DCS4COP · Project

Satellite Water Monitoring Made Easy for Companies That Track Coastal and Inland Waters

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Imagine you run a business that needs to know what's happening in lakes, rivers, or coastal waters — maybe you monitor water quality, or plan aquaculture, or manage flood risk. Europe's Copernicus satellites collect mountains of data, but making sense of it requires serious tech skills most companies don't have. DCS4COP built a ready-to-use service that takes all that raw satellite data, organizes it into a neat "data cube" you can slice and query, and delivers water quality maps and analytics without you needing a PhD in remote sensing. Think of it like going from raw ingredients to a meal-delivery service — same great data, but someone else did the hard cooking.

By the numbers

consortium partners across the project

countries represented in the consortium

total deliverables produced

SMEs in the consortium including the coordinator

demonstration deliverables (case studies and demo service)

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies that need water quality data for coastal zones, lakes, or rivers face a tough choice: either build expensive in-house satellite data processing capabilities or rely on sparse ground-based measurements that miss the big picture. The raw satellite data from Europe's Copernicus program is freely available but practically unusable without specialized expertise in remote sensing, big data handling, and water science — skills most businesses simply don't have.

The solution

What was built

The project built the Copernicus Water DataCube Service (CoWaDaCS), a cloud-based platform that integrates Sentinel satellite data with other sources into a queryable data cube for water monitoring. It includes a demonstration service, published case studies, Processing as a Service and Software as a Service components, plus consultancy and training offerings — a total of 14 deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Environmental consultancies monitoring water quality for regulatory complianceWater utilities tracking source water quality across catchment areasAquaculture operators needing coastal water condition forecastsInsurance companies assessing flood and environmental risk exposureGovernment agencies responsible for Water Framework Directive reporting

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Water quality monitoring

any

Target: Environmental consultancies and water utilities

If you are a water utility or environmental consultancy dealing with the challenge of monitoring coastal and inland water quality across large areas — this project developed the Copernicus Water DataCube Service (CoWaDaCS), a platform that integrates Sentinel satellite data into a queryable data cube. It offers Processing as a Service and Software as a Service, letting you generate water quality maps and trend analyses without building your own satellite data infrastructure. The service was demonstrated with real case studies across a consortium of 9 partners in 6 countries.

Aquaculture and fisheries

SME

Target: Aquaculture operators and marine resource managers

If you are an aquaculture operator dealing with unpredictable water conditions that affect fish health and yield — this project built a service that delivers satellite-derived water quality indicators for coastal zones. Instead of relying on sparse in-situ sensors, you get continuous coverage from Sentinel satellites processed through user-friendly interfaces. The platform was designed to let non-experts access and tailor data layers to their specific operational needs.

Insurance and risk assessment

enterprise

Target: Insurers and reinsurers covering flood, environmental, and maritime risk

If you are an insurer or risk assessor dealing with the difficulty of evaluating flood, algal bloom, or coastal erosion exposure — this project created a data service that turns raw Earth Observation data into standardized water monitoring products. The service includes consultancy and training, and was built by a consortium with 4 research organizations ensuring scientific rigor. It covers both inland and coastal waters, giving underwriters evidence-based risk data rather than guesswork.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this service cost to use?

Based on available project data, CoWaDaCS was designed to offer its services at 'highly competitive costs' compared to building in-house satellite data processing. Specific pricing is not published in the project documentation, but the model includes Processing as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) tiers, plus optional consultancy and training.

Can this scale to cover large water bodies or entire national coastlines?

Yes. The service is built on Copernicus Sentinel satellite data, which provides continuous, pan-European coverage. The DataCube architecture is specifically designed to handle big data volumes and integrate multiple data streams, making it suitable for monitoring at regional or national scale.

Who owns the technology and can I license it?

The project was coordinated by Brockmann Consult GmbH, a German SME. As an Innovation Action under Horizon 2020, IP arrangements would be governed by the consortium agreement among the 9 partners. Commercial licensing or service access would need to be discussed directly with the coordinator.

Is this compatible with data I already collect from ground sensors?

Yes. The DataCube system was designed to integrate Sentinel data, Copernicus Service data, and user-supplied data. This means you can combine your existing in-situ measurements with satellite-derived products in a single platform, with interfaces that can be tailored to your specific needs.

How proven is this — was it tested with real users?

The project produced a demonstration service and published case studies showing real use cases. As a Horizon 2020 Innovation Action running from 2017 to 2021, it went beyond pure research to build and validate a working service with actual intermediate business users in the water monitoring sector.

What kind of support is available?

Based on project data, the service model includes consultancy and training alongside the technical platform. The consortium includes 4 research organizations and 2 universities, providing deep domain expertise in Earth Observation and water quality science to support users.

Does this meet regulatory requirements for water quality reporting?

Based on available project data, the service delivers high-quality water information products derived from validated Sentinel satellite data. While the project documentation does not explicitly name specific regulatory directives, the water quality parameters monitored are relevant to EU Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive reporting needs.

Consortium

Who built it

The DCS4COP consortium brings together 9 partners from 6 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Norway, UK), led by Brockmann Consult GmbH, a German SME specializing in Earth Observation services. The mix is research-heavy with 4 research organizations and 2 universities providing scientific depth, while 2 industry partners (both SMEs) ensure commercial grounding. The 22% industry ratio is moderate for a technology service project, but the coordinator being an SME signals genuine commercial intent — this isn't just an academic exercise. The multinational spread across Western and Northern Europe gives good coverage of key markets for water monitoring services.

BROCKMANN CONSULT GMBHCoordinator · DE
VLAAMSE INSTELLING VOOR TECHNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK N.V.participant · BE
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRSparticipant · UK
INSTITUT ROYAL DES SCIENCES NATURELLES DE BELGIQUEparticipant · BE
UNIVERSITY OF HULLparticipant · UK
NORSK INSTITUTT FOR VANNFORSKNING STIparticipant · NO
STARLAB BARCELONA SLparticipant · ES
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSthirdparty · FR
SORBONNE UNIVERSITEparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

Brockmann Consult GmbH (Germany) — an SME specializing in Earth Observation data services. SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction.

Order a report on this consortium See BROCKMANN CONSULT GMBH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how satellite-based water monitoring can fit your operations? SciTransfer can arrange a briefing with the team behind this service — contact us for a no-obligation intro.

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