E-SHAPE – Shaping the EuroGEO initiative and delivering EO-derived benefits with and for users

Moving away from a data-centric approach to a user-driven era, E-SHAPE is a large coordinated effort in Europe designed to highlight operational services in the Earth Observation (EO) field, bringing together multiple actors. By leveraging Copernicus, making use of existing European capacities and improving user uptake of the data from GEO assets, the E-SHAPE (EuroGEOSS Showcases: Applications Powered by Europe) project is poised for success and ensures that services are widely available for the benefit of all users. E-SHAPE is a significant contribution to further establish EuroGEO, Europe’s part of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), a worldwide network working to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

E-SHAPE promotes the development and uptake of 27 cloud-based pilot applications under seven thematic areas, addressing the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The pilots build on existing European EO data hubs and processing platforms and are developed through co-design with users.

Over the course of its 4-year lifespan, E-SHAPE will provide concrete, actionable EO services regarding food security and sustainable agriculture, health surveillance (specifically regarding pollutants), renewable energy, ecosystem monitoring, water resources management, disaster resilience and climate monitoring.

Whilst this sounds groundbreaking and ambitious, the project team is already off to a promising start. In 2019, a series of events were held and dedicated activities were launched to expand the E-SHAPE community and contribute to the EuroGEO initiative.

Now, in 2020, the 27 pilot applications are tackling a series of challenges that will elevate their ability to serve active users – citizens, decision makers, industry and research – and further contribute to EuroGEO. The E-SHAPE Help Desk is already up and running, with a team available to provide the best solutions and share experiences on co-design, implementation aspects, sustainability of EO services, etc. Furthermore, E-SHAPE is open to onboarding new partners that can contribute to the project – indeed, in 8 June 2020, a dedicated call to attract new pilots was launched.

Of particular note and an early highlight for E-SHAPE, when Italy’s Mount Etna – the most active volcano in Europe – erupted in May 2019, the early warning system for particle aviation hazard (based on aerosol lidar observations) was applied for the first time to a real volcanic eruption, when it was confirmed the volcanic plume was drifting from Etna towards the Greek island of Antikythera. The system is based on a continent-wide presence of sophisticated instruments able to provide sensible range-evolved information and range-resolved information.

The Horizon 2020 programme contributes directly to E-SHAPE with a budget of nearly EUR 15 million, with the project due to end in 2023.

Delve into the benefits of E-SHAPE by exploring its dedicated website.