FIRE – European Forum for Earth Observation – is a Horizon 2020 project successfully implemented between December 2019 and February 2023. It set off to (1) develop a strategic roadmap for research and innovation in the Earth Observation (EO) sector and took upon the challenge to (2) closely involve non-EO actors to ensure this roadmap addresses the current and future needs of key commercial sectors and the society.
Why Earth Observation? EO data and services have the potential to make a hugely positive impact on societal, economic, environmental, and industrial challenges faced on a global and European scale. Furthermore, EO is widely recognised as a key enabling technology for working towards the 2030 sustainable development goals.
How? Over the three years of action, the project established a community of (potential) users of EO technology across different industries, namely agriculture, infrastructure, marine and maritime, raw materials, urban development, and wind energy. These sectors are of high priority for society and were selected based on their market importance and their increasing need to innovate to efficiently address the rising pressure on competitivity and the environmental sustainability.
FIRE organised its work around four interrelated objectives. First, FIRE developed and animated a community of research and innovation actors – innovators, policymakers, technologists, businesspeople and researchers. FIRE provided the space, time and methodology needed for fruitful exchanges, which in turn allowed the project to gather critical and up to date knowledge on the markets, mapping the EO uptake in these different sectors. Second, FIRE successfully engaged both EO and non-EO experts, bridging the gap between providers of EO services and professionals of six FIRE industries which can use these and future EO capabilities to their benefit, solving pressing challenges in their sectors. Third, FIRE nurtured exchanges between these groups to design a long-term Research and Innovation Strategy so that Earth Observation can continue supporting key European industries and ambitions. Fourth, a strong communications strategy and a robust sustainability plan were implemented to achieve a maximum impact of all FIRE activities.
What is the main outcome of the project? FIRE has successfully achieved its aim to build a strong community and a well-defined process which have been crucial in delivering the strategic research and innovation roadmap. Moreover, the community created by the project has become self-aware of its great value and potential and will be maintained beyond project’s lifetime. Similarly, various aspects of the methodology designed by FIRE will continue to be applied in the future.
