Copernicus market uptake

Topic description

Specific Challenge:

Copernicus, the Union's Earth observation and monitoring programme produces a wealth of data and information services on the Earth, its lands, atmosphere, oceans and inland waters, as well as on climate change and in support of disaster management and security. Copernicus data and information services are available with a free and open data licence.

Copernicus data is an integral part of the European Data Economy. Europe needs to strengthen its position as provider of products and services based on data, enabling new market opportunities.

Copernicus data value will be greatly enhanced by its integration with data assets contributed by other vertical domains (i.e. not necessarily from the space/geospatial sector) as well as by leveraging the synergies with EGNOS/Galileo to seize new market opportunities. Many vertical domains, other than space, can benefit from the use of Copernicus.

Mature software technologies such as big data processing and linking technologies, machine learning and artificial intelligence, are widely developed also within the LEIT-ICT Work Programmes of H2020, shall be adopted to offer user-friendly solutions at the scale of the large quantities of data involved. They shall be adopted to contribute to the digitization challenges of the European industry by opening up innovative business avenues and to support societal challenges.

Real-world industrial/commercial requirements, or societal needs, shall drive the Innovation Actions so that the projects’ results can find their logical path towards market adoption.

Actions under this topic should be instrumental to help European companies innovate, develop and bring to market new or improved products and services by exploiting Copernicus data assets and, whenever relevant, the link with European satellite positioning/navigation/timing technologies.

Copernicus data will be at the core of the data value chains and integration activates needed to fulfil the industrial requirements that will drive the proposals.

Proposals should adopt state-of-the-art ICT technologies, such as big data processing and linking technologies, machine learning and artificial intelligence to address the challenges of making sense of large volumes of diverse data from distributed sources, at the scale required to address European and global challenges.

Proposers are strongly encouraged to make use of existing European data infrastructures such as (but not limited to) Copernicus’ DIAS platforms, European open data portals, industrial data platforms, and explore synergies with EGNOS/Galileo signals and services whenever those are relevant. Use and re-use of existing data and computing assets is also strongly recommended.

The participation of industry is required to define the project’s industrial requirements from the very beginning of the action and to take ownership of the results.

End users (i.e. professional experts and decision-makers as opposed to researchers or software developers) should also be involved to rigorously test the project’s solutions to make sure the human factor is considered appropriately.

Proposals must demonstrate that they have access to appropriately large, complex and realistic data sets, in addition to Copernicus. The data assets to be used in the Action should be described in the proposal.

Solid, quantitative and innovative business models should support the proposal giving evidence of the expected industrial, commercial, or societal benefit, and demonstrating a plan towards sustainability after the project’s end.

A clear distribution of IPRs amongst the members of the consortium is expected.

For proposals under this topic:

• The participation of at least one industrial partner is mandatory, and the participation of SMEs and start-ups is encouraged;
• Involvement of post-graduate scientists, engineers and researchers and promotion of gender balance is also encouraged, for example through professional work experience or through fellowships/scholarships as applicable;
• A business plan and evidence of user engagement is compulsory and is to be provided as part of the proposal, to demonstrate the user need and sustainability of the project.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 1 and 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

• Establishment of new sustainable data value chains with Copernicus data at their core with a commercial value;
• Substantial increase in the market of the number of products and services enabled by integrating Copernicus data across sectors with state-of-the-art innovative technologies, able to generate growth and new jobs;
• Enhance European industry’s potential to take advantage of market opportunities and establish leadership in the field, as well as boost business activity;
• Increased market share for European companies in the supply of innovative geospatial products and services.

Blue Growth
Socio-economic science and humanities