OBSERVER: The evolution of the EU Space Networks
OBSERVER: The evolution of the EU Space Networks
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Thu, 27/11/2025 – 15:32
The EU Space Networks have grown from more than a decade of EU-funded activities which explored how to bring satellite data closer to users. These early efforts evolved into the Copernicus Academy and Copernicus Relays, which would eventually grow to more than 300 members worldwide. Their success in supporting Copernicus user uptake inspired the European Commission to extend this model to the other components of the EU Space Programme, creating today’s EU Space Networks and a new generation of Ambassadors for Copernicus, Galileo and EGNOS, Space Situational Awareness (SSA), as well as the upcoming IRIS². These networks now promote EU Space activities and initiatives, help different communities discover and use space-based data and services, support space research and innovation, and engage with policymakers. In this Observer, we look at how these networks emerged and the ways they continue to strengthen skills, foster innovation, and connect users across the full range of EU Space activities.
User uptake initiatives for Copernicus go back to its predecessor, the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative, which required an ecosystem of users who understood Earth Observation (EO) data and could integrate it into research, policy, and economic activities. Early activities funded under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) recognised that wide adoption of EO data would depend on more than just launching satellites. It would require local knowledge, training opportunities, and sustained engagement with public authorities, universities, and small businesses.
Two precursor projects played particularly important roles. The first, GMES and Regions Awareness Access Link (GRAAL), focused on strengthening awareness amongst local and regional authorities and showing institutions how GMES services could support their work. It connected civil servants, early adopters, and emerging user communities, emphasising the need for a regional presence alongside tailored support.
The second, DORIS_NET (Downstream Observatory organised by Regions active in Space), strengthened regional involvement through a network of Regional Contact Offices. It helped public authorities and service providers navigate GMES downstream services, connected regional demand with emerging applications, and demonstrated how systematic regional engagement could support wider user uptake.
These early initiatives revealed that an organised, human-centred approach was necessary for EO data and services to be used to its full potential.
Building the Copernicus Academy and Copernicus Relays
Work carried out within GRAAL helped shape the early idea of formal networks dedicated to awareness training and user uptake. The success of GRAAL led to the creation of the Copernicus Academy, formally launched in 2012 through the Salzburg Declaration, which was a joint statement by academic and research organisations supporting closer collaboration on GMES-related education and training. The Salzburg University Department of Geoinformatics, Z_GIS, played an important role in shaping the early vision of a global network, connecting universities, research centres, and training institutions.
The Copernicus Academy was created with the aim of facilitating the exchange of best practices across scientific disciplines and national borders. It also aimed to shorten the time it takes for advances in research to result in real-life applications, helping researchers adapt their research results for operational use. Finally, it supported the development of Copernicus-oriented curricula to train the next generation of Earth Observation professionals.
A second key innovation was the creation of the Copernicus Relays, based on the Regional Contact Office concept developed under DORIS_NET, in which organisations served as accessible contact points for Copernicus at regional and local levels. These relays acted as a “local phone number” for Copernicus, providing guidance to SMEs, public authorities, and citizen groups. Together, the Academy and Relays created a more direct link between Copernicus and its users, enabling training, outreach, and local uptake activities to develop in parallel.
Institutionalisation: the 2016 user uptake strategy and formal launch
The momentum generated by the GRAAL and DORIS_Net projects resulted in the development of the 2016 Copernicus User Uptake Strategy, in which the European Commission formally committed to supporting the emerging Copernicus Academy and Relays. The Copernicus Support Office (CSO) was created and tasked with coordinating network activities, building communities of practice, and strengthening collaboration between academic, private, and public-sector actors.
This institutionalisation also took place alongside broader initiatives. EO4GEO and the Space Skills Alliance helped define competence frameworks and training pathways and contributed to the wider skills landscape in which the Academy and Relays operated. During this period, institutions within the networks contributed to the development of new higher-education programmes, including an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programme, the Copernicus Master in Digital Earth, led by the University of Salzburg with partner universities in France (Brittany) and the Czech Republic (Olomouc), and another similar programme coordinated by the University of Basilicata, Italy.
Demonstrated impact: a growing global community
By the time they reached maturity, the Copernicus Academy and Relays had enlisted more than 300 members in nearly 60 countries. The networks actively contributed to capacity-building efforts, local events, and discussions on national and regional EO strategies. They built bridges between researchers and companies and entrepreneurs, supported public administrations seeking to modernise their data practices, and created opportunities for students to develop the skills needed in an evolving space economy.
Building on the success of the Copernicus Academy and Copernicus Relays, the European Commission expanded this approach to the full EU Space Programme through the creation of the EU Space Networks. These Networks now include member roles for Copernicus, Galileo and EGNOS, SSA–STM, and IRIS².
The EU Space Support Office (EUSSO) is responsible for coordinating, supporting, and animating the EU Space Networks, as well as managing the application and onboarding process for new members.
What the EU Space Networks do today and why they matter
Today, the EU Space Networks bring together member organisations which promote the EU Space Programme and its components across different territories and thematic areas. They help raise awareness of EU space data and services, present the Programme at events, and share information with universities, public authorities, businesses, and user communities. They encourage user uptake by informing stakeholders about the availability and benefits of EU space data. Their role in awareness and outreach includes organising or supporting events, webinars, and information campaigns, as well as establishing regional information points which help bring the EU Space Programme closer to potential users. They support community engagement by connecting different actors and sharing best practices related to space applications.
In 2024 alone, members of the networks created nearly 300 sets of educational materials and university curricula, participated in over 1,000 and organised nearly 600 events, reaching more than 40,000 people across Europe and beyond. Alongside these broader impacts, members of the networks have contributed to or participated in a range of other projects and initiatives in the space sector. Members of the Copernicus Academy (now Copernicus Ambassadors) made up many of the core partners involved in the Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake project (FPCUP), which supported user uptake activities through more than 220 actions co-funded by the European Commission and Member States. Members have also played a role in national ecosystem building in their respective countries, for example the Copernicus Academy Consortium in Italy or the national Copernicus Committees in several Latin American countries. Additional activities from members include the organisation or the support to Hackathons, which bring students, developers, and local communities together to experiment with EU space data and applications.
These activities are performed on a voluntary basis and are shaped by the skills and capacities of each member of the networks, reflecting the collaborative spirit on which the networks were built. As Europe prepares for a future shaped by secure connectivity, space safety, and digital transformation, the EU Space Networks will continue to support the visibility and uptake of EU space data and services across diverse communities.
More information about the EU Space Networks is available here.
Thu, 27/11/2025 – 12:00
