NEREUS

The aim of the collaboration with the European Commission and the European Space Agency is to look into the current uses of Copernicus by local and regional administrations. Following an open call for Copernicus user stories, aiming at collecting (at least) 100 articles from all Copernicus participating countries, a joint publication will be launched at a high-level event at the European Parliament. The event will be the opportunity to select outstanding user stories which will benefit from enhanced outreach actions such as videos, interregional working sessions, etc.

Contribution to the first specific contract: “Engaging with public authorities, the private sector and civil society for Copernicus User Uptake”
NEREUS is part of the successful consortia selected by the European Commission to implement an EU-funded four-year-long framework contract aiming at improving Copernicus uptake in Europe (financial volume 9 Mio EUR). The first specific contract within the above mentioned Framework Contract comprised a thorough analysis of the Copernicus-deployment situation in Europe resulting in recommendations for setting up a comprehensive Copernicus-Uptake strategy for Europe. NEREUS contributed to this study through 12 of its Copernicus-partners and gave input and recommendations from a regional perspective. The outcome of this contract is a final report in which the regional level is featured in many respects, especially the chapter 3.2.2. Cross-regional initiatives (p.17ff). The final report is publicly available: http://www.copernicus.eu/sites/default/files/library/Copernicus_User_Uptake_Engaging_with_Users_0.pdf
Contribution to the fourth specific contract: “Copernicus for Local and Regional Authorities – Copernicus Training and Information Sessions”
Within this specific contract NEREUS has been requested to develop a stand-alone module on “Copernicus for Local and Regional Authorities”. Included in the broad portfolio offered by the Copernicus Support Office to all Copernicus supporting countries, NEREUS is regularly invited to give presentations at the Information and Training sessions organized by the Commission on a monthly basis. So far the module has been presented in almost 7 MS. The module features user-experiences from local and regional authorities across Europe, and presents concrete examples of interregional collaborations as a way forward to participate better in Copernicus opportunities. It is divided in four sub-modules offering hands-on demonstrations on how to use Copernicus for issues often tackled by public authorities: how to use Copernicus to assess farmers’ eligibility to receive EU funds? To map green areas in urban contexts? To comply with the Maritime Strategy Framework Directive? To avoid urban heat waves? A presentation of Copernicus Training and Info-Session is available on: http://www.copernicus.eu/events
Copernicus for Local and Regional Authorities – Training videos and hands-on demonstrations
Within the same specific contract, the European Commission produced video tutorials of the modules developed for the Copernicus Information and Training Sessions. NEREUS experts developed specific material for the video shooting, making the “Copernicus for Local and Regional Authorities” module. Keywords | Copernicus, Public Administrations, Europe, Green Areas, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Urban Heat Wave, Agriculture, Videos. The video is now available on the Copernicus YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpuwnbuwGG20enAdE50g6TA/videos

Sentinels for Regions – Analysis and Presentations: Together with the European Space Agency, NEREUS organized three thematic workshops in the Azores, Lombardy and Bavaria to look into the roadblocks of Copernicus Uptake among Local and Regional Authorities as well as ways to overcome them. The outcomes of these workshop discussions were thoroughly analyzed by an independent expert. This final overall analysis offers key takeaways which have been packaged and presented at the European Parliament by regional representatives. A summary brochure of the final analysis is available: http://www.nereus-regions.eu/Sentinels4Regions

Together with the European Space Agency, NEREUS compiled a collection of 67 brief descriptive Copernicus user cases across European Regions. The publication is available: http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/publications/NEREUS/

Building on NEREUS’ core objective to spread the use and understanding of space technologies across Europe, DORIS_net aimed at increasing the involvement of regional actors involved in the implementation of space based services. DORIS_Net established the first network of 7 “Regional Contact Offices” (RCOs), as part of a European GMES Downstream Service Platform, to support regional users and service providers. RCOs engaged more regional actors in a structural dialogue and intra/inter-regional co-operations in order to maximize the benefits from innovative GMES-services which can have significant impact on the economy, environment and the quality of life of the citizens. Each RCO served as a meeting/exchange point among local authorities, providers and potential users of GMES services and other stakeholders at regional, national and European level. Its mission was to increase the use of space technologies for the benefit of potential users and developers of innovative applications and to help creating business opportunities meeting regional needs. RCOs can in a way be considered as prototypes of the Copernicus Relays. The project reports, which includes a comprehensive taxonomy of administrative tasks related to Copernicus core services, can be used as training material for audiences such as decision-makers and policy-makers. http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/97916_en.html