Europe’s digital Earth gets ready to grow user community

DestinE uses enhanced modelling to improve our understanding of climate and the impact of human activities on our environment. Its data can be used to support research and make informed decisions on climate policy, such as climate change adaptation strategies and effective mitigation measures. The project, led by the European Commission, will begin phase 3 of its implementation in July 2026.

The European Space Agency (ESA), together with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat) and the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), are responsible for delivering the project. Each partner is responsible for a different component of the project:

• ESA is responsible for the development of the DestinE Platform and its ecosystem of services.
• Eumetsat leads development of the DestinE Data Lake and edge services.
• ECMWF is developing the first two of DestinE’s digital twins and the Digital Twin Engine.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, “Progressing to the next phase of DestinE is excellent news – the unprecedented levels of accuracy will enable users to explore how our Earth system will react and evolve for decades ahead. This flagship initiative not only builds on European modelling capabilities and Earth observation data, but it also underlines the strength and potential of European partnership.”

Development of the project began in 2021, with the first phase focusing on preparation, testing and building the DestinE Platform. The first two high-priority digital twins were also developed during this phase, providing data on weather-induced extremes and climate projections. These models rely on huge amounts of data from ESA, ECMWF and Eumetsat, including data from Copernicus Sentinel satellites. The outputs of the digital twins are disseminated through the DestinE Data Lake.

The second phase of development began in 2024 and saw the project progress from early testing to everyday use. In this phase, the two digital twins began to disseminate global, high-resolution simulations that explore extreme weather, future climate pathways and ‘what-if’ scenarios. During this phase, the DestinE Platform became operational and the user community grew from zero to more than 5000 people, while the number of services increased from around 10 to more than 30.

What next for DestinE?

As DestinE prepares to enter its third phase, the focus shifts decisively from building the system to putting it into practice. By strengthening quality information, expanding the use of artificial intelligence and placing user needs at the heart of development, ESA and its partners aim to turn DestinE into a trusted, accessible tool for climate action.

ESA will continue to run and improve the DestinE Platform, making it easier to navigate, more robust and increase the services offered. During phase 3, an open call will be issued to extend the range of services available on the DestinE Platform. ESA will focus on engaging with users to ensure a diverse and growing user community.

The ambition is clear: to ensure that Europe’s digital twin of the Earth moves beyond technical excellence to deliver tangible value for public authorities, researchers, businesses and innovators tackling some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

Kathrin Hintze, Head of ESA’s Ecosystem Development Section, said, “From June 2026, the DestinE Platform will provide users with a faster and more intuitive environment tailored to support diverse user groups. It will offer an expanded catalogue of services, including user-developed tools, transparent quality indicators through the DestinE Quality Framework, and enhanced AI-enabled capabilities to explore and analyse digital twin data and simulations, directly supporting evidence-based decision-making.”

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