The E-SHAPE proposal is driven by the need to develop operational EO services with and for the users and to create a conducive environment whereby the strengths of Europe are exploited towards addressing societal challenges, fostering entrepreneurship and supporting sustainable development. The proposal objectives are 1) to develop operational EO services with and for users active in key societal sectors; 2) to demonstrate the benefits of the EO pilots through the coordinated downstream exploitation of EO data and the utilization of existing EO resources; 3) to promote the uptake of pilots at national and international scale, across vertical markets (private and public) and amongst key user communities; 4) to enable the long-term sustainability of the numerous pilots, their penetration in public and private markets and support their upscaling; 5) to increase uptake by raising awareness on the solutions developed through tailored and well-targeted communication, dissemination and outreach activities. The proposal aims at setting-up and promoting a sustainable organization dedicated to users’ uptake of European EO resources, building on Copernicus and GEOSS through the development of co-design pilots (i.e. application-oriented products, services or solutions) built on a user-centric approach and delivering economic, social and policy value to European citizens. It has also the ambition through the development of 27 pilots organized in 7 showcases to deliver information that will also contribute to the three GEO engagements (SDGs, Paris Agreement and Sendai Framework).

CiROCCO’s vision is to establish an end-to-end sensing system, composed of a distributed network of cost-effective sensing nodes coupled with state-of-the-art data fusion remote sensing and assimilation modelling techniques. A mix of wireless communications including satellite, and local Wireless Sensor Networks is used for the collection of data. The defined network of sensors will enhance the current lack of ground observation in desert areas covering Egypt, Serbia and Spain, offering an operational and in parallel easy to maintain and expand solution. Four services are developed i) Renewable energy systems planning ii) Air quality early warning system for human health iii) Land use and ecosystem management iv) Modelling of GHGs and particles emissions, to validate the quality of the collected data and drive the sustainability and exploitation path of the overall system. CiROCCO performance and capabilities will be tested and validated in real-life settings in four large in Cyprus, Egypt, Serbia and Spain. Commercialisation services ensure the sustainability of the installation and in parallel FAIR management of data will support Cross-COPERNICUS ecosystem integration and assimilation services.

GEO-CRADLE brings together key players representing the whole (Balkans, N. Africa and M. East) region and the complete EO value chain with the overarching objective of establishing a multi-regional coordination network that will (i) support the effective integration of existing EO capacities (space/air-borne/in-situ monitoring networks, modelling and data exploitation skills, and past project experience), (ii) provide the interface for the engagement of the complete ecosystem of EO stakeholders (scientists, service/data providers, end-users, governmental orgs, and decision makers), (iii) promote the concrete uptake of EO services and data in response to regional needs, relevant to the thematic priorities of the Call (adaptation to climate change, improved food security, access to raw materials and energy), and (iv) contribute to the improved implementation of and participation in GEO, GEOSS, and Copernicus in the region. In this context, GEO-CRADLE lays out an action plan that starts by inventorying the regional EO capacities and user needs, which in turn leads to a gap analysis, the definition of region specific (G)EO Maturity Indicators and common priority needs. Through showcasing pilots, it demonstrates how the priorities can be tackled by the GEO-CRADLE Network, and provides the roadmap for the future implementation of GEOSS and Copernicus in the region, building on the GEO-CRADLE Regional Data Hub, which abides by the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles. To maximise the impact of GEO-CRADLE activities, well-defined Communication, Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement strategies are proposed. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will be used for the quantified assessment of the impact, identifying potential enabling or constraining factors, while pursuing realistic but also ambitious exploitation scenarios. For efficient project coordination, the project management is assisted by a regional coordination structure, and active liaison with EC, GEO and UN initiatives.