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Their core work

CzechGlobe is the Czech Academy of Sciences' dedicated institute for global change research, based in Brno. They study how climate change affects ecosystems across Europe — from carbon cycling and greenhouse gas monitoring to long-term ecosystem observation. Their practical contribution lies in building and operating environmental research infrastructure (observation sites, atmospheric monitoring stations) and translating ecosystem data into natural capital accounts and climate services that inform policy. They are a consistent partner in pan-European environmental observation networks like eLTER, ICOS, and ACTRIS.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), CzechGlobe focused on ecosystem services assessment, climate services co-development, and Earth observation networks — largely methodological and policy-oriented work (ESMERALDA, ERA4CS, ERA-PLANET). From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward environmental research infrastructure — building, governing, and sustaining long-term observation networks (eLTER PPP, eLTER PLUS, ATMO-ACCESS) and applying monitoring capabilities to new domains like urban greenhouse gases (PAUL). The trajectory is clear: from using observation data for science and policy, to building and operating the observation infrastructure itself.

CzechGlobe is positioning itself as a key node in Europe's permanent environmental monitoring infrastructure, particularly for long-term ecosystem and atmospheric observation — expect them to deepen this role as eLTER and ACTRIS move toward full ERIC status.

How they like to work

CzechGlobe never coordinates — across all 13 projects, they serve as participant or third party, consistently joining large pan-European consortia (285 unique partners across 39 countries). Their funding per project is modest (averaging EUR 77,600), indicating they contribute specialized expertise or national-level data rather than leading work packages. This is an organization you bring in for reliable scientific contribution and access to Czech observation infrastructure, not for project management.

With 285 unique consortium partners across 39 countries, CzechGlobe has one of the broadest collaboration networks for its size — a direct result of participating in major pan-European infrastructure projects (eLTER, ICOS, ACTRIS) that each involve 30+ institutions. Their reach is truly pan-European with extensions into Africa via SEACRIFOG.

What sets them apart

CzechGlobe sits at the intersection of three major European research infrastructures — eLTER (ecosystems), ICOS (carbon/GHG), and ACTRIS (atmosphere) — which is unusual for a single institute. This cross-infrastructure presence means they can offer integrated environmental data spanning ecosystems, carbon fluxes, and atmospheric composition from Czech observation sites. For consortium builders, they provide a reliable Central European node with established connections to all the major environmental ESFRI roadmap infrastructures.

Highlights from their portfolio

• eLTER PLUS
  Part of the flagship eLTER research infrastructure build-out (2020-2026), representing their long-term commitment to Europe's ecosystem observation backbone.
• PAUL
  Their most recent and most applied project — piloting urban greenhouse gas observatories, signaling a move from rural/natural ecosystem monitoring toward city-scale applications.
• RINGO
  Their largest single grant (EUR 193,125) — contributed to making the ICOS greenhouse gas observation network fully operational, their most substantial infrastructure investment.