OBSERVER: GEO Global Forum 2025 — Showcasing EU excellence in Earth Observation research and services at milestone gathering for Earth Intelligence
evan
Fri, 23/05/2025 – 11:24
The inaugural GEO Global Forum took place in Rome from 5 to 9 May 2025, bringing together ministers, agencies, and experts from around the world to chart the future of Earth Intelligence. The European Union played a key role throughout the week, with a high-level delegation, a strong presence across the programme, and the most active booth in the exhibition area. In this Observer, we look at how the European Commission contributed to the Forum and began its new mandate as lead GEO co-chair.
Held from 5 to 9 May at the Auditorium della Tecnica, the Forum celebrated 20 years of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and marked the launch of GEO’s Post-2025 Strategy. The event brought together ministers, scientists, policymakers, and youth to explore how Earth Intelligence can accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and respond to the triple planetary crisis.
The EU was strongly represented at the Forum, with participants from the European Commission (DG DEFIS, DG RTD, DG JRC, DG INTPA, DG SANTE), the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), and the Research Executive Agency (REA). Moreover, the European GEO community participated vividly with EuroGEO, Copernicus Entrusted Entities, and many EU-funded research projects. EU representatives contributed to several Community Events, including sessions on Copernicus and artificial intelligence, and maintained a strong presence throughout the plenary programme.
European Commission VIPs in attendance included Mark Lemaître (Director-General, DG RTD), Joanna Drake (Deputy Director-General, DG RTD and EU GEO Co-Chair), Bernard Magenhann (Acting Director-General, JRC), Alessandra Zampieri (Director for Sustainable Resources, JRC), Sandra Gallina (Director-General, DG SANTE), and Mauro Facchini (Head of Unit for Earth Observation, DG DEFIS). The Italian Minister for Universities and Science, Anna Maria Bernini, also provided a keynote speech and met with members of the EU delegation.
“The Earth talks”: A hub for presentations and discovery
The EU booth, branded “The Earth talks”, was the most active and visible space in the exhibition area. The booth provided a hub for discussion and demonstration, with sessions covering everything from climate adaptation and agriculture to ocean monitoring and data access. Throughout the week, it hosted 43 presentations and 9 roundtable discussions, along with interactive Copernicus data displays, expert talks, and promotional materials. The booth also featured 93 e-posters and 39 videos from EU-funded research projects, Copernicus services, and Entrusted Entities, showcasing a wide range of European contributions to Earth Observation.
Youth engagement and Europe Day
On 9 May, Europe Day was celebrated with a special visit from Italian schoolchildren. Organised with support from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the EU Delegation in Italy, the event introduced young people to Earth Observation and its role in supporting sustainability.
The EU also supported the GEO Youth Ideathon, which ran in parallel with the Forum and concluded with final presentations onsite. This unique initiative brought together tech-savvy, ambitious students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds to explore how Earth Observation and geospatial technologies can help address pressing societal and environmental challenges, from climate resilience to disaster response and sustainable development.
A new leadership role for the EU
A key milestone during the Forum was the formal handover of the lead GEO co-chair role from China to the European Union, represented by the European Commission. Joanna Drake, as Deputy Director-General of DG RTD and EU GEO Co-Chair, accepted the role on behalf of the EU during a ceremony on Day 4 of the event.
This transition positions the EU to help guide implementation of the GEO Post-2025 Strategy, which focuses on making Earth Intelligence more accessible, impactful, and actionable for people and communities around the world.
Building on shared objectives
The goals of the Forum align closely with long-standing EU priorities. GEO’s Post-2025 Strategy calls for integrated, impact-driven use of Earth observation (EO) data. This complements Europe’s focus on initiatives such as Copernicus, the Copernicus Thematic Hubs, EuroGEO, and the Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation (KCEO), which collectively support the uptake and use of EO for policy, research, and innovation.
As one of four co-chairs and a founding member of GEO, the European Commission is one of the key actors working towards greater interoperability and availability of EO data, both in its governance role and through the operational capacities of Copernicus. Copernicus is instrumental in supporting several GEO initiatives, furthering the expansion of the EO ecosystem, increasing the maturity of EO data exploitation in developing regions, and supporting the development of innovative EO products and tools. Coupled with research and innovation initiatives within Horizon Europe, Copernicus data and information products are the primary contributions which the European Commission provides to GEO.
In 2017, the European Commission initiated EuroGEO to provide a coherent picture of environmental and Earth observation activities in Europe. EuroGEO enables Europe to position itself as a global force in Earth observation, drawing on the extensive knowledge gained through managing the Copernicus programme and related initiatives. The EuroGEO Secretariat serves as a “3C” (Combine, Coordinate and Cooperate) engagement platform. It coordinates, supports, and facilitates the smooth implementation and integration of EuroGEO activities and Action Groups.
The European Commission also published an official statement during the Forum outlining how EU services, projects and partners will contribute to GEO’s long-term objectives.
Read the full statement here:
Fri, 23/05/2025 – 12:00