Held since 2016, Earth Observation Competition aims to accelerate the development of projects carried out with the help of satellite images in Azerbaijan, facilitate scientific activities in our country, contribute to the socio-economic development, and promote Earth observation services and solutions and their application potential in a variety of fields. Confirmed participants will be provided with the satellite imagery from the Azersky archive to help achieve solutions for the issues posed in their research area.
Everyone aged between 18 and 35 can participate in the competition. There are no requirements for the field of work and experience of the participants. The competition is open to university faculty and students, research institute employees, independent researchers or public / private sector representatives and others.
First, make sure to fill out and submit the participation form below. You should indicate your personal and contact information, a brief description of the project as well as information about whether you can work with satellite images or not. If your application is seen fit for the competition, we will send you an imagery brief and a project submission form. After submitting these documents to us, you will be sent processed satellite imagery and need to submit your project for evaluation until August 31st.
In connection with the declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture”, this year’s competition is held under the theme of urban planning. Participants must submit projects corresponding to one of the following areas: urban planning, architecture, infrastructure, cadastral systems, territorial planning, digital twins, and 3D mapping. In the initial stage, priority will be given to projects aligned with the mentioned directions. Another key requirement is that the project must be research-based and present a real problem along with its solution. In the project summary, participants should clearly describe the selected problem and demonstrate how satellite imagery will be used to address it. The project topic may cover any area within the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Application period is already open and will end on June 15th. Applications received after this date will be evaluated within next year's competition.
The winners of the top three places will be awarded prizes in the amounts of 5000 AZN, 3000 AZN, and 1500 AZN, respectively. Awards are also planned for additional nominations.