A Spanish technology SME is preparing a proposal under Horizon Europe Cluster 4 – Space, topic HORIZON-CL4-2026-SPACE-03-31: Digital enablers and building-blocks for Earth Observation and Satellite Telecommunication for Space solutions.



The proposal addresses the current fragmentation between European Earth Observation (EO) and satellite communications (SatCom) ecosystems. The objective is to create a set of interoperable and sovereign digital building blocks enabling the seamless integration of EO-derived information and satellite connectivity services for operational applications such as emergency management, territorial intelligence, critical infrastructure monitoring and public-sector services.



The project will develop and validate three complementary building blocks:



• An Earth Observation processing and analytics engine based on Copernicus data and designed for integration through standard interfaces.

• A satellite communications layer supporting resilient and interoperable communications over European satellite infrastructures.

• An integration component allowing coordinated use of EO services and satellite communications capabilities in operational environments.



The proposed architecture follows European principles for digital sovereignty and interoperability, taking into consideration relevant frameworks and regulations including GDPR, NIS2, Cyber Resilience Act, Gaia-X, eIDAS and INSPIRE. The project aims to reach Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4-5 through technical validation and demonstration activities.



The consortium currently includes expertise in digital platforms, cybersecurity, data management and system integration.



Additional partners are sought to strengthen scientific validation, access to operational satellite communication environments and industrial adoption pathways.



Particularly, the following partner profiles are sought (mutually complementary, non-exclusive):



A) European satellite communications operator — preferably a member of the SpaceRISE consortium for IRIS² or equivalent. Provides the capacity to validate the building blocks over a real satellite link and a technical contribution to the EO ↔ SatCom integration component from the satellite network perspective.



B) Research institution / public research organisation / university with expertise in EO data science and/or SatCom systems, with a Horizon Europe / H2020 track record and capacity for independent scientific validation and TRL elevation.



C) Industrial partner (large European company) interested in operational validation and industrial adoption of the building blocks as a post-project early adopter. Optional profile, valued if it complements A and B.

The onboarding of each profile into the consortium is subject to confirmation of eligibility under Art. 22(5) Reg. (EU) 2021/695 (Space Partnership / GCSS) and to confirmation of an EU-controlled declaration or, where applicable, the provision of GCSS-compatible safeguards.



Technical Specification or Expertise Sought:



2. Research Organisation / University

Type: University, research institute or research and technology organisation.

Expected expertise:

• Earth Observation data science.

• Artificial intelligence for EO applications.

• Satellite communications systems.

• Interoperability standards and space-data integration.



Expected role:

• Lead or co-lead scientific validation activities.

• Support TRL progression and performance evaluation.

• Define testing methodologies and validation protocols.

• Contribute to dissemination and scientific publications.



3. Industrial Validation Partner

Type: Large company or industrial end-user.

Expected role:

• Provide operational use cases.

• Validate industrial applicability of project outcomes.

• Support exploitation planning and market uptake.

• Act as prospective early adopter of developed solutions.





Should you have any questions, feel free to contact Mar Coromina mcoromina@secartys.org | 623 35 59 80, and we'll do our best to help you.