Commercial Innovation Center (CIC)

We Are Better Together

Our Commercial Innovation Center (CIC) is a first-of-its-kind, online development and test platform that provides a secure, virtual, open ecosystem and test sandbox for developers and researchers. We do it by harnessing the combined powers of commercial remote sensing, unclassified open datasets, cloud technologies, in a secure development ecosystem fueled by new, emerging, and seasoned tools, services and data to create solutions that keep our nation safe. The Riverside Research CIC is the place where commercial subject matter experts come together securely to collaborate and create the best commercial solutions to real world scenarios before they're integrated and deployed in the field.

Together, we win

It’s not as much fun to play in the sandbox by yourself, right? We know from experience that it’s the collective work of many people with diverse experiences and backgrounds that create the most effective solutions. By design, the CIC encourages partnerships, increases data accessibility, integrates app development, and facilitates the creation of transition-ready prototypes. Because of our unique position as a nonprofit in the defense space, we can provide the neutral environment where collaborative innovation thrives. As demonstrated on this video, capitalizing on all commercial sensors available improves our progress towards persistent observation.

Access to rich datasets

Data is the one thing that is guaranteed to continuously grow and change. Technology entrepreneurs’ success revolves around access to these data and developing improved AI and machine learning tools creating integrated and advanced applications for businesses in support of (United States Government) USG needs.

Advanced tools and applications

Advanced tools and applications

Technology innovation in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and augmented and virtual reality present significant entrepreneurial opportunities, yet all require geospatial data for development. Early-stage entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and innovators will now have access to the large datasets that are traditionally only available to large, established industry players. Such datasets are often too costly for early-stage entrepreneurs and researchers to acquire, and even if the datasets are made available, they are often not packaged in a manner that allows innovators to work with the data—they are overwhelmingly unwieldy and non-standardized. The CIC data environment seeks to solve that problem, allowing researchers and entrepreneurs new opportunities for experimentation, testing, and training.

The CIC pairs this data with tools and services to streamline development timelines by ensuring flexible licenses are available for your R&D activities within the CIC ecosystem. As new tools and services become available, we negotiate with the vendors for early and shared access amongst our CIC participants to the latest and greatest capabilities from established vendors in the remote sensing market. This visual shows a few or our early integrators, and as new vendors are integrated, we’ll let the community know!

CIC Data Search and Discovery

Your all-access pass

The CIC supports and enables industry, scientific, academic, and governmental R&D activities by facilitating access to commercial remote sensing data. Riverside Research integrates the hardware, software, processes, data, tools, internet accesses, demonstration capabilities, and other IT infrastructure required to execute CIC participant SIBR projects and meet R&D objectives. Our CIC offers:

  • Exposure to diverse and emerging data and data types for more data scientists
  • Increased interaction between content providers and new application developers; enables cloud-hybrid, multi-INT applications
  • Lowered entry barriers by eliminating the need for a user-developed system
  • Integrated orchestration-to-analysis workflow
  • Timely teaming, technology, and tipping
  • Accelerated access and use of commercial remote sensing solutions and innovation
Right where you want it

Right where you want it

Are you looking for a cloud-hosting environment where you can easily access commercial data for development and test—all from one place to safely develop, load, and test capabilities?

Our trusted, unclassified, virtual development platform provides access to R&D-licensed commercial remote sensing phenomenologies (e.g., EO, radar, IR, RF), connects emerging and established vendors with shared application tools and services, and facilitates GEOINT, MASINT, and Multi-INT research and development. The CIC includes:

  • An ecosystem of commercial data providers (CDPs)
  • A network of application developers
  • Common R&D data and COTS/GOTS tools (e.g., loading, discovery)
  • Common testing data (curated, tagged)
  • Robust DevOps environment
  • Hybrid cloud-ready infrastructure
  • Protected intellectual property and data rights
  • Maturing secure data fabric
CIC mission, vision & values

CIC mission, vision & values

Mission: Provide data scientists and algorithm developers with a virtual development and test platform and access to new and diverse commercial remote sensing data to develop algorithms, tools, and services.

Vision: Work in the Nation’s interest to offer proven expertise and experience in commercial remote sensing to solve problems through innovation, agility, and creative thinking.

Values: Encourage partnerships and connect emerging and established users across USG and industry with shared application tools, services, and diverse commercial constellation data.

Participant Agreements: We offer access to a secure, virtual, cloud-based ecosystem to perform R&D using existing and emerging commercial sources to develop and test algorithms, tools, and services accelerating USG objectives.

Commercial Experts: We offer our commercial experience, data scientists, and phenomenology experts to support efforts using the CIC to perform commercial utility assessments, new sensor development, synthetic data V&V, data value/usability studies, and more.

Products and Services: We offer access to CIC-based products and services such as synthetic data generation, data tagging, AI/ML V&V, data compression, data geo-registration, and more.

Work With the Commercial Innovation Center
Press Inquiries About the CIC

Commercial Innovation in the News

  • Commercial Imagery
  • Satellite Launches
  • EO-MSI
  • SAR
  • HSI
  • RF
  • SSA
Commercial Imagery
Sanctioned Oil Tankers Flee Venezuela in Defiance of U.S. Blockade - The New York Times

For weeks, the ships had been spotted on satellite imagery docked in Venezuelan ports, according to an analysis by The New York Times. But by Saturday ...

Jan 5,2026
MICE-1: Greece's Maritime LEO IoT Nanosatellite - Inside GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design ... Linkedin · MICE-1 joins the IoT space race; Image courtesy Prisma Electronics ...

Jan 5,2026
Trump says he doesn't believe Ukraine struck Putin residence - Reuters

Satellite imagery shows Vladimir Putin's residential complex in Roshchino, Novgorod Region, Russia August 31, 2023. 2025 Planet Labs PBC/Handout ...

Jan 5,2026
Trump says he doesn't believe Ukraine struck Putin residence - Japan Today

A view of Vladimir Putin's residential complex in Roshchino, Novgorod Region Satellite imagery ... 2025 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS Image: ...

Jan 5,2026
Steady rain through Sunday afternoon before conditions improve Monday - KSBW

SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS AREAS OF LOW CLOUDS AND PATCHY FOG. - ONE LAST DAY OF COASTAL FLOODING FROM KING TIDES - CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY ...

Jan 5,2026
Satellite Images Show Damage At Military Base Where Maduro Was Captured - YouTube

US Attacks Venezuela | Satellite Images Show Damage At Military Base Where Maduro Was Captured. 137 views · 3 hours ago #CaracasExplosions ...

Jan 5,2026
Astroscale Japan Awarded Ministry of Defense Contract to Develop Gripping Mechanism System

(“Astroscale”), the market leader in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability across all orbits, has been awarded an approximately 1 ...

Jan 5,2026
Death toll from US invasion of Venezuela rises to 80, report says - Businessday NG

Death toll from US invasion of Venezuela rises to 80, report says. Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe. January 5, 2026. Satellite-image-of-Venezuela.

Jan 5,2026
The great telecom shift: Skyward expansion meets data consolidation - eMarketer

Apple, which pioneered satellite communications on smartphones, is offering the service for free. Altering consumer perception that satellite access ...

Jan 5,2026
New satellite imagery has revealed damaged areas at Fuerte Tiuna after the United States ...

7 likes, 1 comments - republicworld on January 4, 2026: "New satellite imagery has revealed damaged areas at Fuerte Tiuna after the United States ...

Jan 5,2026
New satellite imagery shows the damage to Fuerte Tiuna, the military complex where U.S. ...

The New York Times (@nytimes). 12K Views. New satellite imagery shows the damage to Fuerte Tiuna, the military complex where U.S. forces captured ...

Jan 5,2026
The next frontier in space is closer than you think – welcome to the world of very low Earth ...

... imaging deep into the final frontier; view from the upper stage of a ... satellite to a higher-orbiting satellite with a long tether. Although ...

Jan 5,2026
F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II jets play central role as U.S. airpower enables capture of ...

United States deploys F-35 fifth-generation gighters to Puerto Rico, satellite image shows · Raytheon has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force ...

Jan 5,2026
Rubio says US not at war with Venezuela, as Maduro set to appear in New York court on Monday

Satellite images show damage at Fuerte Tiuna ... BBC Verify is looking for more satellite imagery of the locations targeted by the US military.

Jan 5,2026
Indra Group Discloses Debris Impact to SpainSat NG II Satellite

Spanish company Indra Group disclosed that the SpainSat NG II satellite was impacted by space debris during the orbit-raising process.

Jan 5,2026
Iran moves to next stage in latest satellite missions following initial checks - Tehran Times

Iran moves to next stage in latest satellite missions following initial checks ... imaging subsystem tests now ongoing. Kowsar has likewise ...

Jan 5,2026
U.S. leveled military facilities in Maduro attack, satellite imagery reveals | Colin Demarest

U.S. leveled military facilities in Maduro attack, satellite imagery reveals axios.com.

Jan 5,2026
Satellite Imagery Reveals Damage to Venezuelan Base Where Maduro Was Captured

Satellite images have revealed visible damage at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military installation, following a dramatic US operation that ...

Jan 5,2026
Satellite images show huge scale of damage from US strikes during Maduro capture

... (Image: Satellite image ©2026 Vantor/AFP). Satellite images show the scale of damage inflicted by the U.S. strike that led to the capture of ...

Jan 5,2026
South Korea's 'New Space' Shift: AI and Satellite Integration

South Koreas New Space Shift: AI and Satellite Integration Experts stress integrating satellite manufacturing with AI software, avoiding quantity ...

Jan 5,2026
Satellite Launches
Policy Reforms to Launch US Space Innovation | ITIF

Satellite imaging from low-earth orbit, remote sensing, and navigation ... launches involving communications satellites) may cause delays for launches ...

Jan 5,2026
More than 150 fighters, bombers and other aircraft took part in Venezuela strike

... launched from 20 bases. ... 12 Air Force F-22 fighter jets have been spotted in public satellite imagery at the recently restored Roosevelt Roads Naval ...

Jan 5,2026
Spies, drones and blowtorches: How the US captured Maduro - BBC

... launch. They wanted to maximise the element ... Follow the operation to seize the Venezuelan president through photos, satellite images and maps.

Jan 5,2026
Starlink to Provide Free Internet Across Venezuela Amid Political Upheaval - Vision Times

Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service. (Image: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images). By Gao Yun. SpaceX's satellite internet service, Starlink ...

Jan 5,2026
Donald Trump says US will 'run' Venezuela and 'fix oil infrastructure' - BBC

The US launched strikes on Venezuela on ... Follow the operation to seize the Venezuelan president through photos, satellite images and maps.

Jan 5,2026
First Liftoff of 2026: SpaceX Launches Italian Cosmo-SkyMed Satellite With Falcon 9

The spacecraft carries a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in the X-band. It allows it to capture high-resolution images through clouds and in complete ...

Jan 5,2026
SpaceX launches first mission out of Florida in 2026 - WESH

The rocket carried 29 Starlink V-2 mini satellites into low Earth orbit. Advertisement. Liftoff was delayed due to clouds and rainy weather at first, ...

Jan 5,2026
North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of South Korean leader's visit to China

... images, Image 1 shows Before-and-after satellite · Satellite images reveal damage from US strikes on Venezuela's military during Maduro capture · An ...

Jan 5,2026
Thousands of travelers left stranded in the Caribbean due to US raid on Venezuela

... launched airstrikes in Venezuela's largest military complex in an operation to arrest President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. AFP via Getty Images.

Jan 5,2026
IRGC launches missile, air defence exercise in Iran | The Jerusalem Post

... satellite carrier are displayed at the Azadi (Freedom) Sq. in in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (photo credit: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images) By ...

Jan 5,2026
What the US targeted in Venezuela: Communications, depots and missile systems

US launches retaliatory strikes in Syria on dozens of ISIS targets. Dec ... Satellite images from data-satellite company Vantor showed that at ...

Jan 5,2026
Satellite images of lawmaker's home and workplace removed: MODA - Focus Taiwan

The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) said Sunday that satellite images of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen's (沈伯洋) ...

Jan 5,2026
The risk of falling space junk hitting airplanes is on the rise, experts warn

When it launches in late 2027, DRACO will measure — in 200 sensors' worth of detail — exactly how a small satellite disintegrates during its plunge ...

Jan 5,2026
SpaceX launches Starlink 6-88 mission from Cape Canaveral in Florida

Launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. Launch was at 1:48 a.m. EST, Sunday, ...

Jan 5,2026
Iran moves to next stage in latest satellite missions following initial checks - Tehran Times

... launch vehicle. Precise corrective measures were taken to resolve this ... imaging subsystem tests now ongoing. Kowsar has likewise passed ...

Jan 5,2026
SpaceX Launches Third Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation Satellite for Italy

According to Thales Alenia Space, since the launch of the first Cosmo-SkyMed satellite in 2007, about 4.3 million images have been acquired by the ...

Jan 5,2026
How U.S launched secret pre-dawn raid, captured Maduro & ended his 13-yr rule - YouTube

Ops Absolute Resolve: How U.S launched secret pre-dawn raid ... Trump-Maduro latest: satellite images reveal damage. LiveNOW from FOX ...

Jan 5,2026
US Strikes Maduro's Caracas Bases: Warehouses Destroyed, Satellite Images Reveal

At least five warehouses were completely destroyed during the overnight U.S. operation in Caracas. Satellite images show significant damage to ...

Jan 5,2026
From Caracas 'fort' to New York court: Maduro's capture in pictures and maps - BBC

An elite unit of the US army captured the Venezuelan leader in an extraordinary operation that can be followed through photos, satellite images ...

Jan 5,2026
Satellite Images Reveal Damage At Venezuela's Fuerte Tiuna After US Strikes - YouTube

Venezuela News | Satellite Images Reveal ... 'RED ARMY RISES': Marxists Launch 'WAR' Within U.S. Hours After Maduro Capture - Report | WATCH.

Jan 5,2026
EO-MSI
Indra Group Activates Contingency Plans Following SpainSat NG II Orbital Incident

SpainSat NG I: The first satellite in the constellation, launched in ... The SpainSat NG II is based on the Airbus Eurostar Neo platform and ...

Jan 5,2026
Satellite Imagery Reveals Damage to Venezuelan Base Where Maduro Was Captured

Before-and-after imagery released on Sunday by Vantor, a Colorado-based space technology company formerly known as Maxar Intelligence, shows that ...

Jan 5,2026
US Strikes Maduro's Caracas Bases: Warehouses Destroyed, Satellite Images Reveal

At least five warehouses were completely destroyed during the overnight U.S. operation in Caracas. Satellite ... neo•1.4M views · 51:56 · Go to channel ...

Jan 5,2026
Photos show damage at Fuerte Tiuna, the military base where Maduro was captured

Vantor satellite image shows an overview of Fuerte Tiuna military complex showing buildings and equipment prior to strike damage. Maxar via Getty.

Jan 5,2026
Space Brief 4 Jan 2026 - KeepTrack

Today's brief highlights a significant geospatial data collaboration between Maxar and Saab, defense budget discussions affecting satellite ...

Jan 5,2026
Milky Way's Sulfur X-Rayed By XRISM Satellite - video Dailymotion

00:17Using the CRISM satellite, astronomers have now x-rayed our ... Milky Way's Monster Black Hole Data Collected By 'Legion' Of Telescopes.

Jan 5,2026
SpaceX launches first Starlink deployment mission since problem strikes satellite

... satellite collected by Vantor's (formerly known as Maxar Intelligence) WorldView-3 satellite on Dec. 20 that showed the satellite was “largely intact.

Jan 5,2026
Neo-Nazi group preparing for race war in Britain - The Telegraph

Anti-Semitic Vanguard Britannica hosts fight camps and combat training as it prepares for 'increased political and racial violence'

Jan 5,2026
Aftermath of U.S. Airstrikes on Caracas: Satellite Images Emerge - Militarnyi

Satellite images of sites struck by U.S. aircraft during Operation ... Germany Signs Contract to Launch TAURUS ...

Jan 5,2026
SpaceX's Starlink Plans Major Orbital Adjustment In 2026, Moving Satellites Below 500 Km ...

... satellite constellation. ... For ten years we've played a key role in helping shift the Overton window in favour of our worldview - towards an Indian ...

Jan 5,2026
Milky Way's Monster Black Hole Data Collected By 'Legion' Of Telescopes - video Dailymotion

Milky Way's Monster Black Hole Data Collected By 'Legion' Of Telescopes ... Drone Footage Of Chinese Rocket Launched A Yaogan-34 Satellite · Space ...

Jan 5,2026
RF
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