The Horizon 2020-funded EuroGEOSS Showcases: Applications Powered by Europe (e-shape) project is an unprecedented initiative that brings together decades of public investment in earth observation and in cloud capabilities into services to the citizens, the industry, the decision-makers and the researchers.

e-shape_logo © IIASA

Remote sensing technologies that allow for data collection through satellite and aircraft have led to the collection of vast amounts of data. The growth of such Earth Observation (EO) efforts have led to an explosion of available data. EO data are vital for research efforts to observe global changes such as in ice or forest cover, as well as for tracking progress on sustainable development and other global targets. Yet while EO is becoming mainstream, making these data not only accessible to scientists, but useable for policymakers and the public remains a grand challenge. 

As part of the Horizon 2020-funded project, EuroGEOSS Showcases: Applications Powered by Europe (e-shape), IIASA researchers are providing access to the IIASA citizen science infrastructure (including Geo-Wiki, LandSense, FotoQuestGo and more) and expertise in remote sensing and citizen science. They will contribute to pilot projects on agriculture, health and disasters. 

The main objectives of the e-shape project are to:

  • Coordinate EO actions and leveraging on existing resources and capacities in the presently fragmented landscape of EO in Europe;
  • Deliver concrete EO-derived benefits to users through a rigorous documented co-design process;
  • Implement a comprehensive portfolio of user uptake, operationalization, business support and outreach activities towards the sustainable exploitation of EO services;
  • Onboard new high profile EO based pilots developed outside the project and to give them access to the strategic knowledge and communication channels derived from the e-shape activities. 

The e-shape project emerged from the Global Earth Observation (GEO) Initiative, which initiated regional clusters in the Americas, Africa and Europe. E-shape is the EU contribution to Global Earth Observation (GEO) under the EuroGEOSS initiative. It includes 54 consortium members from 17 European countries, Ethiopia, Egypt and Israel, and is coordinated by ARMINES, a research institute in France. 

Acknowledgment

The e-shape project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 820852

Publications:

Obersteiner, M., Balkovic, J., Böttcher, H., Bouma, J., Fritz, S., Fuss, S., Havlik, P., Heumesser, C., et al. (2017). The Value of Global Earth Observations. In: Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy. Eds. Onoda, M. & Young, O.R., pp. 137-142 Singapore: Springer. ISBN 978-981-10-3713-9 10.1007/978-981-10-3713-9_12.

Fritz, S., McCallum, I., Williams, M., Kraxner, F., & Obersteiner, M.(2014). Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). In: Encyclopedia of Remote Sensing. Eds. Njoku, E.G., New York: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-0-387-36699-9

Rydzak, F., Obersteiner, M., & Kraxner, F. (2010). Impact of Global Earth Observation - Systemic view across GEOSS societal benefit area. International Journal of Spatial Data Infrastructures Research 216-243. 10.2902/1725-0463.2010.05.art9.

Rydzak, F. & Obersteiner, M.(2009). System dynamics model for analyzing and measuring the benefits of Global Earth Observation. In: 33rd International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, ISRSE 2009, 4th-8th May 2009, Stresa; Italy.