COMUNIDAD and OSIRIS Projects Presented at BIO-CAPITAL General Assembly
During the recent BIO-CAPITAL Project General Assembly in Prague, BRT Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hynek Roubík presented two EU-funded initiatives that showcase the power of space technology and open science to advance global sustainability: the COMUNIDAD and OSIRIS projects.
COMUNIDAD: Bridging Continents Through Space Data
COMUNIDAD—Combined Use of EGNSS and Copernicus Data to Develop Innovative Downstream Services for the Users from Chile and Colombia—is funded under the HORIZON-EUSPA-2022-SPACE call of Horizon Europe. It exemplifies how European space technologies, including Copernicus and EGNSS (European Global Navigation Satellite Systems), can be applied to local challenges in Latin America with global relevance.
In his presentation, Dr. Roubík emphasized that COMUNIDAD is not just about deploying advanced tools—it’s about creating a stakeholder-driven ecosystem. The project empowers local actors in Chile and Colombia to co-develop services, algorithms, and data products that directly respond to their needs.
Key focus areas include:
- Forestry management in Chile – using satellite data to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable practices.
- Rural development in Colombia o– applying Earth observation tools to guide land use, agriculture, and community resilience.
By aligning European innovation with Latin American realities, COMUNIDAD enhances the contextual accuracy of Copernicus data and fosters cross-regional knowledge exchange.
Synergies with BIO-CAPITAL
COMUNIDAD’s goals are closely aligned with BIO-CAPITAL’s mission to develop biodiversity-friendly, evidence-based solutions. The presentation sparked productive dialogue on potential synergies, particularly around:
- Shared stakeholder engagement strategies
- Joint development of sustainability indicators
- Integrated use of geospatial services for environmental and financial innovation
“Space-based data can only make a difference if it’s anchored in local knowledge, needs, and capabilities. COMUNIDAD is about making that connection real—and replicable.”
— Dr. Hynek Roubík
— Dr. Hynek Roubík
OSIRIS: Trusting Science Through Transparency
Dr. Roubík also introduced OSIRIS—Open Science to Increase Reproducibility in Science—a project funded under Horizon Europe that addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern research: reproducibility.
Reproducibility ensures that scientific findings are reliable, implementable, and trustworthy—yet many studies today cannot be replicated due to systemic issues like inadequate reporting, rapid publication cycles, and flawed incentive structures.
Key focus areas include:
- Understand the drivers behind poor reproducibility
- Develop practical, tested solutions for researchers and institutions
- Create incentives for stakeholders—universities, funders, and publishers—to prioritize reproducibility
- Integrate reproducibility into research design from the outset
The project brings together a unique team with expertise in open science, data sharing, and implementation science, supported by an active advisory board.
Relevance for BIO-CAPITAL
The insights from OSIRIS are directly applicable to BIO-CAPITAL, which depends on high-quality interdisciplinary research. Dr. Roubík highlighted the potential for:
- Transparent documentation of workflows and methodologies
- Open sharing of protocols and findings across Use Cases
- Embedding a culture of reproducibility and quality assurance across the consortium
“We need a culture shift—both from the top down and the bottom up—to make reproducibility an expected and rewarded part of research.”
— Dr. Hynek Roubík
— Dr. Hynek Roubík
A Shared Vision for a Sustainable and Trustworthy Future
Whether through space-based services that empower local communities or scientific practices that build credibility, both COMUNIDAD and OSIRIS reflect a growing movement: to make innovation inclusive, transparent, and impactful. As BIO-CAPITAL continues to grow, these collaborations reinforce the consortium’s role as a catalyst for change, bridging geographies and disciplines in pursuit of a more sustainable and trustworthy future.
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Read the general BIOCAPITAL meeting recap: HERE
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