From Data to Decisions: Dr. Skevi Perdikou on the Evolution of Satellite Remote Sensing

In the latest instalment of our expert Q&A series, Geofem CEO, Dr. Skevi Perdikou, shares her insights on how satellite remote sensing is transforming infrastructure monitoring, improving risk management, and shaping the future of asset intelligence. 

With more than 20 years of experience applying satellite remote sensing to civil engineering, Skevi discusses the biggest challenges facing infrastructure asset managers, the latest developments in the field, and the exciting opportunities ahead.

What is one of the biggest challenges currently facing infrastructure asset managers, and how does satellite remote sensing help address it?

There isn’t a single challenge facing infrastructure asset managers today, but rather a combination of pressures. One of the most significant is the need to maintain aging infrastructure while ensuring it remains operationally safe and sustainable in increasingly challenging environmental conditions. 

Changing weather patterns are having a profound impact on infrastructure assets worldwide, exposing them to more frequent and severe stresses such as flooding, landslides, ground instability, and extreme weather events.  

These changing environmental conditions can accelerate deterioration and increase the likelihood of failure if not identified early. Asset managers are under growing pressure to monitor performance continuously and anticipate potential risks before they escalate into operational or safety issues. 

Satellite remote sensing plays a vital role in addressing this challenge by providing consistent, large-scale monitoring and data-driven insights over time. It can detect early signs of structural movement, ground deformation, or environmental change across wide areas, enabling proactive maintenance, improved risk management, and more resilient infrastructure planning. 

After more than 20 years in the field, what has been the most significant shift in how satellite remote sensing is perceived or applied? 

Twenty years ago, satellite remote sensing was often seen as a discipline quite removed from day-to-day engineering and infrastructure management. Like many emerging technologies at the time, it was developing in relative isolation and was not widely understood outside of specialist circles. 

Over the last decade in particular, there has been a significant shift in both perception and application. Satellite remote sensing is now recognised as a practical and powerful tool for solving real-world challenges across multiple sectors. Today, it is used for infrastructure condition assessment, asset monitoring, geohazard identification, environmental monitoring, and change detection analysis. 

What is particularly exciting is how these technologies are now becoming part of everyday decision-making. Rather than simply collecting data, organisations are using satellite-derived insights to better understand risk, monitor changes over time, and make more informed operational and maintenance decisions. 

Satellite remote sensing is a rapidly evolving field, with continuous advancements in technology and applications. What would you say has been the most significant recent development in satellite remote sensing, and how is it shaping—or likely to shape—the value this type of monitoring can provide? 

Over the past decade, one of the most impactful developments in satellite remote sensing has been the availability of open-access global satellite data.

This has dramatically increased access to high-quality imagery and made it possible to monitor and analyse sites almost anywhere in the world. As a result, satellite remote sensing has become far more accessible and widely adopted across multiple sectors.

A major turning point was the launch of Sentinel-1 in April 2014. For the first time, organisations had access to reliable, global radar data that could be used to monitor ground movement and infrastructure assets with millimetre-level precision over time. Sentinel-1 fundamentally changed how the industry viewed and applied satellite-based monitoring. 

More recently, the launch of NISAR in July 2025 marks another major step forward. NISAR provides open-access global L-band data, which is better able to penetrate vegetation and deliver deeper insights into ground deformation and environmental change in areas where other satellites may struggle. This is expected to be transformative for monitoring infrastructure in heavily vegetated or remote regions. 

Together, these advancements are increasing the value of satellite remote sensing by improving accessibility, enhancing data quality, and expanding the range of environments and assets that can be monitored effectively. 

In your opinion, what are the biggest misconceptions about satellite remote sensing? 

Like any technology or methodology, satellite remote sensing has its limitations. One of the biggest misconceptions is that, because it is satellite-based, it can answer every question and solve every problem. It cannot—and that is why education and expert interpretation are so important. 

At Geofem, we work closely with clients to provide an engineering-led understanding of the results, helping them understand what the data means, what the limitations are, and what actions may be required. 

Another common misconception is that satellite monitoring replaces in-situ sensors. In reality, the two work best together. Satellite remote sensing provides large-scale, cost-effective coverage across wide areas, while in-situ sensors deliver highly localised, real-time measurements. Used together, they create a more complete understanding of asset behaviour and risk. 

Geofem landslide analysis, conducted to measure ground displacement and determine the extent of the affected area. Strong horizontal displacement is apparent in an eastward direction (shown in blue), in alignment with the direction of the slope, affecting built-up areas.

Satellite remote sensing can also help optimise the placement of in situ sensors by identifying areas of concern that may not previously have been considered, reducing unnecessary installations and focusing monitoring budgets where they are needed most. 

It can also extend monitoring beyond the immediate site, helping identify areas where monitoring may be important.  

How important is data interpretation versus data collection? And how can organisations better integrate the interpretation Geofem provides into their decision-making processes? 

Data interpretation is critical. Simply receiving data does not provide the information needed to use it effectively. The real value comes from understanding what the data means, how it relates to the expected behaviour of an asset, and what actions may need to be taken as a result. 

At Geofem, we combine satellite-derived data with geotechnical and engineering expertise to turn complex datasets into clear, practical insights. We help clients understand whether observed movement or change is expected, seasonal, progressive, or potentially indicative of a developing risk. 

Very often, the question clients ask is: “What do I need to do?” That is where interpretation becomes essential. Our engineering assessments provide context, prioritisation, and recommendations for action, helping organisations make informed operational, maintenance, and safety decisions. 

To gain the greatest value, organisations should integrate this interpretation into their existing asset management and risk management processes, using satellite-derived insights to support inspections, prioritise maintenance, and improve long-term planning. 

Looking ahead, how do you see satellite remote sensing shaping the future of infrastructure management over the next 5–10 years? 

Over the next five to ten years, I expect satellite remote sensing to become even more powerful through higher-resolution imagery, more frequent data acquisition, and faster processing capabilities. We are moving towards a future where infrastructure assets can be monitored with much greater detail and with updates available daily—or close to real time. 

This will transform infrastructure management from periodic inspection to continuous monitoring and proactive risk management. Asset owners will be able to detect changes earlier, respond faster, and make better-informed decisions before issues become operational or safety concerns. 

As satellite technology continues to evolve, I also see greater integration between satellite-derived insights, in situ monitoring systems, and digital asset management platforms. This will provide a more complete and dynamic picture of asset behaviour over time. 

Ultimately, the future of infrastructure management will be driven by better data, better interpretation, and faster decision-making—and satellite remote sensing will play a central role in enabling that shift!  

About Dr. Skevi Perdikou 

Geofem CEO, Dr. Skevi Perdikou, has 20 years of experience applying satellite remote sensing techniques to civil engineering. 

Her combination of remote sensing and civil engineering expertise enables her to adapt state-of-the-art satellite technology to the needs of the infrastructure, mining, and energy sectors. 

She obtained a BEng in Civil Engineering and an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of London (City) and a PhD in Satellite Remote Sensing from the University of Southampton. 

As CEO of Geofem, she has led numerous innovation projects in satellite remote sensing for the European Space Agency, has successfully delivered commercial projects worldwide and is an internationally recognised speaker, presenting at conferences and events across the globe. 

Talk to Geofem today to see how engineering-led risk intelligence and satellite-derived data can give you a clearer understanding of how your assets and ground conditions behave over time.