Next-Generation EO & GeoAI Built on Openness and Distributed Data
Barcelona, Spain
The Open-Earth-Monitor Cyberinfrastructure (OEMC) Global Workshop 2026: “Next-Generation EO & GeoAI Built on Openness and Distributed Data”, will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 7–9 October 2026 (hosted by CREAF and the OpenGeoHub Foundation).
During this three-day hybrid event, the Open-Earth-Monitor consortium will present its final tools and outputs, fostering a dialogue with open-source technology developers and real-world users across policy, science, and industry to gather feedback and needs. The Open-Earth-Monitor Global Workshop is also an international gathering point for organisations, projects and professionals from around the world who are working in the field of open-source technology, Earth Observation data, and state-of-the-art tools to monitor our environment. The program will include discussions around the accessibility and usage of Earth Observation data, with broad participation from policy, academic, and business communities. Open-Earth-Monitor aims to bring together renowned experts in EO data to present and discuss the latest developments in the field and the outputs of this 4-year project. This year’s topic is “Next-Generation EO & GeoAI Built on Openness and Distributed Data”.
This year’s Global Workshop will be co-organised alongside an OGC Code Sprint, taking place at the same venue from 5-6 October 2026, a collaborative, hands-on event open to the broad community where dozens of developers from around the world come together to code, test, and exchange ideas, focused on advancing the development and implementation of OGC standards. The common thread of this edition will be standards related to data spaces and coverages. The Code Sprint will be hosted by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and CREAF, in cooperation with the OEMC Horizon Europe project and the OpenGeoHub foundation.
Earth Observation (EO) and geospatial data form the backbone of environmental monitoring at regional, national, and global scales, particularly in supporting the achievement of the climate targets set by the ambitious European Green Deal. A new generation of technologies (including advanced satellites, sensors, and data systems) is currently being deployed to monitor the Earth with significantly greater spatial detail, temporal frequency, and analytical capability than traditional systems. These next-generation Earth Observation technologies enable more accurate, timely, and actionable insights into environmental processes and changes.
The Open-Earth-Monitor Global Workshop invites scientists, developers, and innovators to present their original research, new technologies, state-of-the-art tools, and real-world applications aimed at seamlessly monitoring our environment across key domains relevant to European climate adaptation and resilience, including forestry, biodiversity, soil, water, agriculture, climate, and health. Special attention is given to the use of open-source data and software, scalable computing frameworks, near-real-time monitoring, people-centred approaches, and integrative solutions that combine in-situ observations with Earth Observation data.
All submissions will be reviewed by the workshop’s scientific committee. The highest-ranked proposals will be selected for presentation as oral talks, hands-on workshops, or posters.
Forest
Innovative research, scalable tools, and interoperable services to monitor forest cover change, deforestation, and wildfire risk, and to support forest restoration and evidence-based environmental decision-making across local, national, and global scales.
Biodiversity
State-of-the-art methods, open tools, and EO services for accurate monitoring of biodiversity trends and indicators. Contributions may address conservation strategies, cross-domain environmental impacts, and research-based decision-making at local, national, and global scales.
Soil, water and agriculture
Reproducible workflows, FAIR data practices, and operational tools that support farmers, researchers, and policymakers in adapting to environmental change and improving soil restoration, water management, and agricultural resilience.
Climate and health
Open, accessible, data-driven solutions that support preparedness strategies and protect vulnerable communities from heat stress, air pollution, vector-borne disease risks, and extreme weather impacts through satellite-based monitoring and AI-driven analysis.
Joan Pino Vilalta
Uta Heiden
Fred Stolle
Gustau Camps-Valls
Markus Reichstein
Coco Antonissen
Marc Russwurm
Alexander Jacob
Joana Simoes
Anne Fouilloux
Johan van den Hoogen
Nico Lang
Xavier Pons
Frank Feng
When submitting an abstract, you may indicate your preferred presentation format. The workshop’s scientific committee will evaluate all submissions and may suggest the format that best fits the objectives and insights of your contribution.
1 – Oral talks: A 20-minute talk addressing one of the suggested thematic threads. These sessions showcase innovative research and the application of geospatial technologies across domains such as governance, industry, and the public sector. Contributions highlighting user communities and real-world use cases are especially encouraged.
2 – Workshops: Hands-on sessions focused on open-source software, methods, and tools supporting European policies and decision-making. Workshops are 30–45 minutes practical sessions led by one or more presenters who guide participants through new approaches or technologies.
3 – Poster presentations: During the dedicated poster session, authors will have the opportunity to present their work through a 5-minute lightning talk. Posters should relate to the themes and may highlight research results, innovative applications, or methodological advances using open-source tools and machine learning technologies for Earth monitoring.
Keynotes: Keynote presentations will be delivered by invited speakers and will consist of a 30-minute talk. Confirmed speakers for this year’s edition include representatives from the World Resources Institute (WRI), Max Planck Institute, Netherlands Space Office (NSO), LifeWatch ERIC, and other leading institutions. You can check the full list here.
Registrations and Fees
Participation in the event is subject to prior registration and limited to available seats.
Registrations will open on May 1st, 2026.
Student Fee
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This ticket is only available for full-time students and PhD students.
Early Birds
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This reduced price is only available until June 30th 2026. After this deadline, regular tickets will be €550.
Virtual Access
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This reduced price grants online access to the event only.
The Global Workshop 2026 will be held at the Casa Convalescència located in Barcelona, Spain.
Casa Convalescència is a modernist building that belongs to the historic complex of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, declared a Historic-Artistic Monument and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 171, Horta-Guinardó, 08041 Barcelona
The entry ticket does not cover accommodation or travel expenses. Participants must arrange these separately. Various accommodation options are available near the conference venue. Here are some recommendations:
All sessions are video-recorded using Zoom webinar functionality in HD quality. Subject to approval of the presenters, the videos are uploaded on OpenGeoHub’s TIB.Av channel and a DOI will be assigned to each talk. Speakers are asked to accept the general recording conditions and sign a document allowing for videos to be shared. Copyright of the video’s will be assigned to authors / presenters as in standard Open Access materials.
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