Vision

The vision of GEO-CRADLE is to pave the way for the sustainable and continuous uptake and exploitation of Earth Observation services in North Africa, Middle East and the Balkans. The different activities undertaken by the GEO-CRADLE have been defined and will be pursued in way that ensures appropriate coordination mechanisms and necessary tools are put in place during the lifetime of the project but are also used beyond that.

Therefore, through the establishment of the GEO-CRADLE network and the parallel support of networking activities by a dedicated portal, the project aspires to ensure one of the fundamental requirements for coordinated EO activities; that is an attractive and comprehensive platform, the  Regional Networking Platform, where regional stakeholders can be informed on existing capacities, complementary skills and collaboration opportunities.

Another key output of GEO-CRADLE that can contribute to the long-term uptake of EO activities in the region is the operation of the Regional Data Hub. By providing access to region-related datasets and services, directly fed from the GEOSS-portal, and at the same time being the centralised gateway for regional data providers to contribute easily and timely their products to GEOSS, the Regional Data Hub is designed to become the focal node in the region in the context of GEOSS and Copernicus implementation. The Regional Data Hub is expected to act as the cornerstone for promoting better sharing of information and knowledge amongst EO stakeholders in the region, in line with GEOSS Data Sharing principles.

Furthermore, through the elaboration of novel maturity indicators, the project aspires to build adequate knowledge of the level and progress of GEO and Copernicus involvement in each country. In turn, this will allow the definition of a long-term roadmap that will take into account the concrete regional priorities and will utilise the outputs of the feasibility studies with regards to some of the most pressing of them (i.e. adaptation to climate change, improved food security, better access to raw materials and energy).

Equipped with these outputs, the project partners but also the various stakeholders that are involved throughout the execution of the project, will be more empowered to maximise the impact of EO activities, be it for informed decision making or boost of EO businesses. Thus, in line with the key drivers behind GEO and Copernicus, the ultimate vision of GEO-CRADLE is to lay the foundations for a follow-up large-scale initiative in the region, towards the realisation of EO benefits in key societal and industrial sectors.