Invitation for media - Destination Earth first release launch event and press conference on 10th June 2024

Dear media representative,

We are delighted to invite you to the press conference and inauguration of the first release of the Destination Earth system, a groundbreaking initiative which reshapes our approach to Earth system modelling.

Building on Europe’s unique combination of strengths in numerical prediction and modelling, leveraging the most advanced digital twin technologies, data analytics and AI, as well as recent investments and advances in high-performance computing, Destination Earth will boost the current predictive capabilities, offering unprecedented levels of accuracy, resolution and interactivity, and enabling the users to explore how the Earth system will evolve under different “what if” scenarios for several decades ahead. Going beyond the existing Earth observation and monitoring capabilities, Destination Earth will empower policy-makers, researchers and other stakeholders to make informed decisions in designing accurate climate change adaptation strategies and effective mitigation measures.

Please join the press conference to hear more about the Destination Earth initiative, the first release of the system and forthcoming developments. We invite journalists, photographers, and video crews to attend the press conference and inauguration event.

Programme for the media on 10^th June 2024

All times are EEST (+1 hr CEST/UTC+3). Participation is possible either in person or through remote participation via live stream.

Margrethe Vestager, the Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age of the European Commission, will inaugurate Destination Earth in a high-level event together with other representatives of the European Commission, the Destination Earth implementing entities (ECMWF, ESA, and EUMETSAT), the Finnish Government and other European and international key stakeholders.  

9:30  Press registration & welcome at Renforsin Ranta business park (address: Tehdaskatu 15), Kajaani, Finland

10-10:45     Press conference for media, possibility to present questions to the following representatives:

• Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-president for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, European Commission
• Florence RABIER, Director-General of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF)
• Phil EVANS, Director-General of the European Organization for the Exploitation for Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
• Nicolaus HANOWSKI, Head of Department, European Space Agency (ESA)
  
  

10:45 -12:30 Possibility to take pictures / video from the LUMI data center guided by a host

13:00 -16:30 Destination Earth launch event, including the inauguration ceremony

Media accreditation:

An invitation link to the streamed press conference will be sent to all accredited media representatives on Friday 7 June 2024.

For further media enquiries please contact our communications team to answer your questions.

CSC Sanna Kostiainen Communications Manager sanna.kostiainen@csc.fi Phone: +358 400 712072	ESA Gaia Maggi Communication and Coordination Officer Gaia.Maggi@ext.esa.int Telephone: +39 366 6710356
EUMETSAT Neil Fletcher Digital Media and Outreach Manager Email: neil.fletcher@eumetsat.int Phone: + 49 6151 807 8390	ECMWF Sophia Sheridan Communications Manager for Destination Earth e: sophia.sheridan@ecmwf.int t: +49 176 74831287 or +44 779 6001 389

Background on the Destination Earth Initiative 

In 2021, the European Commission announced a ground-breaking initiative to build by the end of the decade a digital twin (digital replica) of the Earth System – the Destination Earth initiative. This flagship endeavour promises to revolutionize our approach to climate change adaptation and environmental resilience. The novel type of digital information system that DestinE creates − offering unprecedented levels of detail, quality and interactivity − will allow users to explore how the Earth system will evolve under different scenarios for several decades ahead.  

Destination Earth is implemented by the European Commission in strategic partnership with three leading European intergovernmental organisations: the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), while more than 100 public and private partners are participating in building the system.

 As the system will go live on the 10th of June, this inauguration event celebrates the launching of the first release of the DestinE system, following 2,5 years of intense work by the Commission and the three implementing entities ESA, ECMWF and EUMETSAT.

Collaboration with the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking will allow to advance the modelling capabilities of Destination Earth and will support the European leadership in the field of supercomputing.

In the midst of rapid technological developments in the field of AI, Destination Earth offers to continue building on European excellence in related research. The use of AI across the initiative, in particular for developing an Earth system foundation model, will allow Destination Earth to become a unique provider on which European industry can test and build new AI-powered products and services. With European values and transparency at its heart, it will be a powerful demonstrator on how responsible AI decision processes can be built. 

Links:

Destination Earth (destination-earth.eu)

Destination Earth | Shaping Europe’s digital future (europa.eu)

#DestinE #EuroHPC