Helsinki, Finland – Kuva Space, a Finnish hyperspectral satellite and AI-powered insights company, has announced a new partnership with the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) to improve the detection and identification of harmful algae blooms in Finland’s lakes and coastal waters. This collaboration will utilize cutting-edge Finnish hyperspectral satellite data and AI-powered analytics to support water safety and environmental measures.
The vast network of lakes, rivers, and coastal waters in Finland presents a major monitoring challenge. Cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, can emerge suddenly, spread widely, and produce harmful toxins that pose risks to both humans and animals. To address this issue, Syke aims to monitor the entire country’s inland and coastal waters for harmful algae blooms and their associated species. However, current satellite missions lack the necessary spatial resolution and data latency to accurately measure algal bloom concentrations, identify toxic species, and deliver faster warnings at scale.
To overcome these limitations, Syke and Kuva Space are collaborating to develop advanced machine learning and AI models that leverage hyperspectral data, sample measurements, and insights from biochemical and genetic research. This partnership will enhance the accuracy and speed of algae bloom detection and identification, providing timely and actionable insights for environmental management and policy decisions.
“We’re very excited about this pilot with Kuva Space because rather than just detecting the presence of algae, we can use Kuva’s hyperspectral technology and AI to explore the spectral range and take a step further in identifying which algae species are present and assessing their biomass. In the long run, we can also follow how restoration efforts are impacting water quality across Finland’s many small lakes and complex coastal areas,” says Jenni Attila, Leading Researcher & Group Manager at the Finnish Environment Institute.
Continuous, high-spectral resolution data improve the modeling of water quality trends and help predict when and where harmful blooms are likely to occur. By filling gaps left by traditional sampling, hyperspectral monitoring strengthens regulatory reporting, supports ecosystem management, and guides smarter policy decisions.
“This public-private collaboration is a notable advancement in environmental monitoring capabilities, particularly for inland water quality, where large-scale, high-frequency coverage remains scarce,” says Jarkko Antila, CEO of Kuva Space. “By 2027, Kuva Space’s hyperspectral monitoring with daily revisit rates will provide commercial and public sector stakeholders in aquaculture and water resource management with continuous, actionable insights, enhancing operational planning, regulatory compliance, and sustainability outcomes at an unprecedented scale,” he continues.
Finland is a leader in the integration of satellite data into national environmental monitoring efforts. Satellite observations are used to assess and classify the ecological status of surface waters, increasing assessment coverage and confidence in 4,000 lakes and almost all coastal areas under reporting obligations.
Syke is also exploring how this type of insight can contribute to broader regulatory and restoration efforts. Finland reports under multiple EU directives and regulations, including the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, as well as the upcoming EU Nature Restoration Regulation. Better data and more observations can enhance the accuracy of status assessments and help target measures in a cost-efficient manner.
Kuva Space successfully launched its Hyperfield-1A satellite in August 2024, marking the initial stage of Kuva Space’s large hyperspectral constellation, which aims to provide daily observation by 2027 and gapless subdaily global monitoring with 100 satellites by 2030. Its second hyperspectral satellite, Hyperfield-1B, developed under the ESA InCubed program, was successfully deployed on June 24th, 2025, to support data collection for this pilot and other new and ongoing activities.
For additional information, please contact:
Jarkko Antila, CEO
Kuva Space
+358 50 529 8876
jarkko.antila@kuvaspace.com
Jenni Attila, Leading researcher, group manager, PhD
Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
+358 40 721 0575
jenni.attila@syke.fi
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.