Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CoRdiNet (Copernicus Relays for digitalisation spanning a Network)

Teaser

\"EC has identified the need to support the creation of voluntary participative networks related to Earth Observation (EO) and Copernicus. Two such networks have been set-up, the network of Copernicus Relays, see...

Summary

\"EC has identified the need to support the creation of voluntary participative networks related to Earth Observation (EO) and Copernicus. Two such networks have been set-up, the network of Copernicus Relays, see https://www.copernicus.eu/en/opportunities/public-authorities/copernicus-relays, (approximately 90 members worldwide) and the Copernicus Academy, see https://www.copernicus.eu/en/opportunities/education/copernicus-academy, with its about 150 members worldwide. They are mostly under own funding and act as channels of promotion and target intermediate and end-user communities. CoRdiNet - \"\"Copernicus Relays for digitalisation spanning a Network\"\" and CopHub.AC - \"\"Copernicus Academy Hub for Knowledge, Innovation and Outreach\"\" are two \"\"Space hubs for Copernicus\"\" Horizon 2020 partner projects, which emerged from these two groups focus on the activities characteristic for these two types of networks: CoRdiNet members acting as regional Copernicus info points and coordinators, while CopHub.AC emphasizes its work related to research, teaching, training and didactics. Both stated work in October 2018 for two years to come.

CoRdiNet is an open network of five Copernicus Relays each having a coordinating function on a regional, cluster and or national level, while supporting, promoting and stimulating digitalisation and new business solutions based on EO i.e. Copernicus data. CoRdiNet bundles the local expertise in the civil use of EO, close to the needs and offers of citizens, administrations and businesses, and shares them with other Copernicus Relays, Academy members and new EO players. Moreover, CoRdiNet has set up a specific “fund” of 100 k EUR to support more than 20 joint activities between the consortium and Associated Partners to CoRdiNet.

CoRdiNet offers tangible opportunities through local expertise in sector-oriented European-wide working groups to design better strategies and guidelines for new digital services, supports the creation of pilot projects linking users & suppliers of services, organises awareness raising, provides user-targeted information, and bundle local key players and local societal challenges and needs that EO data are able to match and deliver.

Joint outreach and dissemination activities ensure embedding of its work in national and EU/ESA activities. CoRdiNet enjoys support and works closely together with the EARSC, the Caroline Herschel Framework Progamme of the 48 Copernicus constituting nations, the Copernicus Support Office, and a handful of additional European regional/national partners of CoRdiNet.\"

Work performed

The joint kick-off with the H2020 partner project CopHub.AC in Brussels on the premises of Nereus has been followed by a series of local kick-offs in the five Copernicus relay regions of CoRdiNet, and a common action plan of joint activities between the Copernicus Relay network CoRdiNet and the Copernicus Academy, CopHub.AC.
Details on the project can be found on the website, www.cordinet.net as well as on twitter (@cordinetB). A CoRdiNet flyer and a joint CopHub.AC & CoRdiNet flyer are both available for download from the project\'s website.
CoRdiNet takes ethical issues seriously: Support is given only to civil use and services related to EO data, while at the same time data projection in partnerships, collaborations and joint events is paid attention to; here advice from dedicated experts has been sought by CoRdiNet\'s coordination, bavAIRia e.V.
Copernicus Relays are dedicated to its regional key stakeholders who use or are supposed to use or offer services or are to develop services based on or related to EO data. Most of this knowledge is intangible and many of the stakeholders do not feel free to publish or to provide this information voluntarily. In order to attempt to improve on this situation, TeRN together with the partner CNR, both Basilicata, defined questionnaires and interview, did a collection of stakeholder feedbacks and published a report on the analysis of stakeholder feedbacks and strategies to cope with needs and “barriers.
CoRdiNet Associated Partners have been identified through Calls for Expressions of Interest and evaluated by an independent Evaluation Board of external experts coordinated by CoRdiNet’s beneficiary Nereus. The calls were related to “organisation of info events”, “stake holder analysis”, or on “pilot action workshops supporting business development” or on the “Copernicus European Regional Strategy Panel, (CERSP)”.
The activities of the Associated Partners condensate into reports and prototypes CoRdiNet publishes, like an inventory of LRAs and stakeholders to be published on copernicus.eu, the questionnaire for LRAs on Copernicus usage or the resulting report on the analysis of stakeholder feedbacks and strategies to cope with local needs and barriers.
Success stories from Copernicus Relays are put together based on an analysis of Copernicus Champion Relays and published for other fellow Copernicus Relays to copy.
As the only company active as a Copernicus Relay, GMV leads the CoRdiNet business support activities, with the objective to find out and foster reporting obligations resulting in the use of Copernicus and EO data when monitoring environmental indicators on soil, water or air. The work concerns a user uptake plan, a stakeholder analysis as well as the updates of both papers after the first joint events and workshops have been organised. Also, a first set on policy briefings has been published.

Final results

A stakeholder analysis carried out in WP2, based on a combined classification from the EARSC Market and GMES4REGIONS taxonomies identified five main barriers for wider adoption of Copernicus EO data: education/training, information, technical, data quality, and costs. Complementing these findings, CRs, both partners of CoRdiNet and others, were surveyed to provide insights into best practices and challenges when engaging with stakeholders and foster adoption of Copernicus EO data and services among LRAs, SMEs, and academia. An analysis on the results shows differences between sectors with regard to both ease of engagement and potential for increased uptake. Furthermore, based on the outcome of the analysis a series of webinars will be designed to address the challenges raised by the CRs, building on success stories from champion CRs. The webinars are directed towards identified target groups and communicated to CRs and beyond, thereby building innovation capacity amongst CRs.
The project aims to leave a legacy for Copernicus through a set of policy recommendations advising DG GROW and the Copernicus Support Office on how to guide the CRs to address stakeholder needs and maximize their impact based on analysis of best practices and champion CR successes, as well as CoRdiNet pilot project experiences.
Through the Evaluation Board of European EO experts, funded associated partner projects provide new and innovative stakeholder engagement activities that will be disseminated by the project.
The Copernicus European Regional Strategy Panel (CERSP), formed as a part of WP7, aims to provide a roadmap for European regions on improving digitalisation with the use of EO data.
The focus in the second period of CoRdiNet is on info events and pilot action support workshops in the five CoRdiNet Copernicus Relay locations. A scientific paper on the legacy of the project, along with a final event in Brussels, planned together with the partner project CopHub.AC, will conclude the project.

Website & more info

More info: https://cordinet.net/.