GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Projects will also contribute to the following objectives:

• Lead to new or improved products, processes or services – using EU space technologies (Copernicus, EGNSS as enabler – that are capable of generating a marketable solution for the local market.
• Maximise and spread the benefits of space-based applications and solutions enabled by EGNSS and/or by Copernicus, to leverage downstream space excellence in particular of SMEs and universities, to facilitate investments and to foster market uptake.
• Create partnerships with non-EU entities towards commercialization, to trigger public and/or private investment from Europe and beyond to take advantage of market opportunities in Europe or local markets.

Cooperation with international partners, either public or private, is key to:

• promoting the uptake of satellite navigation , position and timing, to enable non EU countries to benefit from the advanced and unique features offered by EGNOS and Galileo, particularly in transport and regulated domains.
• promoting the uptake of Copernicus globally, exploiting possibilities for integrating in-situ, space data and information technologies. Building the Copernicus full, free and open data policy, the Commission seeks to facilitate access to Copernicus data and information for interested international partners. Administrative cooperation arrangements on Copernicus data access and Earth observation data exchange have already been signed with several countries: the United States, Australia, Ukraine, Chile, Colombia, Serbia, African Union, India and Brazil. Discussions towards similar cooperation have been started with other countries and regions (including United Nations Agencies and Asia-Pacific countries).

Tasks may include joint calibration and validation activities or integration of local in-situ systems to enhance the quality of data and service products. It is important to exploit the value-added of integration of EO observation technologies (both satellite, airborne and ground based) with positioning ones, and ICT (e.g. cloud computing) from international partner countries through the development of applications, and encourage their insertion into the market.

Technology promotion activities can include incentive schemes in the form of financial support to third parties, that will promote the uptake of space downstream applications across Europe and globally.