The number of remote sensing systems and thus also the number of satellite operators is set to increase significantly in the future. A reason for this development is the strong involvement of industry in the remote sensing market. A key market segment of growing importance is the generation of automatic processing chains for remote sensing data to be implemented in practical applications. The services and products developed by the Research Group include processing lines for geocoding, derivation of 3D terrain information or surface models and extraction of cartographic information from remote sensing images. Special expertise exists in sensor specific algorithms for optical, SAR and LIDAR systems. The methods developed are geared to GIS compatible products and are integrated into the software packages RSG (Remote Sensing Software Package Graz) and IMPACT (Image Processing and Classification Toolkit). A special focus is also placed on the development of a flexible airborne platform for the acquisition of optical and thermal image data. The integration of near real-time data processing chains makes the platform ideal for use in safety and security applications, especially in the management of natural disasters.