The ESA Network of Resources, or NoR, is the ever-evolving initiative that provides Research, Precommercial and Commercial users with a unique environment to discover a list of European cloud services hosting Earth Observation data. Kicked off in late 2017 as the Network of EO Platforms with the goal to bring users to the data, today, the NoR presents a new Portal landing page.
Users can find out the latest news about NoR and the necessary information to access the different services through the NoR Portfolio, an ever-increasing list of innovative operational platforms and cloud services. Moreover, the Portal is the users’ gateway to request NoR Sponsorship for the various services, aiming to support research, development, and pre-commercial users to innovate their working practices. By following the eligibility criteria, successful applicants can be awarded a voucher to access selected services; however, vouchers must not be used to support commercial revenue flows. To apply, users have to review the available portfolio of resources and identify the suitable solution, go through the Wizard procedure, export the Sponsoring Request, sign it and email it to the address Nor-Sponsorhip-Requests@esa.int.
Furthermore, the Portal is helpful not only for users but also for providers, who can find information for joining the Network of Resources. As an open and transparent ecosystem, the NoR welcomes providers registered in ESA member states with operational resources or platform tier services hosting EO data to apply for participation to offer their services for interested parties and sponsorship requests by project owners.
With 25 onboarded providers and over 900 services, NoR represents an environment to discover and work with European cloud services. In addition, thanks to the unique Project Map feature it is possible to view many of the approved projects divided by category and geographic location.
In conclusion, the ESA Network of Resources (NoR) offers a unique environment for users to discover European cloud services hosting Earth Observation data, as well as opportunities for research, development, and pre-commercial users to innovate their working practices through NoR Sponsorship. With its open and transparent ecosystem, the NoR also welcomes providers to apply for participation.
Explore the NoR Portal at http://nor-discover.org and join the ever-increasing community of innovative operational platforms and cloud services today.