[EARSC] Survey into Public Service Bodies using EO data and services

We are very pleased to be able to send to you the results coming from the survey we conducted into the Public Service Bodies using EO data and services. The survey has been carried out by EARSC in 2015. We are very grateful to all organizations that have spent their time responding to our questions.

Its main purpose is to construct a complete and accurate picture of the public organisations in Europe that use EO data and services, documenting key aspects such as their involvement in and awareness of Copernicus and their engagement with external EO providers. This, in turn, will help to provide inputs to the European Commission in view of the upcoming Mid Term Review of Copernicus, whilst also contributing towards better shaping of EARSC’s strategy vis-aÌ-vis the engagement of public organisations using EO data and services.

This report provides the initial results of the analysis of 119 valid responses collected over the period March-December 2015.

Some initial conclusions:

-Positive current perception and future expectation of Copernicus benefits. Of the 119 respondents, over 57% (69) recognise benefits of Copernicus in their work, of which 26% have experienced strong benefits. With the exception of new information or EO products - which is the most relevant benefit for PSBs, all other types of benefits are primarily projected in the future rather than the present.

-The engagement of PSBs with external EO providers hints to untapped opportunities. Of the 119 respondents, only 12% buy added-value services. This could hint to either the presence of barriers or an untapped market opportunity requiring further business development and awareness raising.