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Commission Européenne - MEMO/13/478   29/05/2013

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European Commission


Brussels, 29 May 2013


Copernicus provides earth observation, while Galileo supports satellite navigation

Galileo and Copernicus are complementary systems making use of satellite technologies. Both systems have their strategic value as each of them has its own mission, which do not overlap. Galileo is essentially a "navigation" system providing a permanent and more accurate than ever positioning and timing services worldwide. Copernicus is an ‘Earth observation’ system providing information on the state of our environment and improving the security of our citizens.

What will Copernicus do?


The initiative has two main objectives:

  • to provide sustainable, precise and reliable information about the environment and citizens’ security, produced under EU control and tailored to the needs of a wide range of users;

  • to create massive business opportunities for European companies, in particular SMEs, to boost innovation, growth and employment in Europe.

For example, the Copernicus Atmosphere service will allow us to monitor:

  1. greenhouse gases that warm our planet,



  4. aerosols that affect temperature and air quality.


Copernicus offers business opportunities

GMES/Copernicus's data collection and provision provides a huge potential for innovation and business development. Apart from the benefits for European citizens in terms of new innovative services, which improve their quality of life, it will generate a financial benefit of some €30 Bn and a minimum of around 50 000 new jobs over the period 2015-2030. Studies show that these benefits could multiply by a factor between 5 and 10 if adequate downstream enabling factors (e.g. a full, free and open data policy) are in place.Copernicus services will deliver information to a chain of information re-processors and end-users on a sustained basis. The “Copernicus economy” will grow by attracting increased investment in the value-adding market to provide innovative applications to meet increasing user demands and expectations. The definition and implementation of services and related observation infrastructure is driven by user requirements. Copernicus user communities include institutional users such as the EU institutions, European intergovernmental institutions, public-sector users within EU Member States, European public-sector users from non-EU countries, non-EU public sector users and institutional research communities.

An example of user driven innovation based on the Copernicus services which could generate business opportunities is the EU's ObsAIRve service. This smart phone 'app' enables real time access to air pollution data. In many European cities, air quality is of concern and is therefore monitored around the clock. In most cities, industrial air pollution abatement is, or tends to be, replaced by traffic-related air pollution. ObsAIRve allows real time access to air pollution data through mobile devices such as smartphones.

Space manufacturing - Upstream impact


Copernicus's architecture and infrastructure

The Copernicus architecture consists of:





Copernicus on Europa

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