Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PCP WISE (THE CUSTOMISATION/PRE-OPERATIONALISATION OF WATER MANAGEMENT INNOVATIONS FROM SPACE FOR EUROPEAN CLIMATE RESILIENCE)
Reporting period: 2025-01-01 to 2025-08-31
1. General Context and Objectives:
PCP WISE is a cross-border Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) funded under Horizon Europe. It addresses the growing need for climate-resilient water management tools amid increasingly severe events such as floods, droughts, wildfires, and infrastructure degradation.
The project supports the development and pre-operationalisation of innovative water intelligence services based on Earth Observation (EO), modelling, and digital technologies. These will monitor Soil–Water–Vegetation (SWV) conditions and deliver actionable insights for decision-makers in urban and rural contexts. Through a three-phase PCP process (design, prototyping, and field validation), solutions are expected to reach TRL 7–8 and meet the shared needs of European public buyers.
2. Motivation and Strategic Relevance:
Climate change is altering Europe’s hydrological patterns, creating complex challenges for public authorities. Existing monitoring systems often lack integration, local detail, or usability. PCP-WISE addresses these gaps by co-developing user-centric services for daily management, early warning, and climate-informed planning. The project builds on Horizon 2020 PROTECT and aligns with key EU strategies including the Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the European Data Strategy, and the uptake of Copernicus and Galileo. It contributes to fit-for-purpose Environmental Observation Systems and strengthens interoperability in regional and cross-border water governance.
3. Project Pathway to Impact:
PCP WISE defines a clear pathway to impact through a phased, competitive R&D process. Solutions validated in five European test sites aim to deliver:
- A generic SWV monitoring service;
- Sector-specific risk indicators;
- Interoperable data tools;
- Operational support for authorities and civil protection.
Each integrates EO data, in-situ measurements, and modelling, tailored to local contexts. Usability is ensured through co-design with buyers, while scalability relies on a modular, open architecture.
4. Scale and significance of Expected Impacts:
PCP-WISE impacts span multiple dimensions:
- Scientific: advancing EO-based environmental intelligence;
- Policy: enabling data-driven governance and EU interoperability;
- Operational: strengthening anticipation and crisis response;
- Societal: supporting resilience of cities, communities, and ecosystems;
- Market: fostering SME participation and EO uptake.
Solutions are designed for replication beyond test sites, enabling wider EU deployment and long-term cost-effective climate adaptation.
5. Role of Social Sciences and Humanities:
Social Sciences and Humanities ensure innovations meet real user needs and reflect governance contexts through:
- Stakeholder engagement and behavioural analysis;
- Legal and ethical oversight (data use and transparency);
- Governance design for cross-sector collaboration;
- Capacity building and communication strategies.
This ensures technically robust, trusted, and institutionally embedded services.
PCP WISE is a cross-border Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) funded under Horizon Europe. It addresses the growing need for climate-resilient water management tools amid increasingly severe events such as floods, droughts, wildfires, and infrastructure degradation.
The project supports the development and pre-operationalisation of innovative water intelligence services based on Earth Observation (EO), modelling, and digital technologies. These will monitor Soil–Water–Vegetation (SWV) conditions and deliver actionable insights for decision-makers in urban and rural contexts. Through a three-phase PCP process (design, prototyping, and field validation), solutions are expected to reach TRL 7–8 and meet the shared needs of European public buyers.
2. Motivation and Strategic Relevance:
Climate change is altering Europe’s hydrological patterns, creating complex challenges for public authorities. Existing monitoring systems often lack integration, local detail, or usability. PCP-WISE addresses these gaps by co-developing user-centric services for daily management, early warning, and climate-informed planning. The project builds on Horizon 2020 PROTECT and aligns with key EU strategies including the Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the European Data Strategy, and the uptake of Copernicus and Galileo. It contributes to fit-for-purpose Environmental Observation Systems and strengthens interoperability in regional and cross-border water governance.
3. Project Pathway to Impact:
PCP WISE defines a clear pathway to impact through a phased, competitive R&D process. Solutions validated in five European test sites aim to deliver:
- A generic SWV monitoring service;
- Sector-specific risk indicators;
- Interoperable data tools;
- Operational support for authorities and civil protection.
Each integrates EO data, in-situ measurements, and modelling, tailored to local contexts. Usability is ensured through co-design with buyers, while scalability relies on a modular, open architecture.
4. Scale and significance of Expected Impacts:
PCP-WISE impacts span multiple dimensions:
- Scientific: advancing EO-based environmental intelligence;
- Policy: enabling data-driven governance and EU interoperability;
- Operational: strengthening anticipation and crisis response;
- Societal: supporting resilience of cities, communities, and ecosystems;
- Market: fostering SME participation and EO uptake.
Solutions are designed for replication beyond test sites, enabling wider EU deployment and long-term cost-effective climate adaptation.
5. Role of Social Sciences and Humanities:
Social Sciences and Humanities ensure innovations meet real user needs and reflect governance contexts through:
- Stakeholder engagement and behavioural analysis;
- Legal and ethical oversight (data use and transparency);
- Governance design for cross-sector collaboration;
- Capacity building and communication strategies.
This ensures technically robust, trusted, and institutionally embedded services.
During the first reporting period (M1–M7), PCP WISE achieved major progress in governance setup, PCP process preparation, and technical groundwork across all core WPs.
WP1 – Project Management and Coordination: Established the structural and operational foundations for implementation.
WP2 – Impact Maximisation: Mapped 958 stakeholders (674 suppliers, 132 replicators, 152 support entities), segmented by role and engagement.
WP3 – PCP Preparation: Defined five validated use cases, functional requirements, and data needs. Updated the state-of-the-art (TRL, patents, publications, commercial solutions). Developed the business case (Monte Carlo and cost–benefit analysis) and the first WISE-FIT pilot framework with KPIs and benchmarking. Conducted and closed the OMC; tender documents (technical specs, evaluation criteria, legal templates) were finalised and published on 5 September 2025:
- PCP WISE - e-Procurement platform (Platform) - https://pcp-wise.tuttogare.it/pcp/dettaglio.php?codice=1(opens in new window)
- 581235-2025 - Competition - TED (Contract Notice) - https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/581235-2025(opens in new window)
WP4 – PCP Implementation: Preparatory work completed (e-procurement design, documentation).
WP5 – Climate Relevance: Site visits with all buyers validated needs and informed tender docs.
WP6 – Ethics: Ensured early compliance within governance and data management.
WP1 – Project Management and Coordination: Established the structural and operational foundations for implementation.
WP2 – Impact Maximisation: Mapped 958 stakeholders (674 suppliers, 132 replicators, 152 support entities), segmented by role and engagement.
WP3 – PCP Preparation: Defined five validated use cases, functional requirements, and data needs. Updated the state-of-the-art (TRL, patents, publications, commercial solutions). Developed the business case (Monte Carlo and cost–benefit analysis) and the first WISE-FIT pilot framework with KPIs and benchmarking. Conducted and closed the OMC; tender documents (technical specs, evaluation criteria, legal templates) were finalised and published on 5 September 2025:
- PCP WISE - e-Procurement platform (Platform) - https://pcp-wise.tuttogare.it/pcp/dettaglio.php?codice=1(opens in new window)
- 581235-2025 - Competition - TED (Contract Notice) - https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/581235-2025(opens in new window)
WP4 – PCP Implementation: Preparatory work completed (e-procurement design, documentation).
WP5 – Climate Relevance: Site visits with all buyers validated needs and informed tender docs.
WP6 – Ethics: Ensured early compliance within governance and data management.
Although the PCP process has just been launched and no technical results are yet available, PCP WISE is expected to go significantly beyond the state of the art by integrating Earth Observation (EO), in-situ data, AI-based analytics and hydrological modelling into operational water intelligence services tailored to local and cross-border needs. The solutions aim to fill key gaps in existing systems by providing:
- A harmonised an integrated SWV (Soil–Water–Vegetation) monitoring framework;
- High-resolution, real-time and historical insights for diverse climate scenarios;
- Risk indicators adapted to sector-specific requirements (urban, rural, etc);
- A modular, interoperable architecture enabling scalability and EU-wide replication.
To ensure successful uptake and long-term impact, the following enabling factors will be critical:
- Research and demonstration beyond TRL 8;
- Strong end-user engagement during co-design and piloting;
- Support for commercialisation, IPR protection and business model development;
- Access to other public procurement markets and finance mechanisms;
- Alignment with EU regulatory frameworks and emerging standards for environmental data interoperability.
These elements will be addressed progressively throughout the PCP process and consolidated in the final phase through testing and validation, stakeholder feedback, and preparation for post-project exploitation.
- A harmonised an integrated SWV (Soil–Water–Vegetation) monitoring framework;
- High-resolution, real-time and historical insights for diverse climate scenarios;
- Risk indicators adapted to sector-specific requirements (urban, rural, etc);
- A modular, interoperable architecture enabling scalability and EU-wide replication.
To ensure successful uptake and long-term impact, the following enabling factors will be critical:
- Research and demonstration beyond TRL 8;
- Strong end-user engagement during co-design and piloting;
- Support for commercialisation, IPR protection and business model development;
- Access to other public procurement markets and finance mechanisms;
- Alignment with EU regulatory frameworks and emerging standards for environmental data interoperability.
These elements will be addressed progressively throughout the PCP process and consolidated in the final phase through testing and validation, stakeholder feedback, and preparation for post-project exploitation.