Atos announces that it has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to lead a consortium tasked with an initial 12-month mission to expand the capabilities of the Destination Earth (DestinE) services platform. To accomplish this task, the Group will design and implement advanced applications and services (AAS).
Kick-started by the European Commission, DestinE has the following components: digital twins of the Earth; a data lake to process big data in the cloud; and a services platform engineered by ESA. AAS will expedite the use of DestinE platform data as well as the roll-out of services by stakeholders within Europe’s ecosystem. As a result, European Union member states, European institutions, manufacturers, academics and scientists will be able to devise strategies for adapting to climate change and implement accurate, actionable measures that ensure mitigation.
Together with its partners Mews and ACRI-ST, Atos will support ESA in its efforts to pinpoint and deploy pioneering technologies in generative AI, data fusion and 3D visualization. These technologies will be integrated into the DestinE services platform, forming the application and architectural building blocks that will enable users to unlock the full potential of the data lake and digital twin capabilities to create content, services and decision-making tools. Users will enjoy access to a host of different algorithms, collaborative digital tools, thematic information, models, simulations, forecasts and graphic visualizations.
The platform’s components will accelerate the development of multiple use cases spotlighting the impact of natural phenomena and human activities on Earth while planning for extreme weather events, adapting policy to climate challenges and raising public awareness. For instance, what are the effects of climate change on land use? Which initiatives should be led in cities and regions and how can we monitor their positive impact over the course of decades? What tools should be deployed to address the impact of manufacturing and educate others on climate issues?
ESA entrusted Atos with its expertise in developing and operating advanced services into DestinE platform under large-scale European initiatives, and the Group’s ability to combine its partners’ know-how, in this case, Mews’ consulting acumen and ACRI-ST’s core business skills to process and manage satellite data. Full knowledge of Atos’ cloud platforms will be key, since DestinE runs on a flexible and secure open-source computing infrastructure which is supported by public cloud operators located in Europe.
This initiative is spearheaded by Atos’ Toulouse-based teams who specialize in deploying and utilizing Earth observation platforms, backed by interdisciplinary experts working for Atos’ Inno’Labs – innovation hubs that are home to scientists, data scientists, AI specialists, IT architects and software developers.
Raoul Roth, CEO France, Atos, commented: “We are honored that ESA places its trust in our Group. It is a testament to our expertise and long-standing commitment to helping organizations across Europe deliver services with high value-added technologies and a lasting impact on the future of our planet.”
The DestinE services platform is powered by ESA’s space observation data thanks to the Earth Explorers and Copernicus Sentinel missions, coupled with data provided by Europe’s meteorological organizations, ECMWF and EUMETSAT. DestinE uses climate simulation models based on Europe’s High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems.
The European Commission launched the DestinE initiative in 2022. The services platform, data lake, and digital twin engine have been launched in 2024. Focusing on weather-induced extremes and climate change adaptation, the first two digital twins also went through demo testing. Between now and 2030, additional digital twins will be integrated, culminating in DestinE’s development as a full digital replica of the Earth.
