Brussels, 16/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - Access to the space data generated by Copernicus must be both safe and flexible, as the Earth observation data must be interoperable with other types of data to help new areas of activity and new applications to take off. This is according to the report published by the European Commission on Thursday 12 May following a workshop on the concrete application of the Copernicus data, held on 26 and 27 April.
As regards safety, the workshop participants, who included a broad range of actors from providers of specialist 'Big Data' services and representatives of financial institutions and universities, stressed the need for greater transparency in the Copernicus programme. Here, those who took the floor highlighted the need to boost the relationship between the public and the private sector, in other words the European Commission, which is in charge of Copernicus ('upstream data'), and, for instance, service providers ('downstream data'). Some also raised the need to facilitate access to observation expertise. Others emphasise the requirement of ensuring the continuity of the production of data. Lastly, gaps in staff training were flagged up.
On the question of flexibility, the participants highlighted interoperability between space data and other types of data, in order to facilitate cross-cutting use of data of different kinds “without stifling innovation with rigid standards”. Here, the players took the view that the Commission should adopt a soft approach to secure consensus between all players on common standards, for instance the Open Geospatial Consortia (OGC), an international consortium promoting open standards and the use of geographical data.
The use of gross space data is the cornerstone of the future space strategy currently in gestation (see EUROPE 11540 and 11550) and the Commission is looking to systematise its consultations with the industry and service providers, explained Andreas Veispak, head of unit for space data for social challenges and growth within DG Single Market and Industry of the European Commission. In his view, the major challenges are, firstly, to adjust supply and demand whilst determining the characteristics of the future markets and, secondly, reducing the share of the public sector in the use of space data. “The real challenge is to free up the entrepreneurial spirit”, he said in an interview he gave on the same occasion.
Ambiguous positioning. With regard to this, in the framework of its work on the strategy, the Commission has launched a consultation on the future of the European space policy, with a section completely given over to Copernicus (see EUROPE 11535). However, certain observers are questioning the sincerity of this step, observing that no budgetary line has been made available to deal with the data collected and that certain key players, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), are reported not to have been consulted when the questions were drawn up, a source close to the dossier told us.
The institution's position towards ESA could be seen as concerning. For instance, the Commission is planning to present its strategy in October, which is two months before the ministerial meeting of the ESA will to decide the agency's space strategy, although the stated objective is a single, common strategy for Europe between the two entities (see EUROPE 11540). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)
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