharing, he has supported capacity-building efforts from Pakistan to Kenya.

“Through the GEO project supported by the National Key R&D Program of China, we developed a global-scale remote sensing system that integrates Earth observation data with pest biology and AI-driven models to deliver timely, actionable insights on crop pest and disease risks,” he said.

“These tools enable smarter decision-making in pest management. By reducing pesticide use and enhancing biodiversity, our efforts contribute to both global food security and environmental sustainability.”

Also announced were the recipients of the 2025 GEO Social Development Goals ‘Sectoral Awards,’ organised jointly by the GEO and the EO4SDG initiative.

The six recipients are:

• Award for GEO Participating Organisation: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), University of the Aegean, Scidrones, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
• Award GEO Participating Organisation: International Research Centre of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) and Aerospace Information Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS).
• Award for Academia: Centre for Remote Sensing, Institut Teknologi Bandung (CRS-ITB) and Geospatial Intelligence Solutions for Sustainability Action (GISACT).
• Award for an SDG Custodian Agency: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and Government of Zimbabwe.
• Award for a GEO Member Country: Statistics Indonesia (BPS).
• Special Award for Collaboration: European Space Agency (ESA).