Despite its importance, this supply chain remains fragile, under-resourced and decentralised. A 2024 United Nations report noted that approximately half of the geodetic ground observation stations are no longer fully operational due to ageing and insufficient funding, while the number of geodetic professionals continues to decline. Today, less than 0.05% of the revenue generated by global navigation satellite systems and Earth observation services are reinvested in the global geodesy supply chain.

ESA has actively contributed to the supply chain for more than two decades and has been key in raising the awareness of its current state. To help further address this imbalance, ESA has joined a growing network of national and international partners coordinated by the UN-GGCE. Created in 2020, the UN-GGCE assists Member States and geodetic organisations to coordinate and collaborate to sustain an accurate, accessible and sustainable geodetic reference frame.

Operational since March 2025, the Multilateral Memorandum of Understand was signed by Francisco-Javier Benedicto-Ruiz, ESA Director of Navigation, and Rolf Densing, ESA Director of Operations in May. The memorandum is structured in two main phases: first, it aims to avoid degradation of the supply chain, and second, to build long-term resilience.

The global geodesy supply chain is inherently cooperative. No single nation can generate it on its own, so collaboration is essential. By joining the Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding, ESA is committing to both strengthening the global geodesy supply chain and international cooperation.

“The geodesy supply chain is at the core of PNT but is also essential for Earth science, and societal applications. This includes sea-level and climate change monitoring, natural hazard and disaster management, and sustainable development. Establishing accurate and stable reference frames on Earth and in space is critical and increasingly in demand,” says Javier Benedicto, ESA Director of Navigation.

Through this collaboration, ESA will contribute to enhancing the reliability, sustainability, and global coordination of geodetic infrastructure, which will also support Europe’s satellite missions, from Earth observation to navigation.