OCT 20
Trace4EO: Revolutionizing Earth Observation Data Provenance Management
Summary
Trace4EO – Disruptive Technologies for Provenance of Earth Observation (EO) Data – is an innovative project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Φ-lab and developed by a consortium of leading European organizations. In an era where the volume of EO data is rapidly growing, Trace4EO seeks to address the challenges of data management and ensure the transparency, reliability, and effective utilization of these critical resources. The project is a collaborative effort between three leading companies:
- Guardtime (Estonia): A global leader in data integrity and provenance technologies.
- CloudFerro (Poland): A provider of cloud computing infrastructure and services for Earth Observation platforms.
- Alt239 (France): Experts in Earth Observation and metadata management.
By combining expertise from these organizations, Trace4EO aims to create a more transparent and efficient ecosystem for EO data management. The project officially commenced on June 16, 2025, and its outcomes will have a significant impact on how EO data is tracked, shared, and utilized globally.
In the following sections, we delve deeper into the project's objectives, methodologies, and anticipated outcomes, highlighting the importance of Trace4EO in shaping the future of Earth Observation data management.
Background
- The rapid increase in EO data volumes has not yet translated into similar increase of innovative applications.
- Disruptive technologies for provenance of EO data aim to develop a prototype for provenance solutions and pilot it with real-life use cases.
- An important part of the project is dissemination and communication to ensure that the open-source prototype and chosen use cases are presented to potential end-users.
Objectives
Trace4EO has the following objectives:
- Identify disruptive technologies and study their potential for solving known problems in the EO domain.
- Develop an open-source software prototype for EO data provenance use cases.
- Demonstrate the added value of the software prototype for the EO domain.
- Engage users and foster community building to create a supportive environment for developments beyond the end of the project.
