Project title
EXCELSIOR: ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment
Funder
EC
Funding Program
Horizon 2020 Widespread-04-2017: Teaming Phase 1
H2020
Award URL
http://www.excelsior2020.eu/the-project/
Funding code
H2020-WIDESPREAD-04-2017
763643
Start date
September 1, 2017
Expected Completion
2018-08-31
Description
The ‘EXCELSIOR’ TEAMING project is built on the existing ERATOSTHENES Research Centre capacities. The aim of the proposed TEAMING project is to further promote the existing ERATOSTHENES Research Centre (ERC), established within the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) into a sustainable, viable and autonomous Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment, which will provide the highest quality of related services on the National, European and International levels. The ‘EXCELSIOR’ Teaming project addresses a specific challenge defined by the work program – namely, the reduction of substantial disparities in the European Union by supporting research and innovation activities and systems in low performing countries. It also aims at establishing long-term and strategic partnerships between the Teaming partners, thus reducing internal research and innovation disparities within European Research and Innovation landscape. The EXCELSIOR project aims also of creating an inspiring environment for conducting basic and applied research and innovation in the areas of the integrated use of remote sensing and space-based techniques for monitoring the environment. Environment has been recognized by the Smart Specialization Strategy of Cyprus as the first horizontal priority for future growth of the island. The project is fully aligned with the Smart Specialization Strategy of Cyprus (S3Cy) in many areas, significantly enhancing the impact of the targeted regional and national investments, namely, Environment and ICT. The ERATOSTHENES CoE – with its expertise and infrastructure could be a hub for the earth observation activities in the eastern Mediterranean area due to the key geostrategic position of Cyprus.