The Horizon Europe-funded project “ENVRINNOV- ENVironment Research infrastructures Innovation Roadmap” is working towards the development of an Innovation Roadmap for the ENVRI community. This will include proposed mechanisms for collaboration between all innovation-performing stakeholders in the ENVRI ecosystem (RIs, RPOs, and Industry) for the development of new technologies and services. To ensure that these mechanisms are fit for the needs of ENVRIs, they have been tested during the project by five RPOs from different subdomains (Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere) through four small-scale pilot cases.

Task 2.1. Pilot Case: “drone-sensor system to detect and quantify methane emissions” (Led by CEA and the Cyprus Institute)

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. Abating methane emissions in a comprehensive monitoring, reporting and verification framework is a key contribution to climate change mitigation. Several international initiatives are now active to implement such mitigation strategies and science-based advanced technologies are needed to support these efforts. Notably, several companies expressed interest in seeking novel methane emission quantification techniques that use state of the art measurements and mobile platforms.

Development of the technology: UAV-GHG

A multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with Ground Control Station (GCS) software for unmanned operation has been developed. Real-time wireless communication is employed to stream sensor data live to the GCS and online via the cloud, enabling continuous monitoring and data access during flight operations.

Instruments for the measurement of CH4, meteorological and UAV state parameters are installed aboard the multi-rotor. Measurements of CH4 are made using the cavity-based spectroscopy ABB LGR-ICOS™ UAV Analyzer, GLA133-GGA Model sampling air at a rate of 10 Hz, via a 0.6 m length PFA tube above the plane of the UAV rotors, extensively tested at ICOS-ATC following ICOS protocols augmented with specific tests for flight performance. The precision of the CH4 measurement is 0.1 ppb. Necessary parameters for emissions estimation affecting the atmospheric dilution including temperature (T), pressure (P) and relative humidity (RH), are measured on-board. The 3D wind speed was derived from a LI-550P TriSonica™ Mini anemometer mounted on a 0.6 m carbon fiber tube above the plane of the UAV rotors at 10 Hz. LIDAR (anti-collision system) and geo-referenced HD video for better visual location of CH4 were also used to address operational challenges. The AIRMAR 150WX provides ground-based 2-D wind measurements.

For the calculation of emission fluxes, we use a Gaussian plume dispersion model. Methane flux from a single-point source can be quantified by inverting equation (1), which models the downwind  enhancement over background, the emission flux rate, the dispersion rate and the wind speed.

where Q is the emission flux,  is the perpendicular wind speed, H is the height of the emission plume source above the ground and 𝜎𝑦 and 𝜎𝑧 are Gaussian dispersion parameters of the plume in the y and z directions, respectively.

Validation and exploitation

We participated in the EDF/TADI (TotalEnergies Anomaly Detection Initiatives)-2024 controlled release experiment campaign, conducted from September 16 to 20, 2024. The campaign’s primary objective was to validate our technology and methodology for accurately estimating both the location and rates of GHG emissions. Over the course of the campaign, 40 controlled releases were conducted, each lasting 45 minutes and spanning a wide range of emission magnitudes. Near-surface mobile concentration measurements were made with the ABB LGR-ICOS™ UAV analyzer.

Following the validation of the technology and methodology, mobile and UAV measurements were carried out at the Kotsiatis landfill and a cattle farm in Orounda, with the aim of quantifying their CH₄ emission rates, see Figure 1.

Figure 1. UAV and mobile measurements of CH4 at a cattle farm (Orounda, middle) and at Kotsiatis landfill (bottom).

 

Task 2.2. Pilot Case: “Development of multi-function electronics to control in-situ instruments for trace species detection“(Led by KIT)

Baseline situation

State-of-the-art instruments for accurate atmospheric trace species detection require a highly sophisticated electronic system that i) controls the instrument, including the environmental conditions (such as temperature and pressure) of installed sub-components and ii) records the complete set of house-keeping data that are required to continuously and fully reconstruct the actual instrument’s operation condition and thus to infer highly accurate quality-assured final (FAIR) data. Commercial instruments often lack in both features: first, they are usually not designed for the operation in harsh field environments or moving platforms (where more parameters have to be monitored and controlled), amongst others, as the manufactures don’t know all operation cases and can’t mimic them in their test centers, and secondly, house-keeping data are often insufficient for data analysis, as not measured and/or not recorded as raw data.

Joint industry – IAGOS infrastructure development of multi-function control electronics

Objective of this pilot study has been to apply, assess and finally optimize a concept called “Tech-Boost innovation pipeline”. Tech-Boost follows three phases:

In P-1 (the “definition phase”), a) a technological or observational gap is identified and b) the requirements or specifications, resp., are defined by the infrastructure to address this gap. Here, the gap is the lack of a small, versatile and inexpensive multi-function control electronics. Scientists (operating instruments onboard IAGOS passenger aircraft) have defined the functionality and features of such electronics as well as all physical parameters (e.g. voltages, temperatures, including their accuracy and detection speed) that shall be measured, controlled and recorded in order to allow the provision of FAIR final IAGOS data (incl. all metadata).

In P2 (the “development phase”), the new technology has been developed by a medium-size company (VBE Elektronik, Ettlingen, Germany), in close cooperation with the scientists (and later users) and by having various virtual and physical meetings over the complete development time of ~12 months. The frequent meetings and continuous assessment of interim development steps allowed continuous technology and knowledge transfer and guaranteed that the final product will perfectly fulfill all user needs, and this from the very beginning and not only after some time-consuming and costly redesigns. Moreover, a prototype version was integrated and tested in an IAGOS-CARIBIC ozone instrument (in the laboratory). Results were considered in a pre-final layout / design (see figure 2).

In P3 (the “verification / optimization phase”), the new technology is tested in the field and (if required) in reference laboratories and found shortcomings are considered by the industrial partner to further optimize its product and thus to make it even more attractive for all kind of consumers in the relevant field. In the actual case, potential buyers of the highly versatile and reasonably priced electronics are the infrastructures in the environmental domain (especially ACTRIS, ICOS and IAGOS), but also other research performing institutes and the private sector.

Achievements

The prototype electronics is shown in Figure 2 (right, status March 2025).

The new multi-function electronics can read

• 16 temperatures and
• 12 input voltages,

can control

• 16 output voltages,

can communicate

via 2 RS232 interfaces and can easily be configured and controlled (via USB) by all kind of computers. It is a factor of 20-30 cheaper and a factor of 6-10 smaller than more high-tech data acquisition and control systems e.g. by National Instruments. It is thus suitable and favorable for numerous applications with e.g. weight and size limitations such as on moving platforms (aircraft, balloon) or for medium-cost and medium-complex instruments.

Still, the system is perfectly suited for the fast (10 Hz) high-accuracy ozone instrument FAIRO operated in the IAGOS-CARIBIC laboratory and research aircraft HALO (Zahn et al., doi:10.5194/amt-5-363-2012), which houses two measurement techniques (UV photometry and chemiluminescence detection) working at the physical limit, that is, are quantum-noise limited.

 

Task 2.3. Pilot Case: “Scientific services – Atmosphere “(Led by University of Helsinki)

Baseline situation

Current air quality monitoring systems across Europe predominantly rely on fixed monitoring stations, which, while providing reliable long-term data, lack the spatial resolution necessary to characterize intra-urban variability or pollution hotspots. With the inclusion of ultrafine particle (UFP) number concentrations and Black Carbon (BC) in the revised European Air Quality Directive (EN 2024/2881), there is an emerging regulatory demand for innovative measurement strategies capable of capturing hyperlocal air pollution at the level of personal exposure.

Definition phase (P1)

A key scientific and observational gap was identified: the lack of mobile, high-resolution measurement systems capable of capturing UFP and BC concentrations across urban environments, particularly around air pollution hotspots and at street level. Recognizing that the fixed-site approach falls short in terms of spatial coverage and granularity, especially in dense urban areas, the pilot aimed to develop a solution that would address these limitations through mobile scientific services.

Development phase (P2)

To address the identified gap, a multi-stakeholder team was established, bringing together representatives from across the value chain:

1.  A research group investigating spatial variability of air pollution (scientific community),

2. A hardware developer creating a new mobile UFP measurement system,

3. A software partner developing data workflows and pipelines,

4. Public authorities operating traditional air quality networks,

5. Air quality modelers (public service providers),

6. A private sector entity interested in mobile pollution mapping.

Initial analyses of existing infrastructure revealed that most monitoring systems fail to capture spatial heterogeneity. No comprehensive commercial solutions for mobile hyperlocal air quality mapping were found, aside from academic prototypes. A collaboration was initiated with a global environmental consultancy to define potential applications and business models for mobile data. The pilot launched through a joint strategic workshop to align technical capacities and development priorities.

Field tests commenced using existing low-cost sensors mounted on bicycles within the Helsinki metropolitan area. These early campaigns validated the feasibility of mobile measurements and informed subsequent modular sensor stack development. The platform design enabled phased instrumentation – allowing for iterative integration of additional measurement modules. Simultaneously, an online data pipeline and real-time cloud-based storage system were implemented, with custom algorithms developed for unbiased spatial averaging and visualization.

Verification / optimization phase (P3)

Figure 3a demonstrates the outcomes of the pilot measurements with averaged PM concentrations over 12 laps of a defined route in autumn 2024, with consistent elevation of PM levels observed at specific segments—attributed possibly to local resuspension or construction activity. The UFP particle number concentration data from a single measurement round in June 2025 (Figure 3b) highlights significant intra-route variability and clear spatial patterns associated with traffic density and land use (e.g., forested vs. junction areas).

The results were verified by evaluating the correspondence between modeled and observed hyperlocal UFP data. Due to their short atmospheric lifetimes and high spatial variability, UFPs are notoriously difficult to model. Figure 3c shows a case study comparing measured vs. modeled PN concentrations (April 2025), demonstrating promising agreement despite inherent uncertainties. These results pave the way for future integration of mobile measurements into real-time model calibration and online data assimilation workflows.

Achievements

This pilot successfully demonstrated a scalable scientific service concept for mobile, hyperlocal air quality monitoring using emerging pollutants (UFP, BC) as target parameters. The modular platform and cloud-based analytics pipeline provide a flexible architecture suitable for both scientific applications and policy-relevant decision-making support. The collaborative co-design with multiple stakeholders—including public authorities and private users—ensures a strong foundation for future commercialization and deployment in urban environments across Europe.

Figure 3. a) Averaged aerosol particle mass concentrations during multiple measurement cycles, b) UFP concentrations during a single round-trip, c) comparison of modelled and observed UFP concentrations.

 

Task 2.3. Pilot Case: “Scientific services – Biosphere, targeting the scientific community’s need for better estimates of environmental impacts of drought stress to ecosystem productivity” (Led by University of Helsinki)

Development of the technology

UAV-optical sensors Unlike the rather bulky gas exchange sensors, the flexibility offered by small and medium sized optical sensors allow them to be attached to remote sensing platforms, such as drones and other UAVs. Additionally, using the optical sensors in combination with gas exchange measurements allows for the gathering of training data for different species in varying growing conditions.

Baseline situation

Drought causes significant losses to agricultural production globally. This makes it important to develop novel technologies to map and measure the impacts of droughts on different agricultural products in varying species and growing conditions. While the gold standard of measuring plant and ecosystem productivity is leaf level gas exchange measurements, these measurements are slow and non- flexible to perform. To address these issues, plant drought stress measurements based on optical indicators, such as vegetation indices based on leaf reflectance and chlorophyll fluorescence have been developed. While not as accurate as gas exchange measurements, optical measurements are non-invasive, fast, flexible and allow for the measurement of large areas promptly and reliably. Currently, to perform exact measurements on the effect of abiotic stressors, such as drought, on ecosystem productivity, leaf level measurements gathered in-situ are still needed to supplement remote sensing data.

Achievements

During summer 2024 we initiated and carried out measurements concerning pilot case T2.3 #2, which targeted the scientific community’s need for better estimates of environmental impacts of drought to ecosystem productivity. For optical measurements we used both multispectral (DJI Mavic 3M) and thermal imaging drones (DJI Mavic 3T), as well as a hyperspectral imaging sensor (Senop HSC-2) and a prototype chlorophyll fluorescence sensor, For the gas exchange measurements, we used a Walz GFS-3000 gas exchange measurement system. Relevant measurements were conducted on annual and perennial species both in field and greenhouse conditions at the University of Helsinki Viikki campus area in cooperation with several research groups using both established and emerging technologies.

Figure 4. Drought measurements on the biodiversity test field from an UAV platform

Achievements

During summer 2024 we initiated and carried out measurements concerning pilot case T2.3 #2, which targeted the scientific community’s need for better estimates of environmental impacts of drought to ecosystem productivity. For optical measurements we used both multispectral (DJI Mavic 3M) and thermal imaging drones (DJI Mavic 3T), as well as a hyperspectral imaging sensor (Senop HSC-2) and a prototype chlorophyll fluorescence sensor, For the gas exchange measurements, we used a Walz GFS-3000 gas exchange measurement system. Relevant measurements were conducted on annual and perennial species both in field and greenhouse conditions at the University of Helsinki Viikki campus area in cooperation with several research groups using both established and emerging technologies.

Among these novel technologies being developed are the combination of modern UAV platforms and optical sensors based on leaf reflectance and chlorophyll fluorescence. Additionally, the aim of this pilot study was to assess the possibility of combining some of these novel technologies in the future, such as possibly integrating a newly developed low-cost fluorescence imaging sensor to a drone, thus combining both more established and emerging technologies.

This would allow for the determination of how these optical methods compare with leaf level gas exchange measurements in measuring the effects of drought on ecosystem productivity.Finally, the results from this pilot study aim to demonstrate the ability of combined thermal, hyperspectral and chlorophyll measurements, used in conjunction with more established technologies, to capture drought stress in a variety of species and pave the way for them as an established means to study plant abiotic stress in the future on both the leaf and canopy scales.

 

Task 2.4. Pilot Case: “Intra-RI Technological Development”: facilitating the development of interoperable/harmonized technologies by RIs and their effective transfer within ENVRIs“ (Led by UFZ)

The Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing method was developed in the early 2000s, drawing upon research findings in the fields of cosmic ray physics and hydrology, with the objective of creating a large-scale, real-time soil moisture monitoring tool. A significant benefit of CRNS is its capacity to measure soil moisture over a substantial area (hundreds of meters), thereby minimizing the requirement for multiple point sensors. In recent years, the method has undergone enormous development and has enormous potential to significantly improve the long-term recording of soil moisture in RIs in particular.

However, the interpretation of the measurement signal is challenging and complex, as it is dependent on various factors such as soil properties, vegetation, atmospheric conditions and cosmic radiation fluctuations. This complexity often hinders the harmonized and standardized establishment of the measurement method. The provision of a community-driven, ready-to-use, open-source data processing/visualization technology that represents the current state of knowledge is essential to establishing the CRNS measurement method across RIs of the Environment Domain. The pilot case selected here was dedicated to the community-driven development of such a tool designed to promote and facilitate intra-RI harmonization of the CRNS measurement method.

Figure 5. Screenshots of GUI of NEPTOON CRNS software, examples of visualizations and result reports produced with NEPTOON.

Step 1: Reviewing existing RI standards and interfaces: An inventory of RI standards used for soil moisture monitoring was conducted. Step 2: Identifying users and specifying user needs and technical requirements: The RI-specific requirements for a CRNS processing tool were specified following coordination between expert groups from eLTER and ICOS. Concurrently, the pilot study was presented to the international CRNS community and an initiative was launched to develop a global CRNS reference standard, which should form the basis for intra-RI harmonization. Furthermore, co-operations were established with some of the most important manufacturers of CRNS measuring devices as a basis for largely automated sensor-specific data processing. Step 3: Translating needs into solutions: Based on the identified requirements, a python tool for processing Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensors (CRNS) was developed (neptoon.org) which enables both the easy processing of CRNS data and utilizes the most current state of knowledge. Finally, the prototype of the software was presented to the European and global RI community in a webinar and hands-on workshop.

 

 

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union, nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction 

The Horizon Europe-funded project “ENVRINNOV – ENVironment Research Infrastructures Innovation Roadmap,” coordinated by CARE-C at The Cyprus Institute, is working towards developing a common Innovation Roadmap for the environmental research infrastructures (ENVRIs) community. To ensure that all components of the project have a shared understanding of concepts such as Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Industrial Approach, ACTRIS-FR (CNRS), as part of ENVRINNOV-WP3-T3.2 “Capacity Building strategy for Innovation”, evaluated the needs and gaps of the community related to their knowledge on innovation.

To do so, ACTRIS-FR conducted a survey and a consultation to assess the current training landscape and evaluate training needs in parallel to desk research to list relevant trainings.

The results and analysis of these initiatives help us define the types of training that ENVRI participants need, how they prefer the training to be delivered, and how we can maximize the impact of the training.

About the Survey

A quantitative survey was designed in collaboration with WP3 partners. It was launched online via Microsoft Forms in July 2024 and is open until the end of September 2024. In total, 47 answers from 14 ENVRIs (out of 26 Ris involved in the community) were collected.  We note an uneven representation -thus the responses do not represent all Research Infrastructures (RIs) or domains evenly :

• Terrestrial Ecosystem/Biodiversity: 5 RIs, 3 responses (2 RIs)
• Solid Earth: 1 RI, 0 responses
• Marine: 4 RIs, 3 responses (2 RIs)
• Atmosphere: 7 RIs, 13 responses (2 RIs)
• Multi-domain: 10 RIs, 28 responses (7 RIs)

Results

While knowledge of innovation and the creation of new services is relatively strong, respondents are less familiar with Technology Transfer, Technology Development, and moderately familiar with collaboration with industry.

• 51% of respondents indicated that there is an innovation support officer/program or similar structure to encourage innovation.
• 91% responded that their RI has initiatives related to innovation.
• 87% said their institute is working on developing new products or services.
• 85% are improving existing processes or methods.
• 87% are already collaborating with external partners.

Training Needs

• 69% expressed interest in training on Innovation Management, Technology Transfer, and Collaboration with Industry.
• 46% showed interest in Marketing and Communication.

The top three topics of interest were:

1. Commercializing Research (Market analysis, opportunity scoping, and business model development) – 64%
2. Engagement with the private sector – 51%
3. Negotiating Collaboration Agreements and Contracts (including IPR) – 53%

Training Preferences

Most respondents prefer shorter, periodic training sessions rather than large events with multiple topics. They prefer live, small-group training sessions, either in person or online, with longer sessions lasting from one day to two or three days.

Finally, a significant number of respondents expressed interest in being informed about training opportunities through newsletters or personal invitations.

Resources

54% of respondents said they can access training through their institute.

To complete the survey desk research was conducted to list existing innovation training resources. This list will be part of the ENVRI Innovation toolbox developed in the project.

 

Consultation

To get more direct feedback and interaction with potential trainees, a study of the ACTRIS community’s interest in innovation-related issues was carried out at the ACTRIS Week in Matera last November 2024. This live consultation helped us better shape the training innovation programme. Indeed, the question-and-answer session that followed the live slido survey facilitated a discussion between all stakeholders involved in the RI. Some members of the community do not necessarily feel directly concerned by these issues, as they are seen as additional to their existing scientific, technical, and administrative responsibilities. To address this, organizing an information session highlighting the importance of fostering innovation within ENVRIs could be a valuable first step. Such a session could showcase the tools available to support the community in creating an innovative ecosystem.

More detailed results can be found at this

Get Involved!

A first training session will be organized during EGU 2025 as a splinter session on Wednesday morning, 30 April 2025.

This session aims to:

– Provide a general introduction to the concept of innovation in the context of ENVRIs, and how it can benefit RIs and the ecosystem.
– Demonstrate how the ENVRINNOV project can support ENVRIs in their innovation process.
– Explore ways of enhancing communication and collaboration between ENVRIs and the private sector as a means to accelerate innovation.

We warmly invite all members of the ENVRI community, as well as anyone interested in innovation in environmental research infrastructures, to participate in this interactive and engaging pilot training session. Feedback from this first session will help shape further training to be made available to the community.

Interested yet? Please express your interest by registering to this sign up form: https://forms.office.com/e/QRgHjAci5X

You can also join the ENVRInnov mailing list here to receive the most updated news on the project.

For any other enquiries get in touch via e-mail:

ENVRINNOV Project coordinators: Prof Jean Sciare- email: j.sciare@cyi.ac.cy,  Marina Papageorgiou- email: m.papageorgiou@cyi.ac.cy

For this specific task: Ariane Dubost: ariane.dubost@uca.fr or Flamine de Quatrebarbes: flamine.de_quatrebarbes@uca.fr

For more information and to follow-ups, please visit the ENVRInnov project website.

 

This news item was developed in alignment with ENVRINNOV Milestone MS3.3: Capacity building needs & gaps and available resources (M12). The ENVRINNOV project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 101131426. Views and opinions expressed are however of those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

 

MS3.3 Capacity building needs & gaps and available resources

The Horizon Europe funded project “ENVRINNOV- ENVironment Research infrastructures Innovation Roadmap”, coordinated by CARE-C, The Cyprus Institute, is working towards the development of an Innovation Roadmap for the ENVRI community. This will include proposed mechanisms for collaboration between all innovation-performing stakeholders in the ENVRI ecosystem (RIs, RPOs, and Industry) for the development of new technologies and services. To ensure that these mechanisms are fit for the needs of ENVRIs, they will be tested during the project by five RPOs from different subdomains (Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere) through four small-scale pilot cases.

All four pilot cases have now been initiated by the Consortium. Details are included below, while progress and results from the pilots will be shared as the ENVRINNOV project moves forward.

Pilot #1: “Technology Infrastructure”: providing access to ENVRI research facilities, unique state-of-the-art instrumentation, and know-how to the private sector.
Led by CEA and the Cyprus Institute. 

This pilot case consists of a mobile CH4 emission measurement system that will ultimately deliver on a need expressed by the waste management and natural gas industries. The purpose is to demonstrate the ability to provide technology infrastructure to the private sector. To that end, the following actions have been taken:

Step 1: Development of a new technology (drone-sensor system to detect and quantify methane leaks) at TRL5 by a National Facility (CyI-USRL) from ACTRIS. Actions: Analysis of industry needs has been fed by previous research involving CEA and CYI (Liu et al., AMT 2024), and led to an appreciation of operational constraints (ATEX, safety) and performance requirements (CH4 leak rate, precision, certifications). The initial design of a technology solution has been done with ABB LGR instrument and 3D sonic anemometer onboard octopter UAV. The flux estimation method exploiting concentration measurement is under development. Step 2: Calibration/test at TRL6 by a Central Facility (CEA-ATC) from ICOS. Actions: Conception of a technology infrastructure response. This has involved connecting the USRL UAV infrastructure of CYI (ACTRIS) and the greenhouse gas metrology laboratory at CEA (ICOS ATC), establishing staff exchanges (visit of JD Paris from CEA to CYI in January 2024, visits of CYI staff Roubina Papaconstandinou and Pierre Yves Quehe to CEA in March 2024). Step 3: Validation in operational environment at TRL7. Actions: Firsts attempt to sample CH4 emissions from a proxy source close to the UAV flight range (a cattle farm near Orounda, Cyprus).

Pilot #2: “Tech-Boost” pipeline: creating optimal conditions for instrument manufacturers to foster the full “development-to-deployment” chain of technologies fit for the needs of ENVRIs.

Led by KIT

Since 2010, one of the most accurate and fast instruments for the in-situ detection of ozone (O₃) is operated on passenger aircraft (IAGOS), research aircraft (German HALO, US HIAPER and others) and for eddy-flux measurements at ground. It has been developed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and applies two techniques: a super-accurate and low-noise 2-channel O₃ photometer and a fast 10 Hz solid-state chemiluminescence detector (Zahn et al., AMT, 2012). Both detectors are quantum-noise limited, the precision at 10 Hz is 0.5 – 1.0% at typical O₃ mixing rations of 50 – 100 ppb. See example of a flight at 12 km altitude around Cape horn, with atmospheric gravity waves and O₃ changes by a factor of 2 in less than 0.3 seconds.

In a close partnership with a medium-sized company (VBE electronics, 70 employees), the development of a new control electronics is initiated which is state-of-the-art, much smaller and provides much more features. Together with a further hardware optimisation and miniaturization, the new ozone instrument shall be distinctly smaller and lightweight, more versatile and ruggedized regarding the operation on different platforms, ready-to-use (plug & play) after a warm-up of less than one minute and shall provide quality pre-assessed data (based on a detailed instrument health status).

Step 1 of the envisaged Tech-Boost pipeline (sketched in section 1.2.3.2 of the proposal) has largely been detailed and set up, with the following actions and to guarantee an efficient development process and cooperation: (i) initial physical meeting at VBE electronics to discuss all development steps and the content of the system description of the new electronics, in which we could nicely combine the (fairly synergistic) expertise and experiences of the involved stakeholders, (ii) after discussing the details of shared documents and information, we decided to (only) sign a collaboration agreement for this first development phase (instead of a more official NDA), (iii) created a workplan with a series of development steps (especially regarding test procedures first at the company and at a later more mature status at the reference laboratory at the KIT), (iv) iterated the description of the new communication protocol and (v) started to define the hardware components. In the cooperation agreement, it has been contractually agreed that all documents (including cable plans, routing and layout, and software source code) are provided to the KIT, inter alia, to allow the airworthiness certification for the operation on airborne platforms (e.g. IAGOS) and to simplify future hardware and software updates, e.g. when certain electronic components are discontinued, or new instrument features are requested.

Pilot #3: “Scientific Services”: mobilizing ENVRI scientists to develop and provide new services to better serve emerging needs of a wider user community.

Led by University of Helsinki, with two components: in Atmosphere and Biosphere.

#3.1: Atmosphere, number concentration in urban environment with a dense network of instruments

Work regarding urban mapping of aerosol number concentration with a dense network of sensors has been initiated and the pilot will take place in Helsinki. The local air quality monitoring network has been contacted and discussed the options of deployment of novel Condensation Particle Counters within their measurement locations. The authority is positive towards implementing a short pilot activity within their facility. It is also planned to deploy gap-filling measurements with mobile measurements around and between the fixed observation sites and we are preparing the instrumentation for these measurements.

#3.2: Biosphere targets the scientific community’s need for better estimates of environmental impacts of abiotic stressors to ecosystem productivity.

Work towards pilot case 3.2 during summer 2024 has begun. Utilizing a combination of emerging technologies, such as drones and prototype optical sensors, this pilot aims to further our understanding of the impacts of plant abiotic stress to ecosystem productivity. The study site will be located at the University of Helsinki Viikki campus (Helsinki, Finland), with the measurements taking place both in field and greenhouse conditions, combining the work of several research groups.

We will be measuring both annual and perennial species, using a combination of reflectance and chlorophyll fluorescence – based optical techniques. Using both established and prototype sensors, the versatile instruments at our disposal allow us to measure both leaf and canopy level variables. The results from this study will hopefully demonstrate the ability of combined hyperspectral and low-cost fluorescence imaging sensor measurements to capture drought stress in a variety of species and pave the way for them as an established means to study plant abiotic stress.

Map of available supersites and sites providing indicative aerosol number concentrations in Helsinki (left) and an example time series of aerosol number concentrations with different instruments participating in the pilot activity (right).

Pilot #4: “Intra-RI Technological Development”: to set a process for the development of interoperable/harmonized technologies by RIs and their effective transfer within ENVRIs.

Led by UFZ

This pilot aims to enhance RPO/RI technological autonomy and promote coordinated experimental strategies within ENVRIs towards the adoption of common technologies fulfilling environmental monitoring needs. The pilot case selected here will address the further methodological development of Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) processing to enable its deployment across RIs of the Environment Domain for the monitoring of soil moisture, a key state variable of the environment and defined as one of the “Essential Climate Variables” defined by the WMO Global Climate Observing System (GCOS).

Vertical and horizontal scales of soil moisture measurement (modified after Schrön et al., 2021)

CRNS is an innovative technique for monitoring soil moisture based on the interaction between cosmic-ray neutrons and hydrogen atoms in the soil. This non-invasive method measures the intensity of neutrons at the earth’s surface, which correlates with the moisture content of the soil over a large area. In contrast to traditional point-based methods such as soil moisture probes or gravimetric measurements, cosmic neutron measurements offer several key advantages. Firstly, it provides a spatially integrated measurement of soil moisture that covers a larger area (several ha, several decimetre depth) without the need for multiple sensors. Secondly, it offers continuous monitoring capabilities, allowing data to be collected and analysed in real time. It is also requiring minimal maintenance once installed. Overall, cosmic neutron sensing offers a practical and efficient solution for soil moisture monitoring, which is particularly beneficial also for environmental applications.

Although CRNS technology is now successfully established worldwide, the successful processing of measurement data requires quite extensive knowledge of the theory of CRNS measurements to calibrate the devices and process the measurement data correctly. An easy-to-use guide to implementing the measurement technology and, above all, high quality research software allowing for an easy-to-use processing of the CRNS data, is an important step to reduce the hurdles to using this technology in a harmonized way across different environmental RIs.

The implementation pilot will develop a community, ready-to-use and open-source processing and visualization technology. In a first step (March 2024) the workplan has been drafted. Furthermore, overlaps and redundancies of methodologies and tools for soil moisture monitoring in European ENVRIs have been evaluated.

The next steps are:

• Step 2: Identifying ENVRI users and specifying user needs and technical requirements: needs for training programs, technical support to ENVRI researchers, ENVRI’s needs for user friendly data processing and visualization tools for CRNS
• Step 3: ENVRI community-driven development of a prototype for a ready-to-use software for real-time data processing and visualisation of CRNS data
• Step 4: The final step will be to test the CRNS technology for soil moisture monitoring and the performance of the processing-visualisation tool across different RIs.

Acknowledgements

This news item was developed in alignment with ENVRINNOV Milestone MS2.1: Pilot cases initiated (M3). The ENVRINNOV project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2023 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no 101131426.

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however of those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them”