Strengthening resilience through data, Earth Observation and climate services
To step up resilience and preparedness to mounting climate hazards, from floods and heatwaves to coastal erosion, data and knowledge are key. Yet, many European regions and communities among the most vulnerable still lack comprehensive climate risk awareness and access to high-quality, standardised climate data.
Earth observation and climate services – the provision and use of climate data, information and knowledge to assist decision-making – can help address complex, interdependent challenges, from the intersection of multiple climate change risks, to biodiversity loss, to increasing social and political tensions affecting communities.
Climate KIC has been at the forefront of advancing the uptake and effective use of Earth observation and climate services, and unlocking their largely untapped potential to accelerate climate action and resilience.
We do this by building capacity and fostering cross-sector collaboration, enabling countries, regions, agencies, and projects to leverage these tools effectively.
Since 2017, we have been working with Copernicus, the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme. Copernicus satellite and in-situ data and services play a key role in providing a large amount of near-real-time and high quality data on climate change, supporting evidence-based adaptation and mitigation policies, as well as the development and enhancement of climate services.
How we do it
Raising awareness and building capacity on using Earth observation and other data for climate adaptation through climate services:
- Collaborating with local authorities to identify climate risks and underlining data needs to support evidence-based decision-making.
- Delivering high quality and customised training activities to a wide range of existing and new users of Copernicus services, from national agencies to early-career researchers.
Strengthening the climate services market by promoting effective market mechanisms and fostering innovation:
- Exploring the need for standardisation of climate services components to ensure high-quality design and delivery.
- Developing recommendations of best practices and future market developments for the stimulation and growth of a competitive and equitable European climate service market.
- Supporting the implementation of pre-commercial procurement as a path to co-creation of climate services and their tailoring to the specific needs of the user – especially in complex decision chains.
Climate KIC is an active member of the Copernicus Academy. The Copernicus Academy connects European universities, research institutions, business schools, private and non-profit organisations in the participating countries of the programme and beyond.
The goal of the network is to develop lectures, training sessions, traineeships as well as educational and training material to empower the next generation of researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs with suitable skill sets to use Copernicus data and information services to their full potential.
PCP-WISE
(2025—2028)
PCP-WISE is a Horizon Europe pre-commercial procurement project aimed at supporting the co-development of water-related climate services based on Earth observation. More broadly, the project aims to explore and showcase the benefits of the pre-commercial procurement mechanism for building tailored climate services.
Climate KIC is leading the work on enhancing the climate relevance and impact of the service portfolios that are being developed. We work closely with buyers (public authorities) and service providers, making sure that the envisioned solutions fit the requirements and expectations of the buyers while also addressing a broader and more long-term range of climate needs in a systemic manner.
VALORADA
(2023—2026)
VALORADA works closely with several European pilot regions and cities to co-define local climate risks and data needs and integrate the available climate, socio-economic and spatial data for climate adaptation purposes. Based on these requirements, tailored Earth observation-based climate services are then built to tackle local climate risks.
Climate KIC guides the capacity building activities in the project, involving local stakeholders and service providers from the project and from the broader community. We organise tailored trainings on climate/adaptation/data and other topics relevant to the regions and service providers, supporting the cooperation between the local stakeholders and the Earth observation companies co-developing climate services. In line with this, we are also leading the exploitation efforts to make sure that the project’s assets are co-designed for long-term impact.
CLIMATEUROPE2
(2022—2027)
Climateurope2 has the goal of developing future equitable and quality-assured climate services to all sectors of society. This project-wide goal is being achieved by developing standardisation procedures for climate services; supporting an equitable European climate services community; and enhancing the uptake of quality-assured climate services to support adaptation and mitigation to climate change and variability.
Within the project, Climate KIC focuses on the development of the climate services market, developing recommendations for the assessment and increase of their impact, as well as a catalogue of malpractices to avoid and best practices to implement.
PROTECT
(2022—2024)
PROTECT was a coordination and support action aimed at raising awareness and building capacity around the use of innovation procurement, and in particular of pre-commercial procurement to build tailored and co-created Earth observation-based climate services.
Climate KIC’s role included researching the existing regional adaptation plans in Europe to map regional climate needs and creating a PROTECT taxonomy of Earth observation-based climate services to map them against available services on the market. We also supported the engagement of local stakeholders (regions, national agencies) and Earth observation service providers, as well as dissemination of the benefits of pre-commercial procurement for various audiences of stakeholders.
CERTO
(2020—2023)
The CERTO project aimed to bridge gaps in harmonised water quality data across different Copernicus services. It focused on research and development to standardise data from each service and expand Copernicus support to the many stakeholders operating in transitional waters. CERTO explored methods for optical water classification, enhancing atmospheric signal removal, and developing indicators relevant to monitoring agencies, industry, and policymakers.
Climate KIC’s main role was to identify synergies within ongoing water-related activities across Climate KIC, the EIT, and other Knowledge and Innovation Communities. In addition, we led efforts to exploit project results, working to ensure the long-term sustainability and uptake of CERTO’s outputs. This included supporting strategies to integrate the results into existing initiatives, ensuring that the impact extends beyond the project’s duration.
MARCO
(2016—2019)
The MARCO project gathered market research firms, climate scientists, and climate services practitioners and innovators to provide detailed insights into the market for climate services in Europe. Nine case studies were conducted, each focused on a particular sector in a given geographic area forecasting future user needs and assessing market growth until 2030 to reveal opportunities and promote market growth. Climate KIC was the coordinating partner for this project.
MARCO research confirmed that in addition to sectors already benefitting from a substantial offer of climate services, others were very likely to emerge more strongly in the following few years (e.g. health, forestry, tourism and energy infrastructure). Better links between public and private providers were found to be important for developing more advanced climate services, while services on seasonal to decadal timescales might provide further market opportunities. The MARCO consortium recommended strengthening and harmonising climate resilience legal frameworks, as well as tracking climate finance schemes and investments in both public and private domains.
EO4GEO
(2018—2022)
EO4GEO aimed to bridge the skills gap in the space/geospatial sector by strengthening the ecosystem and promoting the uptake of space/geospatial data and services in end-user applications. It brought together partners from academia, the private sector, and the public sector. The project applied innovative education and training solutions, including case-based learning, collaborative scenarios, learning-while-doing in living labs, on-the-job training, and co-creating knowledge to develop relevant skills and competencies.
Climate KIC was a member of the project’s Steering Committee and led efforts to ensure the long-term exploitation of its results, focusing on governance models, national and regional roll-out, and the mainstreaming, impact, and multiplication of outcomes. Additionally, we co-developed the Space/Geoinformation Sector Skills Strategy with other key project partners.
CopHub.AC
(2018—2020)
The Horizon 2020 project CopHub.AC aimed to establish a long-term Copernicus hub to consolidate and sustain the Copernicus Academy as a knowledge and innovation platform. To achieve this, several nodes were created, including research briefs, a knowledge landscape, outreach initiatives, and sustainability measures. The project focused on linking ongoing R&D activities in Copernicus-related academic fields and supporting the innovation process from academia to business at a high scientific and technical level. It was committed to full thematic and geographic coverage to drive the demand-driven uptake of space technology and geospatial information across Europe.
Climate KIC’s role in the project was to lead the development of the CopAcad training programme, leveraging its expertise in education and skills development. Building on existing training materials, user stories, and the Academy knowledge landscape, Climate KIC developed a comprehensive training catalogue. This catalogue compiled a wide range of resources, including training materials, videos, webinars, and other information sources on the Copernicus programme, ensuring accessible and structured learning for diverse audiences.
Our Space Our Future
(2018—2021)
Our Space Our Future was a Horizon 2020 project dedicated to inspiring and empowering the next generation to pursue careers in space science. The project aimed to make space-related education accessible and engaging for all students, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, or socio-economic background. By working with schools, teachers, and local communities, Our Space Our Future delivered hands-on activities, immersive experiences, and innovative learning resources to showcase the exciting opportunities within the space sector. The project highlighted the growing impact of space science and technology on society, the economy, and the environment, fostering a more inclusive and diverse future workforce in the European space industry.
The role of Climate KIC in the project was to lead the exploration of a dedicated Space-KIC, drawing from its own experience in establishing a successful Knowledge and Innovation Community. Working closely with consortium members and stakeholders, Climate-KIC assessed the need, structure, and potential impact of a Space-KIC. Additionally, it collaborated with other existing KICs to review their operational models and identify synergies, ensuring a well-integrated and sustainable approach to fostering innovation in the space sector.
