COS4CLOUD · Project

AI-Powered Citizen Science Platform for Biodiversity and Environmental Monitoring

environmentTestedTRL 6

Imagine millions of people snapping photos of birds, plants, and insects with their phones — but that data sits scattered across dozens of different apps and websites. COS4CLOUD built the plumbing to connect all these citizen science platforms together in one cloud, added AI that can automatically identify species from photos and camera trap images, and created tools to verify data quality so scientists and businesses can actually trust it. Think of it as turning casual nature observations into reliable, research-grade environmental data at massive scale.

By the numbers

consortium partners across the project

countries represented in the consortium

SMEs involved in the project

total deliverables produced

demo deliverables with working services

33%

industry participation ratio in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies in environmental consulting, land management, and urban planning spend heavily on manual biodiversity surveys and environmental monitoring — work that is slow, expensive, and limited in geographic coverage. Meanwhile, millions of citizen observations sit fragmented across incompatible platforms with no quality assurance, making them useless for regulatory or business decisions. There is a gap between abundant crowdsourced environmental data and the trusted, standardized information businesses need.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a cloud-based platform integrating multiple citizen science observatories (Artportalen, Natusfera, iSpot, OdourCollect, and others) with AI-powered species identification from camera trap images, customizable mobile apps for field observations using images and low-cost sensors, an experts portal for environmental data validation, and a data-use notification service that gives credit to citizen contributors. All 22 deliverables were completed, including training materials and a citizen-science toolbox as a one-stop-shop for observatory leaders.

Audience

Who needs this

Environmental impact assessment consultancies needing faster biodiversity surveysAgriculture companies monitoring biodiversity for EU sustainability reportingMunicipal environmental departments tracking urban air quality and biodiversityConservation NGOs managing citizen science volunteer networksEcological research firms building species distribution models

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Environmental consulting

SME

Target: Environmental impact assessment firms

If you are an environmental consulting firm dealing with expensive and slow biodiversity surveys for development permits — this project developed AI-powered species identification from camera trap images and mobile observations that can supplement field surveys. The platform connects to 7 existing citizen observatory networks across 8 countries, giving you access to crowdsourced environmental data with built-in quality validation by domain experts.

Agriculture and land management

mid-size

Target: Agri-tech companies and land management firms

If you are a land management company that needs to monitor biodiversity on client properties to meet EU reporting requirements — this project built mobile apps with a common codebase that combine sensor data and user observations, plus an experts portal for environmental data validation. The 15-partner consortium tested these tools across real biodiversity monitoring platforms like Artportalen and Natusfera, proving they work at scale.

Smart city and urban planning

enterprise

Target: Municipal environmental monitoring agencies

If you are a city environmental department struggling to monitor air quality, odour pollution, or urban biodiversity across large areas — this project integrated platforms like OdourCollect and CanAir.io into cloud services with standardized data protocols. The customizable mobile interface lets citizens report observations using images or low-cost sensors, turning residents into a distributed monitoring network validated by 6 research organizations.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy these citizen science tools for our organization?

The project developed open-source technologies with a common codebase for mobile apps and standardized back-end services. While specific licensing costs are not detailed in the project data, the open-source nature suggests low software acquisition costs. Your main investment would be in integration, customization, and community management.

Can this scale to cover large geographic areas or many users?

Yes — the system was designed to integrate data from multiple existing platforms (Artportalen, Natusfera, iSpot, FreshWater Watch, and others) across 8 countries. The architecture uses the EOSC cloud hub infrastructure, which is built for large-scale scientific data handling. The consortium of 15 partners tested interoperability across these diverse platforms.

Who owns the IP and how is the technology licensed?

The project was funded as an RIA (Research and Innovation Action) under Horizon 2020, and the deliverables emphasize open standards and open-source technologies. Based on available project data, the services were designed to be offered through the EOSC hub, suggesting open access. Specific IP arrangements would need to be clarified with the coordinator CSIC in Spain.

How reliable is the AI species identification — can we trust it for regulatory reporting?

The project built an experts portal specifically for environmental data validation, plus AI-powered camera trap image processing that automatically filters unwanted pictures and proposes species names. The system uses deep machine learning trained on data models validated by traditional science, but final identification goes through expert review before upload to biodiversity platforms.

What data formats and standards does the platform support?

The platform was built on open standards to ensure interoperability, using standardized back-end services and interoperable APIs for uploading data to biodiversity citizen observatories. Data protocols were validated by traditional science standards. The system integrates with the EOSC hub discovery service.

Is this ready to use today or still experimental?

The project closed in February 2023 with 22 delivered outputs including working mobile apps, a camera trap image processing platform, and an experts validation portal. The services were prototyped and implemented for integration into the EOSC hub. Based on available project data, the tools reached demonstration level in operational environments.

Consortium

Who built it

The COS4CLOUD consortium brings together 15 partners from 8 countries, with a healthy mix of 6 research organizations providing scientific credibility, 5 industry partners for real-world application, and 3 universities for academic depth. With 7 SMEs (33% industry ratio), the project had strong commercial orientation for a research action. The geographic spread from Spain to Sweden to Colombia shows the platform was tested across diverse ecosystems and regulatory environments. The coordinator, CSIC (Spain's national research council), is one of Europe's largest public research bodies, giving the project institutional weight for long-term sustainability.

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASCoordinator · ES
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIQUE ET AUTOMATIQUEparticipant · FR
ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINONparticipant · EL
SCHMIDT NORBERT CARLparticipant · NL
CONSERVATION EDUCATION AND RESEARCH TRUSTparticipant · UK
SCIENCE FOR CHANGE, SLparticipant · ES
SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
52 NORTH SPATIAL INFORMATION RESEARCH GMBHparticipant · DE
VEREIN DER EUROPAEISCHEN BURGERWISSENSCHAFTEN - ECSA E.V.participant · DE
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION ECOLOGICA Y APLICACIONES FORESTALESparticipant · ES
SECURE DIMENSIONS GMBHparticipant · DE
THE OPEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

CSIC (Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas) in Spain — use SciTransfer matchmaking for a warm introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to integrate citizen science monitoring into your environmental operations? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the COS4CLOUD team and help you evaluate which tools fit your specific needs.

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