Copernicus data and services uptake with EO4EU platform: an AI-augmented ecosystem for Earth Observation data accessibility and exploitation.

The Copernicus program has fostered Earth Observation (EO) and Earth Modeling by offering extensive data and services to European Citizens. Sentinel satellites’ data is accessible  through platforms like the Copernicus Open Access Hub and the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, which provide a wide range of information on land, ocean and atmospheric conditions. Complementing these resources, six specialized Copernicus services deliver data in domains such as the atmosphere, marine environment, land monitoring, climate change, security and emergency response. To streamline access and usability, cloud-based Copernicus Data and Information Access Services (DIAS) offer centralised platforms equipped with cloud infrastructure and processing tools. Building on these efforts, the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem (https://dataspace.copernicus.eu/) enhances existing DIAS services with advanced functionalities like improved search capabilities, virtualizations and APIs. Meanwhile, the Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative led by ECMWF, EUMETSAT and ESA, aims to develop high-precision digital Earth models - or digital twins - that simulate natural and human activities. These models mainly focus on weather-induced extremes and climate change adaptation, generating valuable Earth Modeling data. Furthermore, European Data Spaces integrate datasets across diverse domains, including agriculture, health, energy, and environmental monitoring, creating opportunities to combine these resources with Copernicus and DestinE data through advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). This integration paves the way for innovative solutions and public-facing products and services. Despite the volume and richness of Copernicus and related EO data, its accessibility remains limited, with most users being experts or scientists. For broader industry adoption and the development of impactful applications that benefit society and the enviroment, significant barriers must be addressed. EO data is often fragmented, complex, and difficult to process, requiring domain expertise for tasks such as data discovery, pre-processing, storage, and conversion into formats suitable for analytics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The EO4EU platform (https://www.eo4eu.eu/), showcased in this presentation, introduces a multi-cloud ecosystem designed for holistic management of EO data. Its primary objective is to bridge the gap between domain experts and end users, leveraging technological advancements to broaden the adoption of EO data across diverse markets. By enhancing the accessibility and usability of EO data, EO4EU supports market growth through advanced data modeling, dynamic annotation, and state-of-the-art processing, powered by European cloud infrastructures such as WEkEO/DIAS and CINECA. EO4EU provides a suite of innovative tools and methodologies to assist a wide range of users, from professionals and domain experts to general citizens, in benefiting from EO data. Its key features include:

• Knowledge Graph-based Decision Making: Facilitates insightful feature extraction from diverse repositories, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of datasets.
• AI/ML Marketplace: A centralized hub for AI & ML models, algorithms, techniques, and metadata.
• Big Data Processing Engines: Optimized for cloud environments to efficiently manage large-scale datasets.
• User-friendly Interfaces: GUI, CLI, APIs, and immersive VR experiences, targeting both technical and non-technical users.
• Workflow Engine: Simplifies the definition and execution of recurring tasks for EO data retrieval and processing.