The Global Development Assistance (GDA) programme by the European Space Agency (ESA) fosters partnerships with nations to integrate EO technology into their development operations. These collaborations enhance the use of EO data for sustainable development and capacity building.

Prerequisites:

• Data sharing network/platform

• Identify potential partners

• Capability to process EO data

• Procurement pathway

• Partner support as needed

• Data policy (open by default preferred)

• Cybersecurity, data protection, and continuity planning

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 10k–100k/yr

• Includes: membership or participation fees, travel and representation in meetings, technical integration with network standards, staff time for coordination

Timeframe:

• Overall: 6–18 mo

• Phase: scoping & stakeholder alignment (2–4 mo), application & integration with network standards (3–6 mo), capacity building & participation (6–8 mo)

Pros:

• Leveraging Open Resources - Access to EO capabilities at a lower cost

• Driving Cooperation - Fosters international collaboration

• Timeline - Accelerates capability building

Considerations:

• Dependency - Reliant on external providers

• Security - Potential privacy and security concerns