Tilde has been selected to develop the project “AI Assistant for Data Discovery on the EO Baltic Platform.” The activity is financed by the European Space Agency and will be implemented by Tilde as Prime Contractor in close cooperation with Baltic Satellite Service (BSS) as Sub-contractor.
Tilde brings proven experience in building AI assistants for the space and Earth Observation sector. This new project builds on that experience and further strengthens the company’s role in applying language AI to complex scientific and geospatial systems.
The AI Assistant will become an integral part of the EO Baltic Platform (GeoHub), maintained by BSS, and will allow users to interact with Earth Observation (EO) and geospatial data in Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, and English through natural language. The goal is to make EO systems easier to access and use for both regional stakeholders and international users.
Barriers to accessing EO data
Although large EO data archives and services are available, access often remains challenging.
Platforms can be technically complex, data is fragmented across tools and repositories, and interfaces are typically designed for expert users. Language limitations further restrict accessibility, especially for public institutions and SMEs without dedicated EO specialists.
As a result, valuable data often remains underused.
“GeoHub is designed to make Earth Observation data open, interoperable, and easy to use. By supporting standard formats and scalable web services, users can publish and access geospatial data without complex infrastructure. Integrating the new AI Assistant will make these capabilities even more accessible — enabling not only experts, but also public institutions, businesses, and researchers to search and explore EO data through natural language, run analyses and quickly obtain reliable insights for real-world decisions.”
How the AI Assistant helps
The AI Assistant will address these challenges by providing guided, conversational access to the platform. Users will be able to:
- Search for EO and geospatial data using natural language
- Get help navigating the platform and its datasets
- Access data located in national geoportals through an interactive interface
- Launch analysis tools and guide workflows, such as flood or urban change detection
- Receive explanations of EO concepts and help interpret results
- Automate processing steps and export, share, or visualise results
By simplifying onboarding and reducing the need for manual user support, the solution will help BSS focus on more advanced EO services while increasing overall platform use and user satisfaction.
Beyond usability improvements, the Assistant is expected to support data-driven decision-making in areas such as climate monitoring, forestry, agriculture, coastal management, urban planning, and environmental protection. It may also serve as a scalable template for multilingual access to geospatial data across Europe.
“Today, the volume of Earth observation data delivered by satellites is growing at a rapid rate, almost exponentially. While this creates fantastic opportunities, it also brings real challenges in processing raw data and turning it into actionable insights. Platforms such as the EO Baltic Platform (app.geohub.net) are an important step forward, enabling end users to access and work with EO data far more effectively. Their regional and national relevance will only continue to increase. However, availability alone is not enough. Meaningful use still requires specialised knowledge, particularly in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and in understanding the applicability of different data products, and this expertise remains limited in the market. That is why Tilde’s initiative is such a strong example of how we can reduce the gap between end users and the platforms where these data products are available — by enabling more intuitive access and helping users apply EO services based on their real needs.”
Roles and cooperation
Tilde will lead the development of the AI Assistant, drawing on its experience in multilingual virtual assistants and domain-specific AI systems. BSS will define system requirements, develop an API for product metadata access, and lead the integration of the Assistant into the EO Baltic Platform.
This cooperation strengthens the Baltic region’s ability to make EO data more accessible, actionable, and practical for real-world use.
“This project demonstrates how Latvia is moving from being a user of space data to becoming a developer of advanced digital solutions for the European space ecosystem. By combining Earth Observation expertise with language AI technologies, we are strengthening national competence in high-value segments of the space sector. Importantly, this initiative makes space data more accessible to public authorities, researchers, and businesses across the Baltic region.”
The activity is carried out under a programme of, and funded by, the European Space Agency. The views expressed in this publication cannot be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Space Agency. The project was funded under the Requesting Party Activity (RPA) scheme in Latvia.
About Tilde
Tilde is a leading European language technology company founded in 1991. With more than 150 employees, including 9 PhDs, Tilde specialises in multilingual virtual assistants, speech technologies, and neural machine translation systems for complex and under-resourced languages.
Tilde has extensive experience in the space and EO sector. The company developed EVA, the European Space Agency’s conversational AI platform for space and the assistant for the ESASky portal. In the Horizon Europe research project DOMINO-E, Tilde collaborated with Airbus Defence and Space, Capgemini, ONERA, ITTI, Oikoplus, Airbus, and GMV to develop new approaches for making multi-mission Earth Observation data more accessible. As part of this effort, Tilde developed an AI-driven Virtual Assistant that enables intuitive interaction with EO data catalogues and satellite image acquisition systems for non-expert users.
About Baltic Satellite Service
Baltic Satellite Service (BSS), established in 2009 and based in Riga, is a specialist in Earth observation and satellite-based analytics. The company develops and maintains the EO Baltic Platform and delivers EO-based applications for forestry, environmental monitoring, agriculture, utilities, public authorities, and academia.
BSS has broad experience in ESA- and EU-funded projects and provides training and academic cooperation in the field of Earth observation and spatial data applications.
