2014 European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar (EUSAR) (EUSAR)

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to EUSAR 2014 in Berlin. This year we are celebrating the anniversary of the 10th European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar, which has been held biennially since 1996. Over the years EUSAR, the first dedicated conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar, has evolved to become the leading international event gathering world-class scientists and engineers engaged in the fields of SAR techniques, technology, and applications. The evolution of EUSAR is not only documented by the number of papers and posters presented, but also by the increasing number of participating countries. We are looking forward to welcoming leading experts from multiple disciplines and from more than 30 countries presenting almost 400 papers. It is the open spirit of this conference that provides an excellent forum for exchanging information and for discussions on a wide variety of SAR related topics and latest developments. EUSAR has accompanied the worldwide developments on high resolution imaging radar and has helped to establish an international community of SAR experts. SAR systems are today an indispensable data source for high resolution 2D and 3D mapping, environmental and disaster monitoring as well as security related applications. After the early experimental systems, current SAR missions are operational and beyond their scientific exploitation. SAR data and products have gained considerable shares in the commercial EO markets. SAR techniques and information extraction have matured in various domains, enabling operational applications and services for programs like the European Copernicus environmental monitoring programme. Early results from the recently launched Sentinel-1 are expected to be one of the highlights of EUSAR 2014. Beyond the various sessions on current and future missions as well as imaging and processing techniques, this year’s technical program features also a number of application oriented sessions in different fields. The Maritim Hotel is situated in the heart of Berlin close to most famous land marks like the Brandenburger Tor, the Reichstag (home of the German parliament) or the futuristic buildings at Potsdamer Platz. Berlin, built around the River Spree, has undergone dramatic changes in the past years. Mostly destroyed after World War II, many historic sites have been restored or reconstructed and the city has emerged from an unparalleled construction project. The new (old) capital of Germany is once again one of the greatest European cities. Take your time to visit Berlin, enjoy its legendary night life or relax in one of the parks like the Tiergarten right next to the Maritim Hotel.