Copernicus Users Uptake: An Overview of Downstream Applications

The European Programme Copernicus is one of the main sources of free and open Earth Observation (EO) data and information services, aimed at sustaining important social and economic advancements to the European Union with Remote Sensing (RS) practices. To achieve these goals User Uptake initiatives have been undertaken: aimed at increasing Copernicus awareness, dissemination and competences, thus supporting the development of downstream applications. The paper introduces the ongoing activity of the EO-UPTAKE project, funded by Liguria Region, aiming to bridge the skills gap between intermediate and end-users involved in the downstream sectors and promoting the use and integration of Copernicus data and services. It presents an overview of the Copernicus Programme and the European User Uptake initiatives, and provides a survey about the downstream applications based on academic literature, by outlining thematic sectors involved, the developed applications, their users, and data integration practices. Benefits and obstacles are discussed.