The Colorado Photonics Industry Association (CPIA) holds its annual meeting at the University of Colorado at Boulder each November to highlight relevant research being conducted at Colorado's universities and recognize the top company in the industry for the past year. This year, the Company of the Year Award was presented to Neal Anderson, vice president of space systems for DigitalGlobe.
Many people have used Google Map or Mapquest, yet it is unlikely that people are aware that those pictures likely came from services provided by a company in our backyard, DigitalGlobe. A little over 15 years ago, the Department of Commerce granted DigitalGlobe, then known as WorldView, a license to build and operate a satellite system to gather high-resolution digital imagery of the earth for commercial sale.
So why is DigitalGlobe important to Colorado and Boulder County?
"DigitalGlobe has shown excellent growth and innovation in the digital imagery market," said David Giltner, president of CPIA. "The recent launch of the company's third high resolution satellite, WorldView-2, highlights the success of DigitalGlobe, as well as the high tech environment in Colorado that supports companies like DigitalGlobe."
More specifically, DigitalGlobe is a significant employer inconspicuously located in southwest Longmont. It has close ties to Ball Aerospace, the manufacturer of its satellites, and Lockheed Martin, located in Jefferson County. In addition, the company works closely with Google and Microsoft, as well as other suppliers in the local area. More importantly, DigitalGlobe demonstrates the value that innovation plays in the sustained prosperity of our local, state, and national economies. We welcome your thoughts about DigitalGlobe and other state or local companies that are quietly shaping the world we live in.
