The Equi7Grid, a spatial reference system developed at TU Wien and optimised for gridded raster images and geodata, has undergone significant upgrades in 2026. This major update, developed through an ongoing collaboration between the Remote Sensing group of the GEO Department and the EODC, opens an external URL in a new window, builds upon last year’s enhancements and addresses the growing demand from the Earth Observation (EO) community.

From early research to practical application

Initially developed in 2014 as part of our research study (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2014.07.005, opens an external URL in a new window) on optimising global grids for high-resolution remote sensing data, Equi7Grid has proven to be a practical and robust solution. It efficiently facilitates the creation of working grids for continental and global datasets, as well as Petabyte-scale datacubes for operational services, for instance in the frame of the Copernicus programme.

Integration into the EPSG catalogue

A major milestone was reached in 2024 when Equi7Grid’s projection parameters were integrated into the EPSG Geodetic Parameter Registry, opens an external URL in a new window. This integration provides straightforward access to Equi7Grid’s seven continental coordinate reference systems (CRSs), enabling seamless usage via common GIS software and geospatial libraries.

Revamped software & developer tools

In the spring of this year, we dedicated significant effort to refactoring our grid packages. The updated GitHub repository, opens an external URL in a new window, which hosts the Python software, source geometries, and documentation, has been released as the new major version v1.1.1.

Incorporating user feedback and modern technological standards, we have completely revamped the codebase. Key improvements include:

• Flexible configuration: Users can now freely choose tile sizes and compatible pixel samplings.

• Modern dependencies: The Python package is fully compatible with the current Python geospatial stack, featuring well-maintained dependencies and broader community support.

• Lightweight installation: Equi7Grid is now easier to install and no longer requires GDAL or other OSGEO libraries as strict dependencies.

New interactive webviewer

Following the software update, we launched a new EODC-hosted Equi7Grid Webviewer (https://equi7.services.eodc.eu/, opens an external URL in a new window). This dynamic, interactive tool allows users to visualise the grid and explore projection zones, coordinates, and tiling options. It serves as an accessible high-level interface for users who wish to gain a visual understanding of the grid system without writing code.

New homepage as centralised information hub

Finally, to consolidate all information and tools in one place and increase the visibility of Equi7Grid, we have launched our new official homepage (https://equi7.geo.tuwien.ac.at/, opens an external URL in a new window). This site serves as the primary hub for learning about the grid’s background, accessing documentation, and finding our suite of tools, and invites to explore the grid’s features.