ILMApilot is a project funded by the Academy of Finland under the “Key project research funding: Forging ahead with research”. The project aims at promoting the use of satellite-based atmospheric observations in different sector of society and supporting the interaction between researchers and potential users.
ILMApilot is based on the results achieved during the ESA-funded ILMA project, which focused on the application of satellite-based atmospheric observations for air quality (AQ) monitoring at high latitudes. In the research activity we used the NO2 measurements performed by the Dutch-Finnish Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), operational onboard NASA’s Aura satellite since October 2004. NO2 is a pollutant gas produced through fossil fuel combustion. Because of its short lifetime, NO2 do not travel very far from its source and it is often used to monitor changes in polluting emissions.
ILMApilot will be implemented via pilot projects including: tailored satellite-based AQ products for environmental authorities, service providers and communication to the public; satellite data promotion activities (such as bootcamps and workshops) for boosting business ideas.
The organisation hosting the project is the Finnish Meteorological Institute (Helsinki, FI). The project parters include the European Space Agency (ESA), the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY) and the Helsinki Think Company.