Eratosthenes: excellence research centre for earth surveillance and space-based monitoring of the environment
The proposed CoE envisions to upgrade the existing ERATOSTHENES Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology into an inspiring environment for conducting basic and applied research and innovation in the thematic clusters of Environment and Climate, Resilient Society, and Big Earth Data Analytics through the integrated use of remote sensing and space-based techniques. Satellite observation and remote sensing are the major focal point of the Centre and in the proposed CoE will be used in an integrated manner with other techniques and geospatial tools. Earth observation data are the key factors in Earth environmental programs in order to assess the current information of the environment, inform models, understand relationships among Earth processes, support decision making e.g., toward sustainability and involve stakeholders more effectively in environment decision-making. Earth observation has, so far, made sustainability a reality and it will continue to do so as more research is continuously done and technology improves. Climate change, air and water quality, natural hazards, floods, earthquakes, fires, erosion, landslides and other phenomena are some of the factors that need to be taken into consideration in several environmental studies, both at a national as well as at a regional level. Indeed, Cyprus with its unique geographical position, can support satellite Earth Observation programmes in these areas, as well as their respective calibration and validation aspects. The project is fully aligned with the Smart Specialization Strategy of Cyprus (S3Cy). The Teaming 2 proposal of EXCELSIOR is based on the business plan developed in Teaming 1 EXCELSIOR project, which demonstrates the development of a fully autonomous and self-sustained Centre of Excellence (112 and 132 jobs at YR7 and YR15, respectively).