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NextGEOSS · Project

One-Stop Data Hub to Find and Use Earth Observation Data for Business

environmentPilotedTRL 7
nextgeoss.eu

Imagine you need satellite images and environmental data to make a business decision — maybe you're planning where to build a solar farm or checking crop health across a region. Right now, that data is scattered across dozens of different databases, each with its own format and login. NextGEOSS built a single search engine that connects all these sources, so you can find, combine, and process Earth Observation data from one place using cloud tools. Think of it as a Google for satellite and environmental data, with built-in tools to actually do something useful with what you find.

By the numbers
30
consortium partners
13
countries represented
12
industry partners in consortium
8
SMEs involved
40%
industry participation ratio
19
total deliverables produced
5
demonstration showcases delivered
The business problem

What needed solving

Companies that need Earth Observation data — for agriculture, insurance, urban planning, or environmental compliance — face a fragmented landscape of dozens of separate data portals, each with different formats, access rules, and tools. Getting satellite imagery from one source, climate data from another, and land use maps from a third means building and maintaining expensive custom data pipelines. This slows down decision-making and locks out smaller companies that cannot afford dedicated geospatial engineering teams.

The solution

What was built

NextGEOSS built a federated data hub — a single cloud-based platform that connects to Europe's major Earth Observation data centres including Copernicus services. The project delivered 19 deliverables including 5 demonstration showcases: Innovation Pilots, Business Pilots, GEODAB Integration, Data Federation, and Dataset Registration, each proving the system works for real use cases.

Audience

Who needs this

AgTech companies building crop monitoring or precision farming platformsInsurance firms assessing climate and environmental risks across regionsEnvironmental consulting firms doing impact assessmentsSmart city planners needing multi-source geospatial dataRenewable energy developers siting wind or solar installations
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Precision Agriculture
mid-size
Target: AgTech companies and large farming cooperatives

If you are an agricultural technology company dealing with fragmented satellite and weather data sources — this project developed a federated data hub that lets you pull crop monitoring imagery, soil data, and climate records from multiple providers through a single search interface. Instead of negotiating access to 5 different data portals, you connect once and build your analytics on top. The platform was demonstrated through Innovation and Business Pilot Showcases with 30 consortium partners across 13 countries.

Insurance & Risk Assessment
enterprise
Target: Property and crop insurers needing environmental risk data

If you are an insurance company dealing with the challenge of assessing climate and environmental risks across European regions — this project built cloud-based tools that let you search, retrieve, and combine Earth Observation products from federated data sources. You can cross-reference flood risk satellite data with land use maps and climate records without building custom data pipelines for each source. The system connects to Copernicus Core Services and other major Earth Observation providers.

Environmental Consulting
SME
Target: Environmental impact assessment firms

If you are an environmental consulting firm dealing with slow and expensive data gathering for impact assessments — this project created a user-friendly platform for discovering and processing Earth Observation data from distributed repositories. You can run analysis and visualization directly in the cloud instead of downloading massive datasets locally. The platform was validated through 5 demonstration showcases covering data federation, dataset registration, and business applications.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access this Earth Observation data hub?

The project data does not include pricing or licensing fee information. NextGEOSS was built as an open data infrastructure connecting to public Earth Observation sources like Copernicus. Commercial licensing terms would need to be discussed with the coordinator DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA.

Can this handle the volume of data my company needs at industrial scale?

The platform was designed to connect to major European and global data centres using Web and Cloud technologies. It supports federated search, retrieval, processing, and re-processing across distributed sources. The system was demonstrated through 5 showcases including Data Federation and Dataset Registration, confirming it can handle multi-source data integration.

What is the IP situation — can we license or build on this technology?

NextGEOSS was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with 30 partners across 13 countries. IP ownership would be distributed among consortium members. Contact the coordinator DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA in Portugal to discuss licensing options for specific components.

Does this comply with EU data regulations and Copernicus policies?

The project was specifically designed to support GEOSS as a European approach for Earth Observation data distribution. It integrates with Copernicus Collaborative Ground Segments and Core Services, which operate under EU open data policies. Based on available project data, regulatory alignment with European Earth Observation standards was a core design goal.

How long would it take to integrate this into our existing systems?

The platform uses standard OpenSearch protocols and Web technologies for connectivity. The project ran for 4 years (2016-2020) and produced 19 deliverables including integration showcases. Based on the GEODAB Integration Showcase, the system was designed for interoperability with existing data workflows.

Is there ongoing support or has the project ended?

The project officially closed in November 2020. However, the consortium included 12 industry partners and 8 SMEs, suggesting commercial interest in sustaining the platform. The coordinator DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA is an established engineering company that may offer continued support or commercialized versions.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a large, commercially serious consortium with 30 partners from 13 European countries. The 40% industry ratio (12 out of 30 partners) is well above average for EU research projects, and the presence of 8 SMEs signals genuine market interest beyond academic curiosity. The coordinator, DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA from Portugal, is an established engineering company — not a university lab — which suggests the project was steered toward practical deployment. The consortium also includes 9 research organizations and 4 universities providing scientific depth. With partners spread across Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the UK, the platform was built for pan-European data access from the start.

How to reach the team

DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA (Portugal) — an engineering company, likely has a business development team reachable through their corporate website

Order a report on this consortiumSee DEIMOS ENGENHARIA SA profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how this Earth Observation data platform could solve your data access challenges? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partners and help you evaluate fit for your specific use case.

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