Evolution of Copernicus services to meet global environmental, emergency and security challenges
Copernicus, the EO component of the EU Space Programme, is one of the most ambitious and successful initiatives of its kind worldwide, and a true European success story in space. It offers continuous, accurate and accessible information on various aspects of the planet, including land, oceans and the atmosphere. The backbone of Copernicus relies on a set of dedicated satellites (the current Sentinel family, and the upcoming Sentinel Expansion and Sentinel Next Generation missions), as well as valuable data from the Copernicus Contributing Missions (other public and commercial satellites) and Earth-based (in situ) sensors. The Copernicus services process, analyse and transform this wealth of data through its six thematic core services: Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS), Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS), Copernicus Security Service (CSS) and Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS). These value-adding information services, as well as the data from which they are derived, are made accessible on a full, free and open basis, and are used by its rapidly growing user community for a diverse range of applications. Examples include greenhouse gas monitoring, climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, the protection of natural resources, reinforcing food security, crisis management and border management. As a world-class and user-driven EO programme, the continuous evolution of Copernicus is essential to addressing constantly evolving environmental, emergency and security challenges. Therefore, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) funded an important portfolio of Horizon 2020 R&I projects that effectively accelerated future evolutions of the respective Copernicus services. Addressing so-called Tier-3 research activities, the projects targeted medium- to long-term R&D over several years focusing on key upgrades of the services in line with EU and global policy priorities. This CORDIS Results Pack presents the work of 10 EU-funded projects that aimed at enabling each of the six services to better respond to emerging user requirements and policy needs, while leveraging the latest scientific and technological advances. These efforts build on the extensive portfolio of EU-funded research projects that have supported Copernicus services since the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) and continue under Horizon Europe. Key short- and long-term R&D priorities for future evolution of the Copernicus services under Horizon Europe and beyond are outlined in the Earth Observation Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). By highlighting these project successes, this Results Pack facilitates future exploitation and uptake of project results by the Copernicus community – and beyond. The projects contained within this Pack address each of the core Copernicus services. CoCO2 and SEEDS support the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), improving our ability to monitor emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane and other air pollutants, helping countries measure their progress in meeting their EU air quality targets and Paris Agreement climate commitments. The CONFESS project enhances the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) through enhanced understanding of aerosols and land conditions, improving our ability to predict severe weather events. RapidAI4EO brings deep learning to land monitoring applications, while Water-ForCE is working to harmonise a fragmented landscape of inland water monitoring services, both key aspects of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS). Software developed by the ARCOS project uses satellite data to detect industrial development and clandestine fishing vessels in the Arctic, bolstering the Copernicus Security Service (CSS), while WQeMS is supporting the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) with tools for monitoring drinking water supplies from space. And the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) benefits from the work of SEAMLESS on ocean carbon cycles, transforming how we monitor and forecast ocean changes. Finally, the CURE project’s tools to address climate resilience of built areas, and improved access to satellite data on water quality in coastal and inland areas by the CERTO project offer benefits that span the breadth of Copernicus services.
