2025 Overview
Building Momentum, Driving National Uptake in EO and Space
The 2025 NEOSS Communities of Practice (CoP) Integrated Workshop built on the momentum of 2024, continuing efforts to strengthen the national Earth Observations (EO) and space innovation landscape. While training and CoP meetings were conducted throughout the year, this flagship workshop focused on strategic alignment, knowledge sharing, and advancing key national initiatives.
Held on 23 June 2025 at the CSIR International Convention Centre (CSIR ICC) in Pretoria, the workshop highlighted progress on the SAGEO Knowledge Hub, South Africa’s national platform for EO data access, knowledge exchange, and collaboration. It also presented the findings of the EO Maturity Indicator (EOMI) process, which assessed the country’s EO capabilities across technical infrastructure, data availability, user engagement, and policy frameworks.
A central focus was identifying next steps to address gaps highlighted by the EOMI, while actively involving the community in co-developing Knowledge Packages and contributing South African EO resources to the platform. Through this approach, the workshop aimed to drive national uptake, foster collaboration, and support the practical use of EO and space-based tools for local and national development challenges.
Why participants attended
Attending the 2025 NEOSS CoP Integrated Workshop offered valuable opportunities for the Earth Observations (EO) and space community:
- Gained insights into national progress by engaging with the latest developments of the SAGEO Knowledge Hub, designed to support decision-making, data access, and knowledge sharing across sectors in South Africa.
- Reviewed and reflected on the EO Maturity Indicator (EOMI) findings, and contributed to shaping the national response to identified gaps in EO infrastructure, data use, engagement, and policy alignment.
- Contributed South African resources (datasets, tools, case studies, platforms) to enrich the national Knowledge Hub and ensure that locally relevant content was represented and accessible.
- Co-developed Knowledge Packages tailored to national priorities and user needs, fostering inclusive and practical EO solutions grounded in local expertise and context.
- Strengthened collaboration and coherence across the CoPs by connecting with experts, institutions, and practitioners working across EO and space domains, paving the way for more integrated and impactful actions.
- Helped shape the national EO and space agenda by participating in discussions that informed next steps for CoPs, guided future engagements, and supported greater uptake of EO and space applications for development.