The General Directorate of International Associations of the European Union (DG INTPA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIRE), the National Authority for Government Innovation of Panama (AIG) and the National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (Senacyt), announced today the opening of the Digital Campus of the Copernicus Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (ALC) based in Panama (CopernicusLAC Panama).

The CopernicusLAC Digital Campus is a platform connected to the website of the CopernicusLAC Panama center that will contain training materials for the use of Copernicus data and massive open online course modules (MOOC) for users.

The material will be the basis of the different training activities that are planned to be taught by the CopernicusLAC center during the next four years. The objective of the Digital Campus is to provide this material to interested users and users of national ALC institutions who will participate in the training activities. This approach reflects the Trainer Training (ToT) method of the capacity development activities of CopernicusLAC Panama by providing the means to further disseminate information and skills in the respective national ALC institutions.

The CopernicusLAC regional center will host, locally, the open data and information of Copernicus, while supporting Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities in a region particularly vulnerable to weather phenomena induced by climate change and geological threats. The activities of the CopernicusLAC Panama Center are carried out within the framework of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, which reinforces bi-regional cooperation on digital and spatial issues.

It will promote the participation of stakeholders, the transfer of knowledge and capacity development through a tailor-made training and training program, as well as business support activities through EU-LAC Hackathons and industrial matchmaking meetings. In addition, it will support the development of a high-power technological infrastructure in the cloud, the development of thematic pilot services based on Earth observation in close cooperation with local users and stakeholders, and the pre-operational demonstration of these services.

The implementation of the Center is a key initiative of the Global Gateway, which promotes the green and digital transition in Latin America and the Caribbean, and promotes sustainable investments. It is implemented by ESA within the framework of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance through a contribution agreement with DG INTPA, and in collaboration with MIRE, AIG and Senacyt.

Felice Zaccheo, head of Unit for Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and Regional Operations of the Directorate General of International Associations of the European Commission, said: “The opening of the Digital Campus of the CopernicusLAC Panama Center marks an important step forward for the EU-LAC Digital Alliance in its mission to promote bi-regional cooperation on issues of environmental protection, climate change and improved resilience. By supporting LAC countries in the use of Open Satellite Data from Copernicus, the EU is helping local communities address environmental, humanitarian and economic challenges in the midst of a changing global climate.

Alberto Ostía, General Administrator of the AIG, said: “We are pleased to join the Directorate General of International Associations of the European Commission and the European Space Agency to inaugurate the Digital Campus of the CopernicusLAC Panama Center. By supporting the development of local capacities, the Digital Campus will play an important role in the advancement and digitization of disaster risk reduction capabilities in our region and will make a difference for the communities of Panama and beyond. We are committed to being a key partner in the implementation of the Center’s valuable activities.

The Ing. Francisco García, deputy director of R&D of Senacyt, said “We are pleased to join the Directorate General of International Relations of the European Commission and the European Space Agency to inaugurate the Digital Campus of the CopernicusLAC Panama Center. By supporting the development of local capacities, the Digital Campus will play an important role in the advancement and digitization of disaster risk reduction capabilities in our region and will make a difference for the communities of Panama and beyond. Panama is committed to being a key partner in the implementation of the valuable activities of the Center and that these are a vehicle that allows to stimulate the collaborative generation of ideas, enhancing the use and added value of Copernicus data.

For her part, the Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation, H.E. Yill Otero, said: “We applaud the launch of the Digital Campus of the CopernicusLAC Panama Center, since this is an initiative that combines knowledge efforts that will be available to the country and the region, and is an alternative to the solutions for the problems that affect us at the national and regional level. Since Panama hosted the establishment of the CopernicusLAC Regional Data Center in 2020, we have been committed to supporting it, aware of that strategic role that we play as an articulator of cooperation and as a hub for the region, to facilitate and promote the development of this project. That’s why we are pleased to be here today, witnessing this important achievement.”

Copernicus Program

Copernicus, the Earth Observation Component of the European Union Space Program, which has specific satellites (the Copernicus Sentinel family) and a set of Contributing Missions (additional satellites of existing commercial companies and national agencies). Since the launch of Sentinel-1A in 2014, the European Union has launched a process to put a constellation of almost 20 more satellites into orbit before 2030.

Six Copernicus services transform satellite data, accessible in a complete, free and open way, into value-added information, processing and analyzing the data to transform it into services and products such as informative maps, data sets and reports.

These six services are:

• The Copernicus Atmospheric Surveillance Service (CAMS)
• The Marine Environmental Surveillance Service of Copernicus (CMS)
• The Copernicus Land Surveillance Service (CLMS)
• The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
• The Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS)
• The Copernicus Security Service (CSS)

Copernicus is managed by the European Commission and is executed in partnership with the EU Member States, the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the European Center for Medium-Term Meteorological Prediction (ECMWF), the EU agencies, Mercator Ocean International, the European Environment Agency (EAS) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission.

The activities of the Copernicus LAC Panama Center are complemented by those of the Copernicus LAC Chile Center and vice versa. The latter is coordinated by the University of Chile and is dedicated to the storage, processing, distribution of satellite data for the promotion of services related to the use of the land and the marine environment.