Online learning expertise and scientific advisory (UCC-VEAT-2024-03)

This is a voluntary ex-ante transparency (VEAT) notice. It acknowledges that University College Cork (UCC) contracted with Universidad de Málaga (UMA), for the provision of support in Scientific Advisory, online learning resource enhancement, and online & in-person training for the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service and Copernicus Climate Change Service, under the competitively won ECMWF Service Contract CJS2_156b_UCC. Under CJS2_156b_UCC, UCC is leading a Service team to provide support to the ECMWF in implementing training events and online learning resources for the two Copernicus Services. UMA will contribute to the Scientific Advisory Committee, online learning resource, and training event activities for the overall Service contract, providing niche technical, expertise and scientific oversight support. UMA were uniquely placed in terms of skillsets, professional networks and relationships to perform their role in this overall service contract, further enhanced by their good standing, and track record of excellence. They brought the international European Topic Centre for Spatial Analysis and Synthesis (ETC-UMA) into the Service Contract, where environmental knowledge to support evidence-based policy and decision-making at different scales is developed, supported by the work of the Khaos research group, specialised in Big Data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence - all of which are quickly growing topics of interest to Copernicus trainees. The ETC-UMA team have thematic skills and perspectives of high importance to the training topics the Service is expected to advise on, including environmental remote sensing, geospatial data management and publication, indicator development, ecosystems and services assessments of marine and terrestrial environments. Additionally, researchers at ETC-UMA are currently part of the core team of the European Topic Centre on Data Integration and Digitalisation (ETC/DI) supporting the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. UMA leads on their user uptake initiatives to promote the service portfolio within the European Environment Agency, among the other ETCs and Commission Services (such as DG Agri, Eurostat, etc.), and supports stakeholder engagement at Member State level through preparing capacity building material and workshop design. As a university, UMA is a key contributor of training experience, enhanced by organising Copernicus Hackathons, their connections within the Copernicus community, and their founding role in the Copernicus Academy. As such, they bring the skills, expertise, networks, good standing and track record to meet the needs of the Service's Scientific Advisory Committee, Training Event implementation, and Online training resource development. This is in close alignment with the requirements of the overarching Service contract between UCC and the ECMWF, specifically to deliver high-quality, customised training and developing learning resources for Copernicus services that are quality controlled to a standard of high scientific rigour. The institute was therefore selected to participate in the bid for the CJS2_156b ITT as their unique combination of skillsets, technical expertise, capabilities and networks complemented those of the bidding consortium, completing it’s offering to the ECMWF. They were integral to the awarded bid, and have been contracted accordingly.