WUT researchers co-create Civil Security Hub Poland

The Civil Security Hub Poland, as part of the European Space Agency (ESA) initiative, Space Resilience Nodes, connects the world of space technologies with public administration. The project is led by the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN), in cooperation with the Warsaw University of Technology, CloudFerro, and the European Space Foundation. Its objective is to process vast amounts of data – from satellite imagery, drone footage and spatial databases – into concrete, ready-to-use operational products: maps, analyses, and reports delivered directly to crisis management teams. The outcomes include innovative monitoring systems, such as automated river monitoring and rapid flood extent mapping.

"Activities aimed at genuinely strengthening societal resilience to threats resulting from environmental disasters, climate change, or geopolitical tensions are today an important social need," explains Prof. Janusz Walo, Dean of the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography at the Warsaw University of Technology. "The establishment of a Civil Security Hub in Poland is a response to these challenges. Space technologies in communication, navigation, and Earth observation enable remote monitoring of threats and early warning, which translates into faster response, more efficient crisis management, and reduced social and economic losses."

The project is funded by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Researchers from the Warsaw University of Technology are responsible for supporting innovative methods of monitoring environmental and water-related threats. 

"Within Civil Security Hub Poland, a team of researchers from the Warsaw University of Technology is responsible for developing a service supporting the monitoring of algal bloom hazards in rivers, which will integrate the results of satellite image analyses and in-situ measurements,” says Prof. Katarzyna Osińska-Skotak, Project Manager at WUT and WP70 Leader. "Satellite data will provide, among others, information on the spatial distribution of chlorophyll, total suspended solids, and water temperature, which will be validated using in-situ measurements. The service will also provide access to data from publicly available geospatial data services."

The project has now entered a key operational phase, officially inaugurated in March 2026. The first versions of the systems have already undergone real-world testing during the 2024 floods and the 2022 ecological crisis on the Oder River. The current phase is planned to last up to 36 months, approximately until mid-2028, but the system is intended to become a permanent element of the national security system.

 "Thanks to the integration of data and products from various sources, obtained using different methods, and specially designed analytical dashboards, users will gain a better tool for analysing and forecasting algal blooms in surface waters," adds Prof. Katarzyna Osińska-Skotak.

WUT scientific potential: an interdisciplinary team in the service of security

The project team from the Warsaw University of Technology includes: Prof. Katarzyna Osińska-Skotak (Project Manager at WUT), Prof. Małgorzata Wojtkowska, Nina Doskocz, PhD, Oskar Graszka, MSc, Jakub Modrzewski, MSc, Jakub Gryzio, MSc, and Wioletta Barszcz, MSc. The team closely cooperates with the other partners: CBK PAN (coordinator), CloudFerro (cloud infrastructure), and the European Space Foundation.

Press conference on the Civil Security Hub Poland project

A digital shield for citizens

As part of the project, an Innovation Pipeline-as-a-Service mechanism will be developed. On the one hand, it will enable providers of space-based solutions to develop products tailored to specific needs and aligned with the operational practices of end users. On the other hand, it will support end users in implementing new solutions by providing testing access in both pre-operational and operational conditions.

The result will be operational support for civil protection and emergency response entities, including:

increased situational awareness through the provision of geoinformation products based on satellite and drone imagery, technical and organisational support in the use of new products, training, exercises, and demonstrations related to innovative space-based solutions, activities supporting implementation, including the collection and sharing of best practices, support in policy development, business development support, and information and promotional activities.

The first solutions based on space technologies to be developed within the Innovation Pipeline-as-a-Service include:

• Water Quality Monitoring – a system consisting of a computational module and a web platform for monitoring river water quality and providing information on water parameters, developed by the Warsaw University of Technology,
• a drone and Earth Observation (EO) data consolidator, developed by CloudFerro,
• a web platform for flood monitoring based on radar Earth observation, developed in cooperation with ICEYE.

The establishment of Civil Security Hub Poland is a milestone in modern crisis management, in which Polish engineering expertise plays a leading role in ensuring environmental and civil security. It is both a success and proof that research conducted at the Warsaw University of Technology has a direct impact on saving lives and protecting public health.