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The Copernicus programme offers free and near real-time access to data for the development of solutions tackling important societal challenges. The vast amount of data hold great potential for companies, entrepreneurs and start-ups to create sustainable solutions.

The Copernicus Masters is Europe’s leading innovation competition for Earth observation. Since 2011, ESA and Germany’s AZO Anwendungszentrum GmbH have organised the annual Copernicus Masters competition, along with the support of world-class partners, to inspire and help entrepreneurs bring their innovations forward.

From 1 April until 30 June, participants can submit their innovative use of Earth observation data across a variety of topics and challenges.

This year, the ESA Digital Twin Earth Challenge will look for solutions that use artificial intelligence and big data to provide solutions to key societal challenges such as smart cities, food security, health issues, tourism and leisure, as well as coastal monitoring.  

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Josef Aschbacher, comments, “In order to solve current environmental and societal challenges, we need to invest in innovation. Out-of-the-box thinking is the cornerstone of innovation and, in times such as these, we need this now more than ever.

“ESA measures the pulse of our planet. Earth observation helps us to better understand what happens on Earth and simultaneously provides a solution to monitor our planet. The Copernicus Masters is an innovative driver for future-oriented applications and services using EO data. It supports the commercialisation of businesses and creates new results.”

Together with cash prizes, challenge winners will receive access to an international ecosystem of leading Earth observation organisations, substantial satellite data quotas, and business development support worth more than EUR 550 000 in total. The overall winner will receive an additional cash prize of EUR 10 000.

For full details about how to enter and the range of challenges and prizes, please visit the Copernicus Masters website.