After a successful first two phases, Destination Earth (DestinE) – the European Commission’s flagship initiative aiming to build a highly accurate digital model, or digital twin, of the Earth – will soon enter its third phase
DestinE’s main goals are to monitor, simulate and predict the Earth’s system developments (land, marine, atmosphere, biosphere) and human interventions; anticipate environmental disasters and resulting socio-economic crises; and thus, enable the development and testing of scenarios to support decision-making and climate adaptation. Through high-performance computing, a vast amount of data, and artificial intelligence, Destination Earth allows us to explore how the climate might evolve, how ecosystems respond to human activity, and how policies can build resilience and sustainability.
Under the leadership of the European Commission’s DG CONNECT, and implemented by three entrusted entities (ECMWF, EUMETSAT and ESA), the first phase, which started in December 2021, aimed to prepare, test and put in place the main components of DestinE: the two Digital Twins (the Climate Change Adaptation and the Weather-Induced Extremes Digital Twins) and the Digital Twin Engine, the Data Lake and the DestinE Platform.
The second phase, which started in June 2024, focused on the operationalisation and expanded use of the different components. The DestinE Platform now has over 6,000 registered users and more than 30 available services. The Digital Twins benefit from the regular production of climate and extreme events simulations, climate projections and “what-if” scenarios, and the Data Lake is fully operational. The second phase also saw a substantial increase in the use of AI and machine learning across the board, which is set to continue even further under Phase Three.
Join us next week as our host Emmanuel Pajot (EARSC Secretary General) sits down with Irina Sandu (Director of Destination Earth, ECMWF) and Charalampos Tsitlakidis (Head of the Destination Earth Sector, DG CONNECT) to discuss the key outcomes of the first two phases of DestinE and what we can expect in the third phase, including potential opportunities for the EO industry.
Some questions that could be addressed during this EOcafe include:
- What is DestinE? Who are the main actors involved? What are the goals of the initiative?
- What are the key achievements from the first two phases?
- How does DestinE fit into the broader EU digital ecosystem (EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, AI Factories, Data Spaces, etc.)?
- How will DestinE support ongoing and upcoming EU environmental and climate adaptation policies?
- What can we expect under Phase 3? What will the focus be?
- How can companies get involved? What opportunities are there? Are there any upcoming events or trainings to be aware of?
Registration: The webinar is open to all. Registration is free but compulsory.
Please note this is a virtual event!
EOcafe is part of a series of EARSC meetings that offer timely, relevant, and practical information on a broad variety of topics related to the EO sector. Join us every month to discuss and network while enjoying a cup of coffee with friends.
IMPORTANT NOTES!!!
- The use of a video camera is not mandatory but is encouraged to facilitate better interaction between the attendees and the guest speaker(s).
- The EOcafe will stay open after 17:00 in case our guests want to continue the discussion.
- By registering for this event, you accept the terms and conditions (https://earsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EARSC_Events_GDPR.pdf).
If you have any questions, and/or you want to know more about the EOcafe, and/or you want to share an idea about a future EOcafe, please contact Tanya Walker (tanya.walker@earsc.org).