Technology Development Challenge: : Global Space-Based Development Challenge

Design and prototype tech that uses real-time satellite and sensor data to deliver life-saving insights to decision-makers and first responders.

: Details:

CAL FIRE, in collaboration with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Earth Fire Alliance, invites developers, data scientists, and systems architects to take on one of the most pressing challenges of our time: building the next-generation data infrastructure for space-based wildfire intelligence. This global challenge is your opportunity to design and prototype solutions that can ingest real-time satellite and sensor data, manage it securely across hybrid environments, and deliver actionable insights to frontline responders and decision-makers. Whether you're passionate about scalable data pipelines, secure cloud architecture, or intuitive analytics platforms, your ideas can help shape how we protect lives and landscapes in an era of climate-driven emergencies.

An International Call to Action

This is more than a competition—it's a call to action for technologists who want to make a real-world impact. Bring your team, your tools, and your vision. Let’s build the architecture that will power the future of wildfire response.

Challenges:

Participants will tackle three mission-critical challenges: (1) developing versatile ingestion mechanisms for batch, real-time, and streaming data; (2) designing hybrid storage systems that ensure data integrity, security, and compliance; and (3) building a secure, user-friendly data clearinghouse that empowers analysts and agencies to act on critical information.

You Can Help Shape the Future of Wildfire Intelligence

By participating in the Global Development Challenge—an international call to action sponsored by CAL FIRE, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Earth Fire Alliance. This is your chance to contribute to a greater cause: building resilient, scalable systems that harness space-based data to protect communities and ecosystems from the growing threat of wildfires.

Whether you're an innovator, engineer, or data scientist, your ideas can drive real-world impact.

With $150,000 in prize money on the line and three mission-critical challenges to choose from—data ingestion, hybrid storage, and secure analytics platforms—this is more than a competition; it’s a movement. Rally your team, bring your best thinking, and help build the architecture that will power tomorrow’s emergency response. 

Register Now