With present computational capabilities and data volumes entering the Exascale Era, digital twins of the Earth system will be able to mimic the different system components (atmosphere, ocean, land, lithosphere) with unrivaled precision, providing analyses, forecasts, and what if scenarios for natural hazards and resources from their genesis phases and across their temporal and spatial scales. DT-GEO aims at developing a prototype for a digital twin on geophysical extremes including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and anthropogenic-induced extreme events. The project harnesses world-class computational and data Research Infrastructures (RIs), operational monitoring networks, and leading-edge research and academia partnerships in various fields of geophysics. The project will merge and assemble latest developments from other European projects and Centers of Excellence to deploy 12 Digital Twin Components (DTCs), intended as self-contained containerized entities embedding flagship simulation codes, Artificial Intelligence layers, large volumes of (real-time) data streams from and into data-lakes, data assimilation methodologies, and overarching workflows for deployment and execution of single or coupled DTCs in centralized HPC and virtual cloud computing RIs. Each DTC addresses specific scientific questions and circumvents technical challenges related to hazard assessment, early warning forecast, urgent computing, or resource prospection. DTCs will be verified at 13 Site Demonstrators (SD) and their outcomes will contain rich metadata to enable (semi-)automatic discovery, contextualisation, and orchestration of software (services) and data assets, enabling its integration to the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The proposal aims at being a first step of a long-term community effort towards a twin on Geophysical Extremes integrated in the Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative.

Imaging the Earth's interior has always been one of the key challenges in geosciences as it is a prerequisite for understanding our planet's internal dynamics and the coupling between its inner and outer envelopes. Gravity measurements at different altitudes (ground, airborne and space-based observations) provide a unique imaging tool, as they supply direct information on mass changes at different spatio-temporal scales. Following decades of research, developments and industrial transfers, quantum technology reached a high level of maturity and it is now possible to deliver operational quantum gravimeters offering various advantages with respect to devices that have been hitherto used. Aligned with the objective of strengthening EU’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness, EQUIP-G proposes to deploy a network of quantum gravimeters in Europe. This will represent the first step towards establishing the terrestrial segment of the pan-European quantum gravimetry infrastructure, revolving around a shared instrumentation facility (Instrumental Park). For this purpose, quantum gravimeters, dual quantum gravi-gradiometers and an onboard quantum gravimeter will be employed. These instruments will be comprehensively tested, before being deployed in the field. We will demonstrate, through innovative measurement strategies, the ability of the quantum gravity network to contribute to EU priorities, such as green deal, energy management and risk mitigation. Metrological oversight will ensure that all collected quantum gravity data will be SI traceable. Data will be managed in line with the FAIR principles and with a long-term perspective to establish a TCS for gravimetry within EPOS. EQUIP-G will engage in strong community building, aimed at involving the whole European gravimetry community in the development of the long-term Instrumental Park initiative that will extend beyond the end of the project, democratizing the use of quantum gravity devices produced in Europe.

ENVRI-Hub NEXT develops and implements the open access hub to the data and services provision framework of the Cluster of Environmental Research Infrastructures (ENVRI) and connects the environmental research community to the European Open Science Cloud. The overarching goal of ENVRI-Hub NEXT is to consolidate and advance the robust conceptual and technical structure established by the ENVRI-Hub to empower the ENVRI Science Cluster to provide interdisciplinary data-driven services. These services will support climate change research, including the development of mitigation and adaptation measures and strategies, and the assessment of the climate change risks. Through this platform, ENVRI-Hub NEXT will facilitate the integration of the environmental sciences community into EOSC, guided by the concept of Essential Climate Variables. In direct answer to the Call Topic, ENVRI-Hub NEXT expands the frontiers of multidisciplinary environmental sciences by fostering operational synergies between ENVRI RIs and developing and utilising complementarities in their data and services provision. The joint forces of ENVRI and e-infrastructures allow for the integration of cutting-edge information technology, alignment with the EOSC architecture, and efficient resource allocation for the advancement of a more integrated, productive, and globally competitive ENVRI Science Cluster. The ENVRI-Hub NEXT consortium brings together the key ESFRI Landmarks (ACTRIS, AnaEE ERIC, EPOS ERIC, EuroArgo ERIC, IAGOS AISBL, ICOS ERIC, LifeWatch ERIC) and ESFRI Projects (eLTER) participating in ENVRI-FAIR, the ENVRI information technology development and support providers from the University of Amsterdam, SeaDataNet as the key marine data infrastructure, FMI for the close relationship to EOSC Association and stakeholders, and the EGI Foundation and members of the EGI Federation to implement the operation of the services and the integration with EOSC Core.

Skills4EOSC brings together leading experiences of national, regional, institutional and thematic Open Science (OS) and Data Competence Centres from 18 European countries with the goal of unifying the current training landscape into a common and trusted pan-European ecosystem, in order to accelerate the upskilling of European researchers and data professionals in the field of FAIR and Open Data, intensive-data science and Scientific Data Management. Competence Centres (CC) are seen as centres of gravity of OS and EOSC activities in their countries. These entities can either be established national initiatives (as is the case of ICDI in Italy) or initiatives under establishment (e.g. Austria, Greece and the Nordic countries) or organizations which have the leading or mandated contribution to the OS activities nationally. CCs pool the expertise available within research institutions, universities and thematic and cross-discipline research infrastructures. They offer training and support, empowerment, lifelong learning, professionalization and resources to a variety of stakeholders, including not only researchers and data stewards, but also funders, decision makers, civil servants, and industry. Thanks to their position at the heart of the above described multi-stakeholder landscape, the CCs represented by the Skills4EOSC partners play a pivotal role in national plans for Open Science and in the interaction with scientific communities. They also have close access to policy makers and the related funding streams. The Skills4EOSC project will leverage this reference role to establish a pan-European network of CCs on OS and data, coordinating the work done at the national level to upskill professionals in this field. The Skills4EOSC CC network will drive the co-creation of harmonised trainer accreditation pathways, academic and professional curricula and skills quality assurance, recognition frameworks, and learning material creation methodologies.

The future and security of humankind dwelling on Planet Earth depend on our ability to live and cope with the complex Earth system in all its dimensions. Our ability to monitor the surface and subsurface of the Earth and to forecast catastrophic events and their impacts on society is increasingly pertinent as our society develops. Earth system processes transcend national boundaries and the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) brings the solid Earth networks in Europe into a single distributed research infrastructure. EPOS has been designed with the vision and the mission of creating a pan-European infrastructure for solid Earth science relying on novel e-science concepts to provide virtual access to data and services as well as physical access to facilities for a broad community of users. The innovation potential of the EPOS infrastructure involves enabling the use of multidisciplinary solid Earth science data, data products and services relying on national research infrastructures distributed across the whole Europe. The overall objective of the EPOS Sustainability Phase (EPOS SP) project is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the EPOS Research Infrastructure. This will be done by creating effective synergies among diverse actions dedicated to: (i) secure governance and financial sustainability through the entire research infrastructure lifecycle; (ii) secure technical sustainability and develop innovation to fully exploit data and service provision; (iii) establish and maintain excellence by preserving and reinforcing the trust and awareness of users; (iv) exploit economic and societal benefits to keep stakeholders engaged. The EPOS SP project is timely in the EPOS RI lifecycle because it will consolidate the long-term operational perspective of EPOS ERIC and the EPOS Delivery Framework. EPOS SP is addressing all aspects of sustainability to tackle the challenge of moving from technical and financial viability to long-term sustainability.