The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) has signed a co-operation agreement with the Directorate of Town Planning and Survey (DTPS), Government of Sharjah.

The move is aimed at bolstering mutual co-operation and co-ordination between both parties to better achieve common objectives and aspirations.

The agreement will help boost public performance, establishing new rules of co-operation, and promoting strategic partnerships, remarked Yousuf Al Shaibani, the director general, EIAST after signing the agreement with Salah Bin Butti Al Muhairi, the chairman of Sharjah Directorate of Town Planning and Survey, in the presence of other senior officials.

Under the terms of the deal, EIAST will be providing Sharjah’s DTPS, periodically or upon request, with multispectral satellite images and high resolution panchromatic images, based on DTPS’s coordinate system.

"EIAST undertakes to provide highest accurate space images, compared with the rest space images being produced by satellites of EIAST. In return, DTPS will provide EIAST with Ground Control Points and Base Maps or any other geographical and survey data agreed upon by both parties and whose publishing will not interfere with the Institution’s privacy policy," stated Al Shaibani.

The agreement further includes the strengthening of co-operation between EIAST and DTPS through the exchange of scientific expertise and development of human resources in space and scientific industries, including space science, remote sensing applications, satellite communication and global satellite navigation.

It also encourages the sharing of industry experiences, knowledge, research and studies, which will mutually contribute towards rising of awareness about the country’s space programs.

DTPS will also conduct training programs for EIAST’s employees from all disciplines, namely: urban planning, engineering and geographic information systems (GIS).

"Through this agreement, we look forward to boost mutual co-operation with Sharjah’s DTPS, in line with our ongoing efforts to reinforce relations with government sectors and thereby achieve public benefit," added Al Shaibani.-TradeArabia News Service