Destination Earth

COP27: 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference
2022-11-07 10:00 - 2022-11-11 18:00 (Europe/Rome)
NOTE: this is based on an event page that was originally published 7 November 2022 on the European Space Agency’s website.

World leaders and experts gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) where a session dedicated to Destination Earth (DestinE) was held on 10 November 2022.
The session was titled, “Destination Earth: Earth’s digital twin to support greener policies for a greener future”. The session featured the three Entrusted Entities implementing DestinE, European Space Agency (ESA), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
Panellists included ECMWF Destination Earth Science Lead Irina Sandu, ESA Management & Ground Segment Department Head of the Mission Nicolaus Hanowski and EUMETSAT Destination Earth Programme Manager Lothar Wolf. The session was also moderated by European Commission DG CNECT Open Science and Digital Modelling Deputy Head of Unit Tobias Wiesenthal and European Commission DG DEFIS Earth Observation Deputy Head of Unit Elisabeth Hamdouch.
Apart from this, during several sessions, ESA emphasized how satellite data enhances scientific understanding of climate change and validates climate models for predicting future changes. ESA also underscored the growing use of satellite information in supporting global climate action and tracking progress towards commitments under the Paris Agreement. Panels discussed climate information for decision making, Earth observations for mitigation and adaptation, CO2 monitoring, and the implementation plan for the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) 2022.
The conference focused on limiting greenhouse emissions and addressing loss and damage resulting from climate change while taking stock of the latest climate science. Satellites played a crucial role, providing observations that detailed significant changes across the planet, such as glacier shrinkage, polar ice sheet loss, and rising global sea levels.

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Science Business Annual Network Conference
2023-02-07 08:00 - 17:00
NOTE: this is based on an article that was originally published 9 May 2023 on the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’s website.

The Science Business Annual Network Conference took place in Brussels and online on 7 February, 2023, under the theme “Sustainable horizons: Does our future depend on science?”
The event aimed to bring together EU policymakers, academia, researchers, and the IT ecosystem to discuss the importance of upscaling international cooperation and resources to address climate change and extreme weather events.
During the conference’s opening panel, Peter Bauer emphasized the need for improved understanding of climate change through research and science, advocating for investments in both fundamental questions and actionable solutions. The event also featured Robert-Jan Smits, who highlighted the vast untapped potential of big data and digital technology in transforming production processes and society.
A significant focus of the conference was the European Union’s funded initiative, Destination Earth, which aims to build a digital replica of the Earth system by 2030. This initiative involves collaboration between the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
The Science Business Annual Network Conference provided valuable insights into the current state of the European science and technology ecosystem, the progress of the EU’s Horizon Europe program, and the importance of science, research, and policy in shaping a sustainable future.

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1st Destination Earth User eXchange
2023-02-15 09:00
This free-to-attend event was hosted virtually and in person on 15 February 2023 in Frascati, Rome, Italy.
Please click here for the report of the event.

What is the first Destination Earth User eXchange?

This was the first of a series of regular events to establish, grow and nurture a community of Destination Earth (DestinE) stakeholders.

DestinE partners have decided to establish such events to inform the community on the progress in implementing DestinE and, at the same time, identifying stakeholders or prospective partners and understand the needs of the community so that the initiative can develop in synergy with its (potential) users. The User eXchange also aims at identifying prospective partners and understand stakeholder expectations and possible avenues for interaction.

What is Destination Earth?

The Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG-CNECT) of the European Commission has entrusted the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) with the implementation of the DestinE initiative.

DestinE aims to develop – on a global scale – a highly accurate digital model of the Earth to monitor and predict the interaction between natural phenomena and human activities. As part of the European Commission’s Green Deal and Digital Strategy, DestinE will contribute to achieving the objectives of the twin transition, green and digital.

A broad stakeholder engagement is key to the success of the DestinE initiative and the three entities have been cooperating closely in developing a joint strategy towards user engagement and partnerships. This strategy includes setting up an open stakeholder dialogue aimed at the wider community ensuring engagement of all relevant players. The DestinE User eXchange is intended to become a central building block of this dialogue.

ETP4HPC Conference
2023-03-08 08:00 - 17:00
NOTE: this is based on an article that was originally published on the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ website.

The Science Business Annual Network Conference took place in Brussels and online on 7 February, 2023, under the theme “Sustainable horizons: Does our future depend on science?”
The event aimed to bring together EU policymakers, academia, researchers, and the IT ecosystem to discuss the importance of upscaling international cooperation and resources to address climate change and extreme weather events.
During the conference’s opening panel, Peter Bauer emphasized the need for improved understanding of climate change through research and science, advocating for investments in both fundamental questions and actionable solutions. The event also featured Robert-Jan Smits, who highlighted the vast untapped potential of big data and digital technology in transforming production processes and society.
A significant focus of the conference was the European Union’s funded initiative, Destination Earth, which aims to build a digital replica of the Earth system by 2030. This initiative involves collaboration between the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
The Science Business Annual Network Conference provided valuable insights into the current state of the European science and technology ecosystem, the progress of the EU’s Horizon Europe program, and the importance of science, research, and policy in shaping a sustainable future.

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Information Day: DestinE Core Service Platform Framework – Advanced Applications and Services
2023-04-21 10:00
The Information Day took place online on Friday, 21 April 2023, from 10.00 to 12.00 CEST.

ESA has provided an overview of the DESP Advanced Applications and Services intended Invitation to Tender (ITT). The upcoming ITT covers the procurement of Destination Earth Core Service Platform (DESP) Framework – Advanced Applications and Services, for which ESA intends to place a single contract.

The Open ITT will be open exclusively to economic operators and organisations (including subcontractors) which have their registered office in an EU Member State, or a State associated to the Digital Europe Programme in accordance with Articles 10 and 12 of the Digital Regulation. The EU Member States and the States associated to the Digital Europe Programme in accordance with Articles 10 and 12 of the Digital Regulation for this intended ITT are:

AT+BE+BG+CY+CZ+DE+DK+ES+EE+FR+FI+GR+HU+HR+IT+IE+IS+LT+LI+LU+LV+MT+NO+NL+PL+PT+RO+SE+SI+SK

The presentation given during the Information Day has been published on ESA-STAR NEWS.

EGU 2023
2023-04-23 09:00 - 2023-04-28 18:00
Two related sessions tackled topics relevant to Destination Earth (DestinE) at the EGU 2023 in Vienna, Austria from 23-28 April 2023.

The EGU General Assembly 2023 brought together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience.

In the framework of the event, DestinE was covered in the sessions ESSI2.10 First steps towards Destination Earth and ESSI1.5 Digital Twins of the Earth.

Session: First steps towards Destination Earth

26 April 2023, 16.15–17.55 (CEST)

Destination Earth (DestinE) is an ambitious initiative of the European Union aiming to develop – on a global scale – a highly accurate digital model of the Earth that will help understand and simulate the evolution in the state of our planet, better predict impact on human system processes, ecosystem processes and their interaction.

DestinE will exploit state-of-the-art technologies, including high-performance computing, high-resolution Earth system models and novel approaches in analytics, including artificial intelligence, and offer unprecedented interactivity with the system for users.

A number of tangible outcomes are expected from these developments: Earth system simulations will become more skillful, the intensity and magnitude of natural disasters will be predicted more reliably, decision makers will have tools to tackle more efficiently the effect of climate change and much more.

Work is currently ongoing by the three implementing agencies (ESA, EUMETSAT, ECMWF) to develop the three components of the DestinE system: the Core Service Platform, the Data Lake and the Digital Twin Engine. This session aims at presenting progress towards the implementation of the DestinE system. It will also highlight opportunities to contribute to this challenging and ambitious endeavor and co-evolve the system together.

Agenda

16.15–16.25: An overview of the DestinE project

16.25–16.35: Climate Digital Twin to support climate change adaptation efforts

16.35–16.45: Towards a Digital Twin of the Earth: ECMWF’s effort to build a Kilometre-scale Earth System Model

16.45–16.55: Destination Earth On-Demand Extremes Digital Twin

16.55–17.05: Destination Earth Data Lake

17.05–17.15: DestinE Core Service Platform Framework

17.15–17.25: Towards building a vibrant DestinE User Community

17.25–17.35: Adapting Energy Systems to a Changing Climate – A Destination Earth Use Case

17.35–17.45: Compound flood forecasting and climate adaptation Destination Earth digital twin

17.45–17.55: DestinE-AQ: High-resolution air quality forecast, analysis, and scenario simulations coupled to the Digital Twin of DestinE

See the full session information and individual presentation details in the main event page.

Learn more!

Session: Digital Twins of the Earth (DestinE-related session)

26 April 2023, 14.00-15.25 (CEST)

A Digital Twin of the Earth (DTE) is an interactive, dynamic digital replica of our planet that combines observations with simulations from physical models and advanced AI-based analysis. It aims to replicate the Earth’s complex ecosystem, allowing us to estimate our planet’s response to changes under both the current climate state and future climate projections. A DTE is an emerging concept that is capable of simulating what-if scenarios before they occur, which is crucial for natural hazard mitigation and adaptation plans (e.g., floods, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, etc.). A DTE calls for an advanced, federated, multi-computing architecture that works across organizations and agency boundaries. For a DTE to be successful, it needs to be open source and developed for and by the community. It needs to be an extendable framework that encourages continuous contributions, integration, and development of advanced AI solutions in order to have an accurate digital representation of the physical environment. This session welcomes presentations on current open-source frameworks and enabling technologies for DTE including, but not restricted to:

Open-source DTE framework

Computer infrastructure to move virtual data from DTE repositories to service platforms

Surrogate models for missing observations and unresolved physical processes

Hybrid AI / physics-based modelling

Extreme value predictions

Uncertainty quantification and representation

Post-processing (event detection and downscaling/super-resolution)

Agenda

14.00–14.05: 5-minute convener introduction

14.05–14.15: Towards a Digital Twin of the Carbon Cycle in Europe

14.15–14.25: Open-Source Framework For Earth System Digital Twins Applied to Surface Water Hydrology

14.25–14.35: Towards a local, dated and thematic digital twins factory

14.35–14.45: Earth System Deep Learning towards a Global Digital Twin of Wildfires

14.45–14.55: Deep Learning for Verification of Earth’s surfaces

14.55–15.05: Foundation AI Models for Science

15.05–15.15: Statistical downscaling of precipitation with deep neural networks

15.15–15.25: Confidence estimation of DNN predictions for on-board applications

See the full session information and individual presentation details in the main session page.

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1st ECMWF Destination Earth Capability Providers Meeting
2023-06-12 00:00 - 2023-06-14 00:00
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is hosting its 1st Destination Earth (DestinE) Capability Providers Meeting in Bonn, Germany on 12 to 14 June 2023.

The hybrid event is by invitation only to the selected contractors and other invited guests. The meeting’s purpose will be to bring together ECMWF contractors working on the DestinE initiative to network and discuss upcoming operations.

The meeting is a necessary first step in the development of the DestinE initiative’s programming infrastructure which will result in the creation of the Digital Twins.

For more information on the meeting, the DestinE initiative, or ECMWF activities, please reach out via ECMWF’s official channels.

2nd EUMETSAT Workshop for Destination Earth Data Lake Use Cases
2023-07-11 13:30 - 2023-07-12 16:30
EUMETSAT is holding its 2nd Destination Earth workshop on the Destination Earth Data Lake (DEDL), related use cases and component validation in Darmstadt on 11 to 12 July 2023.

The event is open to EU and EUMETSAT member state public institutions, such as from public services and academia.

The workshop will focus on identifying use cases suitable for validation and demonstration, subsequently allowing EUMETSAT to contract their development.

The event is an important step in the development of the Data Lake and will also contribute to DestinE community building and information exchange between partners.

For more information about the workshop, visit the main event page now!

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IGARSS 2023 Town Hall Meeting: Digital Twins for Earth Science
2023-07-16 - 2023-07-21
NOTE: this is based on an article that was originally published on the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium’s website.
The International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, the flagship conference of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS), took place in Pasadena, California 16-21 July 2023.
The event aimed to provide a platform for sharing knowledge and experience on recent developments and advancements in geoscience and remote sensing technologies, particularly in the context of earth observation, disaster monitoring and risk assessment. The symposium’s Technology, Industry and Education (TIE) section hosted a Town Hall meeting on the topic of Digital Twins for Earth Science.
The town hall, featuring Claudia Vitolo from ESA, as well as speakers from NASA, CNES, and Sentinel Hub, provided an overview of ongoing Digital Twin projects, as well as showcasing use cases for their functionalities. The presentations were then used as a starting point for an engaging discussion on the opportunities and advantages posed by digital twins for Earth Science and observation.
The International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium provided an engaging platform for the discussion of current and future scientific developments for science and technology, more specifically on the value that Digital Twins will bring to existing observation methods.
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Roadshow Webinar: Participation and Upcoming Collaboration Opportunities Today
2023-07-19 12:00 - 13:00
The Destination Earth initiative is focusing on co-development with its users to ensure a greater responsiveness to the needs of decisions makers at many different geographic levels and in diverse sectors.

In this webinar organised by the ESA DestinE Core Service Platform Use Cases project (DEUC), you’ll discover exciting opportunities to actively participate in the early stages of DestinE. Aside from updates from ESA and its contractors, guest speakers from the other Entrusted Entities will also share some updates in the progress of the other DestinE components. Gain insights into our collaborative approach and learn how your involvement can shape the initiative’s future.

Furthermore, we’ll introduce our cutting-edge joint website, serving as the primary communication and participation hub.

Who should attend?

DestinE Contractors

Prospective Users

Interested Parties

Member State Representatives

Media

Agenda

Time
Title
Presentation

12:00
IntroductionRob Carrillo (Trust-IT)
Download slides

12:05
DESP OverviewInes Sanz Morere (ESA)
Download slides

12:10
DESP TimelineBarbara Borgia (Serco)
Download slides

12:17
DESP Use Case OpportunitiesAntonio Romeo (RHEA)
Download slides

12:22
Digital Twins and Digital Twin EngineIrina Sandu (ECMWF)
Download slides

12:36
Data LakeDanaele Puechmaille (EUMETSAT)
Download slides

12:43
Brief presentation of the website & future plansRob Carrillo (Trust-IT)
Download slides

12:51
Community Building StrategyEleni Karachaliou (AUTh)
Download slides

12:55
Audience Q&ARob Carrillo (Trust-IT)

Information Day: ESA DTE High Performance Earth Observation Digital Twin Components Ready Data Gateway (HIGHWAY)
2023-09-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Online
In this online Information Day, ESA will provide an overview of the intended Invitation to Tender (ITT) which covers the procurement of the European Earth Watch Programme – ESA Digital Twin Earth Element – ESA DTE High Performance Earth Observation Digital Twin Components Ready Data Gateway (HIGHWAY).
Participants wishing to attend the Information Day MUST NOTIFY their intent by email to DTE@esa.int by Thursday, 7 September 2023, 16:00 CEST providing the following information:

the full name,
company name,
country of registered office
email address

Invitations with the meeting link will be provided on Friday, 8th September 2023 only to the participants who have expressed their intention to attend. The presentations given during the Information Day will be published shortly after the Info Day on ESA-STAR NEWS.
Who should attend?
The ITT will be open exclusively to economic operators and organisations (including subcontractors) which have their registered office in a State Participating to the ESA Digital Twin Earth (ESA DTE) Element of the European Earth Watch Programme.
Companies which have their registered offices in one of the countries Participating to the ESA Digital Twin Earth (ESA DTE) Element of the European Earth Watch Programme are invited to attend the Information Day.
Programme:

Welcome
DTE Overview
DestinE System Overview
HIGHWAY overview
HIGHWAY Key Drivers
HIGHWAY Financial aspects & Cost Model
HIGHWAY intended ITT Documentation
HIGHWAY Proposal Evaluation
HIGHWAY Contractual aspects
HIGHWAY intended ITT Schedule

There will be no individual briefings or questions & answers.

EuroGEO Workshop 2023
2023-10-02 - 2023-10-04
Destination Earth (DestinE) will be presented in the EuroGEO Workshop being held from 2-4 October 2023 in Bolzano, Italy.
As part of the DestinE commitment to advancing digital twin technology and renewable energy, the project will be presented during two engaging sessions at EuroGEO this year.
On Tuesday, 3 October 2023, from 11.15 to 12.45, ECMWF Destination Earth Technology Partnership Lead Thomas Greenen will introduce the Digital Twin Engine during the session titled “Digital Twin Development in Europe.” He will detail how this state-of-the-art software infrastructure has the potential to revolutionise Earth observation and intelligence, providing invaluable insights into environmental changes and societal challenges. In the same session, EUMETSAT, responsible for the development of the Data Lake in Destination Earth initiative, will present the importance of data lakes in the context of digital twins.
In the afternoon, from 14.15 to 15.45, Marion Schroedter-Homscheidt and Susanne Weyand from DLR will present DestinE’s use-case on renewable energy as part of the parallel session “Renewable Energies and Climate.”
In addition to the sessions, the ESA DestinE Core Service Platform Use Cases project (DEUC) will also showcase its work through a poster presentation.
Session: Digital Twin Development in Europe
3 October 2023 11.15
This session aims at providing an overview of ongoing development and implementations of digital twins in the European research community. It covers both infrastructure and architectural design questions as well as examples of a successful implementation of digital twins in context of Earth Observation and related disciplines.
Session Agenda
Welcome and Introduction by the session Chairs
Presentations;

An introduction to the digital twin engine of Destination Earth Thomas Greenen (ECMWF)
InterTwin – A blueprint architecture for digital twins Andrea Manzi (EGI)
The importance of data lakes in the context of digital TwinsJordi Duatis (EUMETSAT)
Simulation of Heavy Rainfall Events by using a Digital Twin Martin Lenk (BKG)
DTE in the European Space Agency Diego Fernandez (ESA)

Closing discussion among all participants, regarding the key objectives of the session on harmonisation and interoperability
Session: Renewable Energies and Climate
3 October 2023 14.15
The session aims at showcasing the use of EO data for renewable energies and climate applications and present the progresses on renewable energies applications based on EO. The session will also present some examples between renewable energies and climate and describe the current evolution of the Copernicus Energy Hub and of Energy within DestinE. There will also be a discussion on the evolution of the domain and of GEO VENER.
Session Agenda
Welcome and Introduction by the session Chairs
Presentations;

nextSENSE: solar energy nowcasting & short-term forecasting systemStelios Kazadzis (PMOD-WRC)
High photovoltaic penetration at urban scalePhilippe Blanc (MINES Paris – PSL)
Progress on the Copernicus Energy HubFabio Venuti / Chiara Cagnazzo (ECMWF)
DestinE use-case on renewable energy Marion Schroedter-Homscheidt/ Susanne Weyand (DLR)

Round table discussion chaired by Thierry Ranchin (MINES Paris – PSL)
These presentations will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Destination Earth initiative. They will be of particular interest for researchers and practitioners interested in digital twin technology. We encourage all attendees to join us for these exciting sessions and engage with our team to learn more about DestinE and its potential impact on the future of digital twins.
More information about the event is available on the event website.

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Ireland's Destination Earth Workshop
2023-10-04
Overview
Met Éireann, the Irish National Metereologic Service, will hold Ireland’s Destination Earth Workshop, a hybrid event that offers a unique opportunity for Irish stakeholders to delve into the innovative world of Destination Earth, 4 October 2023 . This workshop aims to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and networking among professionals interested in digital twin development, Earth environment modeling, and utilizing thematic information for solving complex environmental challenges across various sectors.
Workshop description
This workshop welcomes participants from diverse backgrounds, including academia, industry, government departments, state agencies, professional organizations, and more. If you are engaged in the development of digital twins, Earth environment modeling, or the use of thematic information, services, models, scenarios, simulations, forecasts, and visualizations to address environmental challenges, this event is tailored for you.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn first-hand from ECMWF, ESA, and EUMETSAT, the entities spearheading Destination Earth. Gain insights into its progress and discover available funding mechanisms for co-design and development.
Engage in discussions on how Destination Earth can be leveraged across different sectors in Ireland to address critical environmental challenges. Present your Destination Earth-related capabilities, R&D efforts, technologies, modeling tools, and more. Explore opportunities for mutual benefit between your projects and Destination Earth.
Destination Earth is a flagship initiative of the European Commission, dedicated to creating a highly accurate digital model of the Earth, often referred to as a “digital twin.” This innovative platform enables the modeling, monitoring, and simulation of natural phenomena, hazards, and human activities. It empowers users to design precise adaptation strategies and mitigation measures, potentially revolutionizing accuracy, local detail, information accessibility, and interactivity in Earth system modeling.
Key topics

What is Destination Earth? Discover the essence of Destination Earth and its transformative potential.
Destination Earth’s Current Activities Explore the ongoing initiatives and developments within Destination Earth.
National Capabilities Connected to Destination Earth Learn about Ireland’s contributions, capabilities, and related projects.
Networking Opportunities Connect with like-minded professionals and potential collaborators.
Learnings Gain insights from experts and peers in the field.

Attendance
To register and submit presentations on national activities/capabilities related to Destination Earth, please fill in the Call for Presentations form on our website.
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The Open-Earth Monitor Global Workshop 2023
2023-10-04 14:00 - 2023-10-06 17:30 | EURAC Research, Bolzano, Italy
Destination Earth was presented at the Open-Earth Monitor Global Workshop, held on 5 October 2023, which explored the diverse applications of open-source Earth Observation. European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Observation Data Engineer Inés Sanz Morère presented the DestinE Core Service Platform (DESP) in a dedicated session. She presented how the platform will integrate and operate an open ecosystem of services (DESP Framework) to support data exploitation and information sharing among DestinE users and third-party entities.
Inés also discussed how this robust platform will offer essential services including user management, infrastructure capabilities, and data access via the DestinE Data Lake, alongside a suite of data services and visualisation tools.
The Open-Earth-Monitor (OEMC) Global Workshop 2023 was organised by OpenGeoHub foundation in collaboration with Eurac Research. This international event connected project partners, including data and environmental researchers, public and private sector developers, EU decision- and policymakers, representatives from global institutions, the business sector and civil society to discuss and test solutions to the greatest challenges in geospatial applications.
Through three days featuring international keynote speakers, scientific presentations, discussions, and demonstrative workshops, the participants of the OEMC Global Workshop 2023 explored valuable opportunities and establish tangible collaborations to improve geospatial research and application products in open source.

Keep up-to-date with the latest engagement of our DestinE experts.

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20th ECMWF workshop on high performance computing in meteorology
2023-10-09 - 2023-10-13
Overview
ECMWF will hold the 20th Workshop on HPC in Meteorology in the historic city of Bologna, 9-13 October 2023. The main workshop programme will be hosted in downtown Bologna, which will provide delegates with opportunities for evening socialising and exploring the rich cultural environment of the region. There will also be a visit to the Tecnopolo di Bologna – ECMWF’s data centre and latest supercomputing facility.
Workshop description
Every second year ECMWF hosts a workshop on the use of high performance computing in meteorology. With increasingly more heterogeneous technology being integrated to deliver HPC and research infrastructure solutions, combined with the growth in complementary cloud-based services and raising diversity in the research domains requiring access to computational facilities to deliver insight – the theme of the 20th HPC & Meteorology Workshop is “Diversifying HPC“.
These topics are closely related to the digital twins ECMWF is developing for Destination Earth, as they will be deployed on several HPC systems made available by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking.
The workshop brings together experts in high-performance computing from across the national weather centres, academia and industry to discuss and present recent developments in high-performance computing for weather forecasting applications. Under this year’s theme of ” Diversifying HPC” ECMWF aims to cover a range of topics exploring the challenges and opportunities these present to the weather and climate community, from identifying people and encouraging greater diversity in our communities, the diversity in the technology being deployed in delivering solutions (heterogeneous/modular computing), and increasing diversity regarding the future of supercomputing both with hybrid on-premise/cloud integration and alignment with AI/ML community developments.
The objective of the workshop is to provide a forum where users from ECMWF Member States and around the world can report on recent experiences, achievements, and future plans in the field of high-performance computing.

Key topics

Opportunities presented by heterogenous computational ecosystems
Diversifying workflows
Porting of weather and climate codes to heterogeneous architectures
Emerging high-performance computing technologies and associated operational considerations (including energy awareness
Challenges in diversifying and identifying technical expertise
Aligning conventional HPC/ML techniques to benefit weather and climate
Digital twins of the Earth

The workshop will be comprised of keynote talks from invited speakers, 20-30 minute overview talks and expert presentations, as well as interactive panel facilitated Bird-of-Feather style open discussions, interspersed with various networking opportunities throughout the week.
The draft programme and more event details are at https://events.ecmwf.int/event/329/
Attendance
Registration for in-person attendance is now closed If you would like to attend the workshop online, please contact events@ecmwf.int
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2nd National DestinE Workshop - Poland
2023-10-12 10:00 - 2023-10-13 15:30
This workshop welcomed participants from diverse backgrounds, including academia, industry, government departments, state agencies, professional organisations, and more to discuss how Destination Earth (DestinE) can be leveraged across different sectors in Poland to address critical environmental challenges.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn first-hand from ECMWF, ESA, and EUMETSAT, the entities spearheading DestinE, gain insights into its progress and discover available funding mechanisms for co-design and development.
Agenda
Thursday, 12 October

10:00-11:00: Welcome & morning coffee
11.00-11.05: Introduction (Krzysztof Kurowski, SAB DestinE)
11.05-11.15: Representative of Poland, the Ministry of Digital Affairs, Poland (Kamil Giera)
11.15-11.30: Representative of European Commission, the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (Grazyna Piesiewicz, Head of Open Science and Digital Modelling)
11.30 – 12.15: DestinE Use cases and Partnerships plan, Data Lake and Data Portfolio presentation with Q&A (Danaële Puechmaille, EUMETSAT)
12.15 – 13.30: DestinE Digital Twins and Digital Twin Engine presentation with Q&A (Thomas Geenen, ECWMF)
13.30 – 14.30: Lunch
14.30 – 15.15: DestinE Core Service Platform presentation with Q&A (Kathrin Hintze, ESA)
15.15 – 17.00: National-level use cases / scenarios presentations by Polish partners
17.00 – 19.00: Dinner

Friday, 13 October

9:00 – 10.30: Technical presentation with Q&A (Thomas Geenen, ECMWF)
10:30 – 10:45: Coffee break
10:45 – 12:00: Moderated technical discussions with ECMWF/EUMETSAT/ESA (Thomas Geenen, Danaële Puechmaille)
12:00 – 13:00: Identification of main integration and contribution scenarios for DestinE from Poland
13:00 – 14:00: Lunch
14:00 – 15:30: Interactive and summary sessions and follow up initiatives

UN-WHO International Conference on Space and Global Health
2023-11-01 - 2023-11-03
NOTE: this is based on an article that was originally published on the United Nation’s website.
Destination Earth (DestinE) was one of the initiatives showcased during the International Conference on Space and Global Health in Geneva, Switzerland from 1-3 November 2023.
The event aimed to bridge the gap between the space and global health domains in line with the United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution on Space and Global Health and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3 “Good Health and Well-Being”. DestinE was presented by Rochelle Schneider from the European Space Agency (ESA), one of the three entities that are tasked with the implementation of the initiative, aside from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
The focus areas of the event included telemedicine and tele-health, tele-epidemiology and environmental health, space life sciences and disaster and health emergency management. Through various sessions and keynotes, the conference presented exemplary use cases of space technologies in these domains, exploring collaboration opportunities within the Space and Global Health Network.
The conference was a collaborative effort between the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, the World Health Organization and the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
The program was structured over three days and incorporated sessions dedicated to exploring different dimensions of space applications in health, culminating in a comprehensive review of recommendations to be presented to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
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Big Data from Space 2023 (BiDS23)
2023-11-06 - 2023-11-09
NOTE: this is based on an article that was originally published on BiDS23’s website.
Destination Earth (DestinE) was an active participant at the recent Big Data from Space 2023 (BiDS23), a significant event that spotlighted the convergence of space and big data technologies. The conference brought together key players from industry, academia and government to showcase the latest advancements and practical applications in these domains.
During the event, the European Space Agency (ESA) was given a platform to present the functionalities and objectives of DestinE, highlighted by the session chaired by Jolanda Patruno (RHEA). Additionally, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) participated in a session discussing the capabilities and challenges associated with the Destination Earth Data Lake, co-chaired by EUMETSAT DestinE Project Manager Michael Schick and presented by EUMETSAT Computer Systems Engineer Danaële Puechmaille. This was followed by a presentation from Earth Observation Data Center (EODC), part of a DestinE service provider consortium, demonstrating multi-cloud processing using DASK, a flexible library for parallel computing in Python.
BiDS23 highlighted the technical aspects and societal significance of these advancements. The event served as a forum for discussions on global challenges such as climate change and sustainability, emphasising the role of space data-driven insights in informed decision-making and policy development.
DestinE’s active involvement through ESA and EUMETSAT at BiDS23 reaffirmed its dedication to advancing data-driven solutions and fostering collaborative initiatives to address pressing global challenges.
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The DestinE Service Platform Innovation Prize – Ideation Challenge
2023-11-06 09:00 | Austria Center, Bruno-Kreisky-Platz 1, Vienna, 1220, Austria
Are you ready to take part in an exciting challenge that will put your imagination and problem-solving skills to the test? Express your interest now to join the DestinE Service Platform Innovation Prize – Ideation Challenge being held on 6 November 2023 at the Austria Center in Vienna.
The challenge is being organised by the ESA DestinE Core Service Platform Use Cases project (DEUC) as part of the Big Data from Space Conference (BIDS ’23). This satellite event is open to both groups of participants that would like to participate in the challenge and to attendees that would like to observe the new ideas being brought out. Both participation and attendance are free, but registration to the BIDS’23 and on-site presence is required.
See the full mechanics of the challenge on the announcement or express your interest now to be informed of updates about the challenge.
Registration
Registration for BIDS is already open. Register here
Agenda
The session will be organised take approximately four and a half hours, and the draft agenda is as follows:

1st Hour – Introduction
2nd Hour – Setting the Scene
3rd Hour – Visualising Proposals
4th Hour – Fine Tuning Proposals & Presentation

Express your interest now and receive updates about the challenge!
Expression of interest form

2nd Destination Earth User eXchange
2023-11-13 13:00 - 2023-11-14 17:00 | Dorint Hotel, Berliner Freiheit 2, Bonn, 53111, Germany
Destination Earth (DestinE) has evolved significantly over the last few months to bring forward a digital twin of the Earth system supporting decision-making in face of the challenges of climate change and the green transition. The effort is led by the European Commission and developed by the three entrusted entities, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).

The 2nd User eXchange meeting took place 13-14 November 2023, hosted by ECMWF in Bonn, where the ECMWF DestinE activities are led. The event was an opportunity to share progress with the DestinE community and listen to users’ requests and feedback. This was the second Destination Earth (DestinE) User eXchange with the aim of further cementing the event as the forum for exchanges with DestinE stakeholders. It built upon the success of the 1st Destination Earth User eXchange and was co-organised by the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

For a summary of the event download the post-event report here or read the summary news article. You can discover a collection of the event photos here.

Roadshow Webinar: DestinE in action - meet the first DESP use cases
2023-12-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
In this phase of Destination Earth, the three core components are being validated by dedicated use cases. In this webinar, you’ll meet the first 5 use cases procured to validate the Destination Earth Service Platform (DESP) being developed by ESA.
The use cases will be applied across a wide range of application domains, including agriculture, natural resource management, fisheries, and the polar area. In practise, use cases will develop software applications that use data and services from DestinE. The purpose is to create predictions that can be used in those different domains and that can inform climate change adaption and extreme weather policy at various levels. During this webinar you can hear directly from each use case about their methods and objectives.
Who should attend?

DestinE Contractors
Prospective Users
Interested Parties
Member State Representatives
Media

Agenda

Time
Title

12:00
Introduction
Rob Carrillo (Trust-IT)

12:05
What is the DESP? – Download Slides
Barbara Borgia (Serco)

12:15
Use Case Lightning Presentations – Moderation by Antonio Romeo (RHEA)

Global Fish Tracking System (GFTS) – Mathieu Woillez (Ifremer) – Download Slides
UrbanSquare – Tarek Habib (MURMURATION) – Download Slides
CITYNEXUS – Alessandra Feliciotti (MindEarth) – Download Slides
Destination Renewable Energy (DRE) – Georgios Koutalieris (ENORA INNOVATION) – Download Slides
DestinE Sea Ice Decision Enhancement (DESIDE) – David Arthurs (Polar View) – Download Slides

12:50
Audience Q&A
Rob Carrillo (Trust-IT)

AGU2023, WIDE.OPEN.SCIENCE: exploring machine learning and Digital Twin technologies for climate and weather simulation
2023-12-15 23:10 - 2023-12-16 00:40 | Moscone Centre, eLightning Theater VI, Hall D - South (Exhibition Level, South, MC), San Francisco, CA, United States
The AGU2023 “Wide.Open.Science” conference, the annual gathering of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), is set to occur at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco and virtually from 11 to 15 December 2023.
AI Applications Lead of DestinE Rochelle Schneider (ESA) will co-convene a session titled “Machine Learning and Digital Twin Technologies for Climate and Weather Simulation” on 15 December 2023.
This session aims to foster general discussions on the application of Machine Learning (ML) and Digital Twins (DT) technologies in climate and weather simulation and impact assessment. Attendees can expect insights into cutting-edge technologies developed for specific applications.
With a history spanning over a century, AGU has consistently championed the cause of open science—creating pathways to discovery and raising awareness to tackle climate change. The conference serves as a dynamic platform for in-depth discussions on the latest advancements in Digital Twin Technologies, with a specific focus on climate and weather simulations.
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DestinE Use Case Energy Systems - User Perspectives Workshop (by invitation only)
2024-02-06 08:00 - 17:00
DestinE Use Case Energy Systems – User Perspectives Workshop is being organised by the Renewables Grid Initiative, German Aerospace Center, and Aarhus University on 6 February 2024 in Brussels (with an online option).
The event is specifically designed for energy system modellers specialising in planning, adequacy, or resilience assessment, along with experts in climate-energy system modelling.
To be part of this exclusive workshop, reach out to Léa Hayez (lea[at]renewables-grid[dot]eu) or Bruno Schyska (Bruno.schyska[at]dlr[dot]de) for more information on how to join. The agenda will only be shared with invited participants.
As Destination Earth (DestinE) delves into the challenges of incorporating future climate data into energy models, the workshop aims to facilitate a collaborative effort among energy system planners and modellers. The DestinE Use Case on Energy Systems focuses on co-designing models that effectively integrate climate information, a complex task that requires the development of innovative tools and methods. Building on the insights gathered from the initial User Needs workshop in February 2023, Use Cases partners invite energy system experts to provide valuable feedback on the project’s latest developments.
Energy System modelling experts are encouraged to help co-design climate-resilient energy systems models through this feedback survey on how developed tools can be further improved to better integrate climate information into energy system modelling applications.

Fill in the survey

DestinE Forestry Webinar: Harvester Seasons
2024-02-06 10:00 - 11:30
With this webinar series Finnish Meteorological Institute and Metsäteho Oy would like to present to you Harvester Seasons, a service for the forestry sector. The service aims to predict trafficability conditions for heavy machinery in forests. Originally created for the Finnish forestry sector, this service will be extended to cover now all of Europe. New developments within the Destination Earth initiative will be presented. The webinar will be held in English.
Register for the webinar by Sunday 4 February 2024, 15:00 CET.
Register here

Program

Opening words – Research Director Jukka Malinen, Metsäteho Oy
HarvesterSeasons: trafficability service presentation – Develoment Manager Mikko Strahlendorff, FMI
Question and comments
User feedback and user survey – Senior Researcher Heikki Ovaskainen, Metsäteho Oy

After the webinar the participants are kindly invited to contribute to a user survey, where they can bring valuable feedback to the service development and suggest user requirements. The survey can be answered anonymously.
The webinar will be recorded.

EuroHPC Summit 2024
2024-03-18 12:00 - 2024-03-21 18:00 | Antwerp, Belgium
Destination Earth is set to feature prominently at the EuroHPC Summit 2024, scheduled for 18-21 March in Antwerp, Belgium. The EuroHPC Summit 2024 will bring together relevant European supercomputing stakeholders, public and private, as well as decision makers, allowing them to share the latest technological developments, define synergies, express their current and future needs, and participate in shaping the future of European supercomputing.

Learn more about the event

2nd DestinE Platform Innovation Prize – Ideating the Impact of the DestinE Platform
2024-03-20 11:00 - 2024-04-21 23:30
Introduction to the Challenge
Envision a future where everyone, especially policymakers and decision-makers, can access a Digital Twin of Earth. This advanced tool could be pivotal in addressing climate change and weather extremes. Consider the types of services it might offer, who would benefit from them, and their accessibility. Would these services be universally available, catered to specific needs, or both? What kind of data would be integral to their operation?
This challenge invites you to conceptualise a service powered by DestinE, drawing inspiration from a narrative set in 2050. We seek innovative ideas that, while not necessarily feasible today, are imaginatively rich and could pave the way to a better future. Join us in envisioning a remarkable 2050, armed with the solutions to today’s challenges.
About the DestinE Platform Challenge
DestinE, a groundbreaking initiative led by the European Commission and implemented by ECMWF, ESA, and Eumetsat (3E), aims to create a precise global digital twin of Earth. Utilising Earth Observation data, Big Data, and Data Lakes, DestinE aspires to craft a Digital Twin of Earth to assist in climate change mitigation and extreme weather response efforts (https://destination-earth.eu/).
A key objective is to foster a community of stakeholders and visionaries to co-create the vision for the digital twin. As the technology develops, community engagement in visualising future possibilities and service mock-ups is crucial to shaping DestinE’s trajectory.
In this exclusively online challenge, participants will dive deep into the realm of DestinE, guided by the expertise of the 3E members. They will explore and envision how DestinE could beneficially alter the lives of its users. Participants are encouraged to collaborate in teams or work solo to craft visualisations and preliminary mock-ups of potential DestinE services, imagining a bridge from imaginative concepts to future realities across Europe. Submissions must be original and adhere to a Creative Commons license, ensuring respect for intellectual property.
Awards will celebrate the most compelling proposals and visualisations, evaluating their coherence with the DestinE mission, their potential to enrich human lives and the environment, and the ingenuity of the mock-ups. While the technical feasibility and readiness of these ideas will be assessed, immediate practicality is not a prerequisite. This opens the door for participants to prioritise creativity, narrative crafting, and presentation prowess over technical problem-solving, encouraging a broad spectrum of innovative ideas.
Timeline

20 March 2024 – Challenge Kickoff
Watch the recording of the challenge kick-off webinar.
There, you will be able to find out more about the work EUMETSAT, ECMWF and ESA are doing to make DestinE a reality. Additionally, the challenge will be presented in greater detail and participants will have an opportunity to interact with the challenge organisers.
21 April 2024 – Submission deadline
Proposals will be submitted by teams or individuals through the webform here.
Early May 2024 – Winner announcement
Following judging of submitted proposals, winners and runner ups will be contacted and announced on the website.
End of May 2024 – Public presentation of winners
The moment to shine, winners and runner up proposals will have the chance to present their ideas to the DestinE community.

More information will be made available in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
Watch the Challenge Kickoff webinar now

NWP at the crossroads: How the Quiet, Digital and Data-Driven Revolutions are shaping the future of NWP
2024-03-20 16:00 - 17:00
Director of DestinE Irina Sandu (ECMWF) will lead this episode of the European Meteorological Society’s webinar series, delving into the revolutions shaping Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP).
Numerical weather prediction (NWP) stands at a pivotal juncture, influenced by three transformative revolutions. These revolutions, akin to converging roads, are reshaping the landscape of Earth system prediction.

Quiet Revolution: Leveraging improved modeling, observations, and computational power, it has propelled NWP forward, constantly enhancing prediction quality.
Digital Revolution: Enabled by modern supercomputing, it has ushered in a new era of high-resolution simulations, unravelling localized phenomena with unprecedented fidelity.
Machine Learning Revolution: Compact, cost-effective machine-learned models recently emerged as formidable contenders of traditional ones, reimagining NWP boundaries.

These revolutions will be illustrated using examples from past and recent efforts at ECMWF, including from the ambitious Destination Earth initiative of the European Commission aiming to develop Digital Twins of the Earth System. Looking ahead, the future of NWP and more generally of Earth system prediction capabilities lies in synergising these revolutions, steering us towards a future where predictions are not only increasingly precise but also accessible to all.
Register here

Leveraging Community Insights for Enhanced DEUC Contributions to DestinE
2024-03-26 12:00 - 13:00
The first DestinE Community Meeting was held on 26 March at 12:00 CET. This event marked a pivotal moment for engaging with the DEUC team, tasked with integrating user recommendations into the evolving DestinE platform.
The DestinE (DESP) Use Cases Project, DEUC in short, represents a focused segment of the broader DestinE initiative. One of the main activities of DEUC is to engage with the DestinE community in relation to the DestinE Platform. Therefore it uniquely benefits from the rich tapestry of insights and experiences across the entire DestinE community. This meeting provided an in-depth exploration of the following key areas:

The DEUC vision: Uncover the guiding purpose and ambitions behind the collection of user recommendations, illuminating the path towards a more inclusive and responsive DestinE platform.
Community Landscape: Understand the dynamic ecosystem of the DestinE community, identifying current challenges, opportunities, and the collective journey towards shared goals.
Strategic Approach: Delve into the strategic framework designed to nurture an environment brimming with engagement, support, and collaboration, enabling every member to flourish.
Foundational Principles and Processes: Discover the core values and methodologies that sustain the DEUC mission and the broader community’s ethos, ensuring a cohesive and purpose-driven collaboration.
Communities of Practice: Learn about the establishment of specialized groups to deepen collaboration, knowledge exchange, and skill enhancement within specific areas of interest, driving forward the mission with focused expertise.
Engagement Opportunities: Find out how you can actively participate, bringing your unique insights to the table and contributing to the ongoing development and direction of the DestinE Platform and DestinE community fabric.

This session was designed to be much more than a simple briefing. DEUC is committed to creating a space for meaningful dialogue and interactive engagement.
Watch the Recording

See the live interaction results
See the Slido poll results and event presentation for more details.

DestinE at the EGU General Assembly 2024
2024-04-14 - 2024-04-19
NOTE: this is based on an article that was originally published on EGU’s website.
Destination Earth (DestinE) will be organising a session on “Digital Twins of the Earth System” at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2024 being held in Vienna, Austria from 14-19 April 2024. Abstract submissions for the session can be submitted until 10 January, 13:00 CET. The session will explore the workings of Digital Twins applied to the Earth system and its components and delve into advances in computational capacities, modeling technologies, and information systems, highlighting projects working on developing interactive information systems for simulations.
The session will start at 10:45 on Wednesday 17 with a short introduction and will be chaired jointly by ECMWF, EUMETSAT and ESA. The session will feature 10 on-site presentations on the applied features and uses of the DestinE system and will conclude at 12:30.
On the same day, there will also be an on-site poster session from 16:15 to 18:00, featuring insights on the Digital Twin Technologies and the Applications and Services of the initiative.
The EGU General Assembly is the event of the year for the domain of earth sciences. The conference will bring together key players from industry, academia and government to showcase the latest advancements in these domains. EGU24 will be an interactive forum for discussions on the value of geosciences in earth observation and decision-making and policy development concerning climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. It will additionally provide the opportunity to invite participants to significantly contribute to current developments in the initiative’s progress. Interested parties can submit an abstract for the session at the dedicated session page.

Learn more

ESA-ECMWF Workshop on Machine Learning for Earth System Observation and Prediction 2024
2024-05-07 08:00 - 2024-05-10 17:00
Destination Earth (DestinE) will be tackled in the upcoming ESA-ECMWF Workshop on Machine Learning for Earth System Observation and Prediction which will be held from 7-10 May 2024 in Frascati, Italy
The workshop, organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), delves into the synergy between machine/deep learning (ML/DL) and Earth System Observation and Prediction (ESOP), aiming to advance our understanding and prediction of Earth’s complex dynamics. It explores how ML/DL enhances digital models of Earth, how they contribute to European Commission goals and how it improves weather forecasting and climate prediction.
The event will discuss the impact of novel computing technologies like high performance computing (HPC), edge, and quantum computing on earth observation (EO), and showcase the potential of mixed models in environmental and urban planning. Attendees will engage in discussions and working groups to explore the fusion of traditional ESOP techniques with ML/DL, aiming to set future directions for the field. The workshop is free to attend.
DestinE at the workshop
Destination Earth (DestinE) represents one of the five key thematic areas for which the workshop is currently accepting abstract submissions. Interested participants are encouraged to submit their abstracts by the deadline of 31 January 2024.
For submission details or to register for the event, please visit the official website here:

Visit event website
