New international agreements to boost Earth observation collaboration

New scientific cooperation agreements with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the United Kingdom’s National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), as well as a renewed Memorandum of Understanding with China’s National Satellite Ocean Application Service (NSOAS) will strengthen scientific cooperation and data exchange to support the vital forecasting, oceanographic and climate services that help save lives, protect livelihoods and benefit economies.

“These agreements ensure EUMETSAT’s 30 member states maintain vital ocean data access while establishing new frameworks for scientific cooperation with the potential to accelerate innovation, advance satellite technology, and improve operational capabilities,” said Paul Counet, EUMETSAT’s Head of Strategy, Communication and International Relations. “By collaborating with partners, we can enhance products from our new satellites, develop better algorithms and data processing methods, and improve monitoring of everything from greenhouse gases to ocean dynamics. This strengthens the global Earth observation network that enables national meteorological and hydrological institutes to provide better weather forecasts, climate information and environmental services to their citizens.”

Advancing meteorology and atmospheric science
A scientific cooperation agreement with DLR will provide a framework to broaden Earth observation science cooperation. Areas of potential focus include meteorology and atmospheric composition, verifying satellite measurements, data systems, and contributions to future mission planning. Activities could span information sharing, scientific exchanges, research collaborations, and algorithm development for tracking greenhouse gases and atmospheric composition. The agreement builds on longstanding cooperation activities such as through EUMETSAT’s Satellite Application Facilities network and the development of METimage on the recently launched Metop Second Generation A1 satellite.