In the framework of the GEO-CRADLE Project, consecutive events in Morocco (Rabat) and Algeria (Timimoun, South Sahara) were jointly organized by the hosting partner EuroGeoSurveys (EGS), and the project coordinator National Observatory of Athens (NOA) between 17^th and 23^rd October 2016.

The events in Morocco further increased the stakeholders’ engagement in the region, bringing together high-level Ministerial officers, Geological Surveys representatives, coordinators of regional initiatives and networks, relevant professors, scientists and researchers, local and regional in-situ network operators and EO-related companies.

With a series of interesting presentations, interventions and discussions, the events provided project partners and stakeholders with valuable knowledge on the identified regional EO capacities and skills, as well as the challenges in the domain of access to raw materials. They also provided opportunities to exchange information, register the needs, and share best practices in using EO services to facilitate access to raw materials, thus helping to identify a roadmap with solutions to enhance innovation in the geo-information sector.

Following the registration of the stakeholders’ needs in the region, the GEO-CRADLE Project Coordinator presented the opportunities which the European Union provides in terms of networking, capacity building, technology transfer and funding in general.

The GEO-CRADLE partners presented several aspects of the project via different presentations in plenary session, raising a big deal of attention. The EGS Secretary General made an introduction to the broad scope of the project, explaining the role of Geological Surveys and of the raw materials topics in the framework of GEOSS and COPERNICUS. The PGI representative, also Chair of the International Cooperation and Development Task Force, Mr. Marek Graniczny, described the specific role of EGS and of raw materials in GEO-CRADLE. The Deputy Chair of the EGS Earth Observation and GeoHazards Expert Group, Ms. Veronika Kopackova, entered into the technical details of the benefit of applying novel EO technologies to the raw materials sector. The EGS Office Manager, Ms. Céline Andrien, focused on the importance of capacity building and of enhancing geological knowledge and skills in the African continent. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive and, besides the many questions posed by the audience, several cooperation proposals were discussed.

During the days of the congress various bilateral meetings were held, and requests by several institutions to start capacity building projects were collected. A major issue seems to be the availability of funds to start and implement such actions. However, it appears that there is a genuine interest in collaborating with GEO-CRADLE and EGS by the Algerian institutions, which is worthwhile to further explore with the target to achieve practical objectives and measurable results.

GEO-CRADLE supports the development of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) that is run by the Group on Earth Observation (GEO), of which both Morocco and Algeria are member states, and the implementation of the Copernicus flagship program in the regions of North Africa, Middle East, and Balkans. GEOSS, and Copernicus bring together and combine all information on the state of our planet that is possible to collect with the aid of both satellites and terrestrial instruments (such as geological cartography and mineral resources data sets), to foster environmental protection and economic growth.

The Agenda of the Workshop is available here.

Minutes