Since the last EMS Conference, the dialogue aimed at creating a more enterprising and global approach to delivering weather services to the world community has progressed further through various forums and events.

This dialogue is taking place against a background of a variety of factors, including:
• The advancement of scientific understanding
• Increasing demand for impact-based forecasting
• Availability of public funding for NMHSs
• Increasing use of weather services in multiple value chains, from agriculture to retail, logistics and renewable energy production and consumption.
• Technical innovation
• Climate change

The growth of the value chain has been mainly driven by the private sector; there are several companies than are now providing a range of services beyond the scope and quality previously only available from publicly-funded NMHSs.

The aim of this session is to examine the value chain from a European perspective, describe examples of value creation and underlying factors, highlighting the progress towards more efficient solutions, and to focus on the most important challenges that lie ahead.

Keynotes
Prof Alan Thorpe, World Bank: Evolution of the Global Weather Enterprise
Mary Glackin, American Meteorological Society: The Weather Enterprise: Conflict or Cooperation?
Karl Gutbrod, Meteoblue: Evolution of private weather services in different countries

Invited presentations and posters on the theme of Weather Enterprise in Europe, highlighting:
• Achievements of the past 25 years
• Challenges for the next 25 years and Proposed Solutions