1. Towards a holistic capacity building strategy in EO in the Balkan area: Defining the gap, key findings and future directions. Prof. Petros Patias (Coordinator of OBSERVE project) GEPW5 - London 8-9 February, 2011 www.observe-fp7.eu

2. Balkans at-a-glance OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 2  Area : 550,000 km 2  Population : 55 million  Balkan countries, except Greece, are not ESA members  Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, FYROM, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina are also not members of GEO

3. OBSERVE at-a-glance OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 3 AcronymOBSERVE Full Title Strengthening and development of Earth Observation activities for the environment in the Balkan area Funding scheme Coordination Action Theme ENV.2010.4.1.4-1 Identification and Networking of EO activities in the Balkan area Starting DateNovember 1, 2010 Duration24 months Funding1 M€

4. OBSERVE at-a-glance OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 4 OBSERVE consortium consists of : 15 institutions from 13 different countries, 8 of which belong to the Balkan region. 10 of which are Universities/Research Institutes 5 are from private sector. Developing synergies with

5. The OBSERVE project Motivation OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 5 Our Mission OBSERVE project has the ultimate goal to raise awareness and establish firm links with the regional stakeholders on the importance of a mutual and enhanced EO application network on environmental monitoring. Our Vision OBSERVE project has the vision of establishing a new Balkan EO community of multilevel stakeholders that will make use of state-of- the-art technological developments, products and knowhow from the existing European EO community and industry.

6. The OBSERVE project Facts – Defining the Gap OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 6 The need for Coordination Balkan countries, except Greece, are not ESA members. Therefore, space related activities, including Earth Observation and the related programs, are coordinated only at national level. Contribution to GEO Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, FYROM, Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina are also not members of the GEO. Coordination and capacity development actions will subsequently lead to internal dynamic processes favoring the participation to the GEO.

7. The OBSERVE project Mechanisms and Tools – Meeting the current GEOSS Strategic Targets for Capacity building OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 7 Beneficiaries : Local research Institutions, Decision making bodies, Industries, SMEs Target: Creation of permanent local EO community, open to future synergies  Providing access to repositories of information and resources  Common reference point through the www.observe-fp7.euwww.observe-fp7.eu  Producing individual capacity reports (National reports)  Identification and categorization of stakeholders (stakeholders database)  Production of informative publications  Training workshops and networking events  Establishing links with relevant regional and international organizations and initiatives

8. The OBSERVE project Future priorities / Setting the agenda on capacity building OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 8  Permanent liaisons with Local Institutions ?  Consulting to Decision making bodies ?  Balkan Centre of EO for Environmental monitoring ?  Targeted training activities ?  Education programs ?  Mobility of researches ? What’s next? Use tools and opportunities Use tools and opportunities

9. The OBSERVE project Future priorities / Setting the agenda on capacity building OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 9

10. Thank you for your attention OBSERVE project is co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 265282 for the period 2010-2012 10