The Copernicus Masters 2021 competition is now open for submissions. This international competition awards prizes to innovative solutions, developments and ideas for business and society that use satellite data from the Copernicus programme.
The Copernicus programme offers free and near real-time access to data that substantially contribute to socio-economic benefits, as well as smart and sustainable growth. The programme fosters the development of innovative solutions in many domains and helps to achieve the priorities of the European Union, such as the Green Deal, making Europe fit for the digital age.
Over the past 10 years, 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 now until 19 July, participants can submit their innovative ideas for the use of Earth observation data across 10 different topics and challenges including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, data analytics, smart farming and maritime.
This year, the ESA Digital Twin Earth Challenge looks for proposals that use artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide solutions for key societal challenges, including food security, climate adaptation as well as pollution monitoring and prevention.
ESA’s Acting Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, said, “The Copernicus Sentinel satellite family is expanding at a rapid pace generating fantastic data. Every year, ESA opens the Copernicus Masters Challenge to solicit fresh and ground-breaking proposals of how they can be applied in research and stimulate new business ideas.
“The time is ripe for the latest generation of start-ups and young scientists to take this opportunity to the next level and show us where Earth observation innovation can lead in terms of the impact it can make, and its market potential.”
Together with cash prizes, challenge and prize winners will receive access to an international ecosystem of leading Earth observation organisations, substantial satellite data quotas, and business development support worth more than €835 000. The overall winner will receive an additional cash prize of €10 000.
For full details about how to enter and the range of prizes, please visit the Copernicus Masters website.
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