Turning Space into Signal: New SIX White Paper on Satellite Data as a Business

SIX, in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen, has released a new white paper that maps how satellite Earth observation could be converted into usable signals for the financial industry.

Turning Space into Signal: New SIX White Paper on Satellite Data as a Business
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Satellite technology is rapidly becoming a critical component of the global data and sustainability transition. With the recent SpaceX listing, the biggest IPO in history, space is generating increasing interest from companies and investors. Advances in Earth observation technologies and analytics now enable real-time, objective insights into economic activity across the planet, supporting more informed decision-making in an increasingly complex world.

A new white paper Satellite Data as a Business: A Strategic Exploration of Satellite Intelligence Opportunities for Financial Services published by students from the University of St. Gallen together with SIX explores this space. 

Satellite Intelligence: Creating Value

Satellite data is being applied across sectors such as agriculture, energy, transportation, retail, finance, and climate risk management. Use cases range from crop monitoring and yield forecasting to supply-chain tracking, physical risk assessment, and the estimation of economic activity. These applications position satellite analytics as a suitable input for risk management, forecasting, and capital allocation.

Quote from David de Lame, Senior Product Manager at SIX, emphasizing that SIX iD provides instant access to a wealth of financial data for insightful decision-making.

If satellite data is validated and standardized, it could become a tradable signal—compressing risk premiums and improving price discovery.

Dr. Maneesh Wadhwa, Head Business Development Exchanges a.i., SIX

As satellite data markets mature, efficient integration into enterprise and financial systems, along with clear standards and governance, will be essential to ensure transparency, scalability, and trust.

The new white paper identifies where satellite intelligence creates genuine value and how that could be transformed into standardized signals that fit enterprise requirements.

Quote from David de Lame, Senior Product Manager at SIX, emphasizing that SIX iD provides instant access to a wealth of financial data for insightful decision-making.

Objective, forward‑looking signals help institutions price risk more precisely—and allocate capital more responsibly.

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Baumöl, University of St. Gallen

Read the full white paper to explore a practical roadmap to monetize satellite data – through validation, standardization, and secure distribution – and to embed space‑derived intelligence into financial decision‑making.

From Thought-leadership to Business Opportunities

With the new publication “Satellite Data as a Business”, the list of whitepapers published by SIX keeps growing, demonstrating thought-leadership and the goal to explore future business opportunities. Regularly teaming up with Academia, e.g. with the University of St Gallen or the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), the experts of SIX are sharing their knowledge with the students, enabling them to develop fresh perspectives and offer new ideas. Recent publications that SIX Swiss Exchange has supported include topics such as The House of Hydrogen: A Holistic Approach to Developing a European Hydrogen Market, An Analysis of Sustainability Reporting: Tools for a Resilient Tomorrow, Voluntary Carbon Markets, Reimagine Capital Markets and The future of SME Financing.