By 2030, companies will be spending more on Earth intelligence than governments and military bodies combined, according to new research from Gartner. The firm predicts that more than half of all Earth intelligence spending will come from the private sector by the end of the decade, up from less than 15 percent in 2024.
But what on Earth, excuse the pun, even is Earth intelligence? As defined by Gartner, it is “the application of AI to Earth observation data to deliver solutions specific to industries and business functions.” This involves collecting satellite and sensor data, transforming it, and applying AI tools to generate insights for business use.
Annual direct revenue from Earth intelligence is expected to surpass $4.2 billion by 2030, rising from just under $3.8 billion in 2025.
Cumulative direct revenue for technology product and service providers is projected to hit nearly $20 billion between 2025 and 2030.
“The future of Earth intelligence will be won by the vendors that move quickly to develop technologies that make sense of the oceans of raw data they collect,” said Bill Ray, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner.
According to Ray, “The value of Earth intelligence data is only now being realized. For example, vendors are leveraging satellites to pinpoint fallen trees blocking railroad tracks in a storm, monitoring the temperature of every metal refinery to assess global production, counting vehicles to analyze traffic patterns and consumer trends, and track sea cargo to evaluate shipping activity,” he said. “These unprecedented insights are delivering immense value, and new use cases are being discovered daily as the AI vendor race intensifies with the ever-expanding volume of available data.”
Earth intelligence data gathering
The data that powers Earth intelligence has traditionally come from government-operated satellites and ground systems, but this is changing fast as the cost of space-based sensing drops. New satellites, especially in very low Earth orbit (VLEO), are cheaper to build and launch and offer extremely high resolution.
“This is driving, and will continue to drive, massive amounts of Earth observation data,” said Ray. “Combining satellite data with ground observation data from sensors and drones further enhances Earth intelligence value. This is where AI plays a critical role. Unlike many domains, there is a plethora of data. But that data needs to be engineered into fit-for-purpose information to feed industry- and function-specific AI models.”
Radar and hyperspectral imaging are also helping to uncover details that used to be invisible. New systems in VLEO can offer image resolution as sharp as 10 centimeters — clear enough to see objects as small as a mouse.
“As private technology and service providers begin to dominate Earth intelligence, they have the opportunity to sell data, models and applications to companies that lack the resources to analyze data for themselves,” Ray added. “Earth intelligence will lead to new markets and offerings for data, models, stand-alone tools and applications as well as capabilities to embed within existing applications. This represents a massive business opportunity for technology product and service providers.”
The Gartner report suggests that the growth in Earth intelligence is more than just a data trend. It marks a shift in how industries monitor the planet, infrastructure, resources and even consumer behavior. With the private sector poised to overtake military and government spending in this field, new competitive dynamics are already beginning to take shape.
Do you see Earth intelligence as a game-changer or just another trend? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image Credit: Dzmitry Auramchik / Dreamstime.com
