As part of the 2025 Phiilippine Space Week celebration, the European Union partnered with the Philippines to exhibit the EU Global Gateway Flagship Copernicus Program from August 8-10 at Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao.
Copernicus is the earth observation component of the European Union Space Program, designed to provide accurate, timely and easily accessible information for improving environmental resource management, understanding climate change, ensuring civil security, and more.
This is the second consecutive year for the EU to join the Philippines’ national celebration of space science, innovation, and collaboration.
In a ceremonial event, Dr. Marco Gemmer, Head of the Cooperation Section at the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines, handed over the Copernicus data hub to Dr. Gay Perez, Deputy Director of the Philippine Space Agency, and Rodolfo Calzado, Assistant Secretary of Development Cooperation of the Department of Science and Technology, symbolizing the leadership of the two government agencies in the EU Copernicus Program in the Philippines.
The Copernicus data hub is the first of its kind in Asia and serves as a gateway for government services unlocking climate patterns, aiding disaster response, monitoring marine biodiversity, and fostering sustainable economic growth.
This year’s Philippine Space Week is a celebration of Filipino talents with graduates of the first technical training on Copernicus data and applications recognized as a new generation of skilled practitioners who will build national capacities in earth obeservation.
With digital innovation seen as the future employer for today’s Filipino youth and for historically excluded communities, the Philippine Space Week also hosted a dialogue on inclusivity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers between the Philippine Space Agency, Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Normal University, Expertise France, She Loves Tech, and the EU-Philippines Youth Sounding Board.
The Philippine Space Week, held from August 8-14 under the theme “Yamang Kalawakan para sa Mundo, para sa Bayan,” is the country’s flagship event celebrating space science and the contribution of technology and innovation to national development. Now in its third year, the week-long event brings together agencies, academic institutions, and international partners to raise public awareness of the benefits of space technologies.
The European Union Copernicus Program is a flagship initiative of the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy. The Global Gateway seeks to foster smart, sustainable investments in infrastructure around the world. In the Philippines, CopPhil allows the Philippines to process satellite data independently and with lower latency. This supports the development of a local Copernicus infrastructure, and the co-development of data applications tailored to national and local needs. The program is implemented by the European Space Agency.
