3rd Destination Earth User eXchange

Representatives from the European Commission and hosting organisation EUMETSAT share their perspectives on the future of DestinE.

• Welcome by Lothar Wolf, DestinE Programme Manager, EUMETSAT
• Welcome by Liina Munari, Deputy Head of Unit, DG CNECT.C1 High Performance Computing and Applications, European Commission

• Roar Skalin, Director of Norwegian Meteorological Institute)

The three Entrusted Entities – ESA, ECMWF, EUMETSAT – will give an update on key achievements, status of the system and plans for Phase II.

• Overall status of the initiative DestinE (Phase I achievements and Phase II main goals)
• DestinE Services and Interfaces, Kathrin Hintze (ESA)
• DestinE Digital Twins: characteristics models and interaction, Irina Sandu (ECMWF)
• DestinE Data Lake, characteristics and services, Lothar Wolf (EUMETSAT)

Overview of the web portal features and services from a user perspective

• Alexis Longuet (Serco)

This session will present the progress of climate simulations performed with three Climate DT models. It will discuss several types of simulations currently available to users, provide the results of their scientific evaluation, and give initial examples of using simulation data in practice. Additionally, the session will discuss plans for the simulations that will be conducted in the coming year.

Co-chairs: Nikolay Koldunov (Alfred-Wegener Institute) and Sebastian Milinski (ECMWF)

• Climate DT overview objectives, models and simulations, Theresa Kiszler (CSC)
• Climate simulations, Pablo Ortega (Barcelona Supercomputing Centre)
• Storyline simulations, Amal John (Alfred Wegener Institute)
• Model evaluation overview of Phase 1 simulations, Silvia Caprioli, Jost von Hardenberg and Paolo Davini (Politecnico di Torino)

This session aims to showcase the scope and objectives of enhancing DestinE services for compound flooding forecasting and adaptation planning. We will present key findings from two DestinE projects on flood risk mitigation and adaptation modelling. A subsequent panel discussion with experts from policy, technical fields, operational weather forecasting, and satellite remote sensing will address critical improvements needed for DestinE.

Co-chairs: Kun Yan, Björn Backeberg, and Albrecht Weerts (Deltares)

• Forecasting Compound Flood Impacts using Extremes DT, Kun Yan (Deltares)
• Co-developing the On-demand Extremes DT Floods Application, Ursula McKnight (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute)
• Panel discussion moderated by Björn Backeberg (Deltares)
  • Kun Yan (Deltares)
  • Martin Schobben (GFM, TUWien)
  • Thomas Geenen (ECMWF)
  • Roger Randriamampianina (Norwegian Meteorological Institute)

3-minute talks about DestinE and its applications

• Immersive Visualisation Metaverse for EO Applications, Simone Fratini (Solenix)
• Advancing Geospatial Data Analysis with XDGGS, Tina Odaka (IFREMER)
• Case studies towards cryosphere digital twin applications, Ilja Maljutenko (TalTech) & Tero Aalto (CSC)
• Danube Delta water reservoir in DestinE using Data Lake services, Charlotte Delmas (CS Group)
• Post-processing for wind energy production, Irene Schicker (GeoSphere Austria)
• A new tool to obtain relevant indicators for the energy sector, Sushovan Ghosh (BCS)
• Validation of DestinE’s Climate DT with high-resolution ground- and satellite-based observations of radiation and wind speed, Bruno Schyska (DLR)

The Extremes DT simulates extreme weather events and their impacts. In this session, we will show the Extremes DT workflow and the products that users will be able to access.

Co-chairs: Roger Randriamampianina (Norwegian Meteorological Institute) and Benoît Vannière (ECMWF)

• Model configurations, workflow and data, workflow and data, Xiaohua Yang (DMI)
• Impact sector models, Roger Randriamampianina (Norwegian Meteorological Institute)
• Uncertainty quantification, Aristofanis Tsiringakis (ECMWF)
• Detection triggering, Jonathan Demaeyer (KMI)
• Success Stories Use Cases from forecasts to impacts, Estíbaliz Gascón (ECMWF)

This session will showcase some applications and use cases for studying agriculture and biodiversity from the climate and weather perspective. A panel discussion with key users will address current and potential applications in DestinE to advance the impacts of extremes and climate change on agriculture and biodiversity. The session will collect feedback and needs from the participants.

Chair: Sofia Ermida (LSA-SAF, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera)

• User case To track and predict hazard to agricultural crops in Europe induced by climate change using crop growth models and DestinE data, Claus Weiland (Seckenberg)
• Forest biodiversity use case in DestinE, Matti Motus (VTT)
• Global fish tracking use case, Tina Odaka (IFREMER)
• DestinE and European policy priority needs ​from science to policy support, Eva Ivits (European Environment Agency)
• Panel discussion with invited speakers

DestinE Co-design toolkit & methodology – User testing and feedback

Through the project “Co-Design for DestinE”, ESA has procured a novel co-design methodology specifically adapted to bridge the gap between DestinE and actual users. The project will deliver a validated co-design methodology and toolkit for registered service providers.In an interactive workshop segment, participants will engage in a dynamic course-training mix. They will receive an introduction to the co-design methodology, supplemented by quick exercises to apply the method. Through this hands-on approach, attendees will not only gain practical experience but also have the opportunity for self-reflection, adapting co-design best practices to their own environments.Co-chairs:

Malik Terfous, Dr. Alexandre Azoulay and Dr. Elena Magliaro (Mines Paris PSL)

• Introduction to co-design within the DestinE Framework
• Introduction to the interactive part of the workshop
  • Phase 1 – Diagnosis of co-design needs
  • Phase 2 – Structuring co-design sessions

This session examines how we can interact with Digital Twins, and how Digital Twins can interact with each other. Presentations will highlight the developments in DestinE that support these interactions, including demonstrations.

Chair: James Hawkes (ECMWF)

• The Digital Twin Engine Enabling Interoperability and Interactability, James Hawkes (ECMWF)
• Triggering the On-Demand DT, Xiaohua Yang (DMI)
• AQUA the quality assessment tool for the Climate Digital Twin, Silvia Caprioli (Politecnico di Torino)
• GSV interface a new python access to the Climate Digital Twin data, Pierre-Antoine Bretonnière (Barcelona Supercomputing Centre)

This session will explore the far-reaching health consequences of both air pollution and our changing climate. Discover compelling sector studies that highlight how user interactions with DestinE drive meaningful insights and improvements. Engage with experts and peers to discuss innovative in approaches real-world case studies. Explore future avenues for increasing collaboration and interaction to better address the health challenges posed.

Co-chairs: Filip Lefebre and Nele Veldeman (VITO)

• The evolving impacts of climate change on health, and the emerging health opportunities of climate action, Cathryn Tonne (ISGLOBAL, The Lancet Countdown)
• Urban-scale air pollution model using Data Lake’s Near-Data Computing, Ignasi de Pouplana and Laurence Sigler (International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering)
• Adaptation Modelling Framework for Heat Stress Exposure, Nieves Peña Cerezo (TECNALIA)
• Vector-borne diseases: focus on current research, bottlenecks and how DestinE could help, Xavier Rodo (ISGLOBAL)
• The use of Local Digital Twins to evaluate the impact of mobility choices on air quality, Stijn Vranckx (VITO)
• Panel discussion (session speakers)

Posters will expand on selected technical or application aspects in DestinE. All posters will also be available online. Live demonstrations will run during this session as well.

From 18h30 food and drinks will be served.

This session aims to describe to the user community how to interact with DestinE Platform, including registering, accessing services, and potentially onboarding new services supporting the objectives of the DestinE initiative. It will additionally present the available services accessible from the DestinE platform, including the Edge Services provided by the DestinE Data Lake.

Moderators: Ines Sanz Morere (ESA) and Borys Saulyak (EUMETSAT)

• Overview of DestinE Access Policy, including requesting access to Edges services, Ines Sanz Morère (ESA) and Borys Saulyak (EUMETSAT)
• DestinE Platform – Overview of the User Journey (Registration, Access Upgrade, Service Registry, Support), Matteo Cortese (Serco)
• DestinE Data Lake Overview to EDGE Services, Borys Saulyak (EUMETSAT)
• DestinE Platform–Onboarding a New Service (Onboarding Procedure, Scenarios of Integration, Runtime Platform & Security Benefits), Najla Said (Serco)

The aim of this session is to highlight the added value that DestinE and its energy-related workstreams can bring to the renewable energy sector. We will present already finalised and available data-models-products and the most recent highlights of ongoing work from the different workstreams, followed by an interactive discussion about the needs, wishes, ideas that the energy sector has of DestinE energy workstreams.

Moderators: Irene Schicker (GeoSphere Austria) and Francesc Roura Adserias (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)

• Model Sensitivities, Data Validation and ML- final results of the DestinE Use Case Energy Systems, Bruno Schyska (DLR)
• Destination Renewable Energy, Stelios Kazadzis (National Observatory of Athens)
• Energy in Catalonia use case, Pere-Andreu Ubach (International Center for Numerical Methods in Engineering)
• Climate Adaptation Digital Twin – the energy use case, Francesc Roura Adserias (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)
• On-demand Extreme Events Digital Twin – Renewable energy, Irene Schicker (Geosphere Austria)

75-minute training providing hands-on insights into the DestinE data access services.

Chair: Alexis Longuet (Serco)

• Insula service, (Cesare Rossi, CGI)
• SesamEO, (Christophe Demange, Gael Systems)
• DestinE streamer (Wolfgang Kapferer, Geoville)
• DestinE – service onboarding (Elisabetta Giuliani, Serco)

In addition to new outstanding DestinE Digital Twins data, DestinE provides access to datasets from various other data spaces and data providers. All datasets accessible through DestinE constitute the so-called DestinE Data Portfolio. Accessing the Data Portfolio is a first step toward data fusion to unlock applications responding to the DestinE challenges.

The session aims to inform participants on ways to interact with the DestinE Data Portfolio to create applications. Speakers will explain how to discover the Data catalogue and visualise data.

Chair: Danaële Puechmaille (EUMETSAT)

• Presentation of DestinE Data Portfolio, Danaële Puechmaille (EUMETSAT)
• EDEN service in the platform, Simone Mantovani (MEEO)
• Harmonised Data Access service a unified API for DestinE Data Portfolio, Aubin Lambaré (CS Sopra Steria)
• SesamEO Service, Frédéric Le Fur & Patrick Pradier (Gael Systems)
• The Earth Data Hub Nicola Masotti (B-Open)
• DestinE Streamer, Wolfgang Kapferer (Geoville)

This session will delve into the role of digital twin technologies in advancing sustainable urban planning and management. Through innovative urban applications, we will showcase how these technologies address critical urban challenges, including accessibility to key facilities, traffic congestion, multi-hazard risks, and climate-related issues such as air pollution and the urban heat island effect. The session will emphasise the added value that Destination Earth use cases bring to urban planning, infrastructure, and mobility sectors. Presentations will be followed by an interactive discussion with key end-user representatives, focusing on their needs, priorities, and requirements.

Co-chairs: Alessandra Feliciotti (MindEarth) and Simone Fratini (Solenix)

• Setting the framework and the stage on the urban challenge, Alessandra Feliciotti (MindEarth) and Miguel Morcillo (EU Covenant of Mayors)
• Presentation of CITYNEXUS, Alessandra Feliciotti (MindEarth) & Simone Fratini (Solenix)
• Presentation of URBAN SQUARE, Laure Pialot (Murmuration-sas) and Mariana Damova (Mozaika)
• Presentation on UrbClim for UHI, Nele Veldeman and Filip Lefebre (VITO)
• Panel discussion with invited guests

75-minute training providing hands-on insights into DestinE data access services.

Chair: Alexis Longuet (Serco)

• Insula service, (Cesare Rossi, CGI)
• SesamEO, (Christophe Demange, Gael Systems)
• DestinE streamer (Wolfgang Kapferer, Geoville)
• DestinE – service onboarding (Elisabetta Giuliani, Serco)

Visualisation tools are a cornerstone of the DestinE initiative, and this session is set to dive into the cutting-edge advancements in this field. We aim to both enlighten users about the available solutions and spark a dynamic exchange of expertise across industries.

Chair: Gian Piero Izzo (Alia Space Systems)

• Using Unreal Engine to promote Destine data, Andreas Mueller (ECMWF)
• A Notebook-Based approach to visualise data from DestinE Data portfolio, Patryk Grzybowski (Cloud Ferro)
• Visualisation and Immersive Technologies, Gianluca Palumbo (Exprivia)
• DestinE interactive storytelling and beyond, Arturo Montieri (Alia Space)
• DestinE Demonstrators, Kylian Berrebi (Atos) and Christophe Taillandier (Mews Partners)

• DestinE Community Forum Introduction, Costas Bissas (AUTh), Rob Carrillo (Trust-IT Services), Anna Dosiou (AUTh), Zoi-Eirini Tsifodimou (AUTh)
• DestinE Community Insights
• Spectrum session
• Community Pulse

• Insula service, (Cesare Rossi, CGI)
• SesamEO, (Christophe Demange, Gael Systems)
• DestinE streamer (Wolfgang Kapferer, Geoville)
• DestinE – service onboarding (Elisabetta Giuliani, Serco)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers fantastic opportunities for advancements in novel weather and climate modelling/information systems such as DestinE. This session will show how AI approaches complement our work in DestinE, expanding what we can achieve in terms of impact sector reach and interactivity.

Co-chairs: Mariana Clare (ECMWF) and Miruna Stoicescu (EUMETSAT)

• Machine Learning for DestinE at ECMWF, Joffrey Dumont Le Brazidec (ECMWF)
• Data-driven modelling for On-demand Extremes, Thomas Nipen (Met Norway)
• DestinE Platform AI/ML capabilities, Sebastien Tetaud (ESA)
• DestinE Sea Ice Decision Enhancement using AI, Lasse Rabsensein (Drift+Noise Polar services)
• Facilitating Artificial Intelligence Activities in the DestinE Data Lake, Miruna Stoicescu (EUMETSAT)
• Baltic Sea cyanobacteria blooms – Machine Learning-based short-term prediction (Algae Storm), Tobias Edman (Research Institutes of Sweden)
• Panel discussion with session speakers

The development status of other Digital twins, funded by Horizon Europe but also national initiatives, in the topical area of the green deal, will be presented. The main focus will be on the status update of the projects, but the session will also touch on how they relate to DestinE and how they could benefit from the information provided by DestinE.

Chair: Thomas Geenen (ECMWF)

• CNECT, State of play of Horizon Europe and Destination Earth – opportunities and challenges, Babis Tsitlakidis (European Commission)
• Extending the Destination Earth ecosystem with biodiversity digital twins, Dirk Pleiter (KTH)
• Towards geophysical extremes twins status and next steps of the DT-GEO project, Arnau Folch (GEO3CBCN)
• The interTwin Digital Twin Engine components for environmental DTs, Andrea Manzi (EGI)
• Iliad Digital twins of the ocean, Arne Berre (SINTEF NorwAI)
• Technology for Earth System Digital Twins, Jacqueline Le Moigne (NASA)
• GLORI4DE- the interoperability between DestinE and GLORI Digital Twins, Gabriella Scipione (CINECA)
• EO-based Digital Twin Components of the Earth System, Martin Wearing (ESA)

Conclusions and outlook from the European Commission, ECMWF, ESA, and EUMETSAT.