Review of the RTD Call

1. Review of the RTD Call ENV.2011.4.1.3-1 Inter-operable integration of shared Earth Observations inthe Global Context Geneva, 24 Sept 2010 Alessandro Annoni European Commission Joint Research Centre Spatial Data Infrastructures Unit

2. Outline • ENV.2011.4.1.3-1 • Rationale • Scope • Impact • New Drivers • GEOSS strategic targets 2015 • Lesson learnt • New ADC strategy • Project objectives (to be completed/defined)

3. ENV.2011.4.1.3-1 Rationale [1] • GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) • Moving to operation • Sustainability (as addressed in last Plenary) • The Cape Town Declaration stated: “We commit to explore ways and means for the sustained operations of the shared architectural GEOSS components and related information infrastructure” • Resource Registration (technical, policy obstacles ..,communication, ..) • Fitness for purpose (user requirements) • Upgrading and Evolution • .. • GEO Data & Resources • Access • Sharing • Fitness for purpose (user requirements) • Multidisciplinarity • .. [1] at the time of the conception

4. ENV.2011.4.1.3-1 Scope (as proposed by the text of the call) • Overall purpose : To enable further global access to Earth Observation data and resources through the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) • Other objectives • Data Sharing • contribute to the development of new tools, processes, procedures and protocols to remove obstacles to the sharing of EO data at global level and to address data/product providers identified concerns. • promote harmonization of data sharing consistent with the Data Sharing Implementation Guidelines approved by the GEO Plenary VI • Multidisciplinary interoperabilityto be enabled • Content(the research to be conducted should include) • developing and testing adequate mechanisms to encourage reuse and re-dissemination of Earth Observation GEOSS data. • provide a European support to develop the operational capabilities of the GCI by producing applications in three different GEO SBAs: • 1) Weather : contribute to the design and use of shared algorithms and software providing unified data access to Earth Observation and forecasting systems for hazards and extreme meteorological events; • 2) Water, contribute to integrating and producing global Earth Observation resources for hydrological application and Run-off process based on in-situ and satellite data • 3) Ecosystem, facilitate the implementation of GOOS (Global Ocean Observing System) by engineering and testing the access to and provision of Ocean Observation Data and resources through the GCI • How • The project should be strengthening the European contribution to populating, developing and using the GCI based on innovative concepts involving when necessary high-tech SMEs [1]. • Collaboration with GEO countries providing advanced development for the GCI is strongly encouraged [1] t should be implemented with reference to the GEO tasks AR-09-01, DA-06-01 and WE-06-03.

5. ENV.2011.4.1.3-1 Extended impact • Enhanced interoperability (1) and data sharing (2) contributing to the development of the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) consistent with INSPIRE provisions. • An increase in the number of Weather, Water and Ecosystem registrations in the GEOSS (3) • The development of working data-sharing procedures within GEOSS. Promotion of understanding of the responsibilities for both providers and users of GEOSS data products and services with regard to data dissemination, access, use, and reuse.

6. Architecture and Interoperability The success of GEOSS will depend on data and information providers accepting and implementing a set of interoperability arrangements, including technical specifications for collecting, processing, storing, and disseminating shared data, metadata, and products. Interoperability will be focused on interfaces, defining only how system components interface with each other and thereby minimizing any impact on affected systems…….

7. Drivers for the Future • New Strategic Targets (2015) • Architecture: Achieve sustained operation, continuity and interoperability of existing and new systems that provide essential environmental observations and information, including the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) that facilitates access to, and use of, these observations and information. • Data Management: Provide a shared, easily accessible, timely, sustained stream of comprehensive data of documented quality, as well as metadata and information products, for informed decision making. • Evolving landscape

8. Mid-Term Evaluation Report • Key finding 9. Stakeholders perceive that architecture developed by GEO does not yet meet their needs for data, information, and tools. • Recommendation 4. GEO should clarify its role as a supporting and enabling platform by facilitating and providing value through coordination among existing Earth observation systems and developing an information networks system. • Recommendation 6: GEO should act to improve its understanding, engagement, and responsiveness to the user community by: a) undertaking a detailed characterization of its current users in order to strengthen and expand the user base; and, b) increasing opportunities for dialogue with the user community to provide helpful feedback on a timely basis. • Comments (extract) :.. there needs to be more effort to incorporate the user component, as key informants felt that there were inconsistencies between what the users need and what the architecture provides. The inclusion of users in GEOSS development is an extremely important factor for fostering stakeholder buy-in and long-term success.

9. to be addressed by this project slide 9

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11. Architecture and Data Management Strategic Challenges Moving beyond the GCI Defining a data architecture within a broader architectural context Facilitating transitions to operations of GEOSS (and facilitate providers) Integrating/transitioning cross-committee activities into the sustained operations Identifying areas of emphasis and prioritization of effort for architecture development Facilitating progress in societal benefit areas Measuring progress

12. GEOSS interoperability for Weather, Ocean and WaterGEO WOW! Provisional Name • Main project objectives related to the GEOSS interoperable infrastructure • ESA-JRC proposal for discussion • Specific thematic (SBA) objectives of the project • To be defined today • Question: Should be close to Call description or must be divert • Cross SBAs objectives of the project • Use cases to be identified • Data Sharing objectives • Research and Innovation aspects to be identified and highlighted

13. GEO WOW! Provisional Name • Main project objectives related to the GEOSS interoperable infrastructure • Propose and validate a European [1] distributed interoperable architectural model federating Earth observation (including Earth Science) resource holdings, including specific communities’ infrastructures for more advanced resources discovery, access, processing and usage functionalities; • Allow easy and harmonized access to heterogeneous resources so enabling multiple disciplines and multiple infrastructures to share products/knowledge and collaborate; • Contribute to the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) interoperability, standardisation and operability via developments and evolution; • Develop and support services for data dissemination, access, use (and processing) for the selected SBAs, contributing to the development of assessment tools and monitoring methods for sustainable development; • Establish, harmonise and promote data sharing and usage procedures consistent with the GEOSS Data Sharing Implementation Guidelines, and contribute to the development of the GEOSS Data CORE. • Promote multidisciplinary interoperability. [1] link with INSPIRE

14. GEO WOW! Provisional Name • Specific thematic objectives of the project to be defined • Weather SBA • Water SBA • Ecosystem SBA • Cross SBAs • Additional objectives of the project • facilitate and promote data and knowledge sharing among different SBAs by providing tools and interfaces for homogenous access to heterogeneous data and products. E.g., Weather SBA to benefit from using data and results from run-off processes and GOOS models; vice versa Water and Weather SBA accessing same data. • enhance the GEOPortal with SBAs oriented services also using semantics, ontologies, and thesaurus to allow for discovery of useful data for specific topics and will contribute to further populate the GEOSS registry with new components, related, but not limited, to the interests of the selected SBAs.

15. Conclusions • This call will help in revising (and maybe re-designing) the GCI • This call will help in demonstrating the added-value of the GCI • This call will help in populating GEOSS by removing technical and policy obstacle to connect resources and to make them available through the GCI • This call will help in enabling multidisciplinary interoperability • SBAs related impact to be defined today