From collaboration to lasting impact: the COMUNIDAD project comes to a close

After more than two years of collaboration across Europe and Latin America, the COMUNIDAD project has reached its official conclusion. What began as an ambition to turn Earth Observation data into practical, usable solutions has evolved into a rich portfolio of activities supporting sustainable agriculture, forestry, and territorial resilience - particularly in Chile and Colombia.

Funded under the Horizon Europe programme, COMUNIDAD brought together researchers, innovators, public authorities, and local communities to explore how satellite data and digital tools can meaningfully support decision-making on the ground. Throughout the project, technological development went hand in hand with capacity building, stakeholder dialogue, and real-world testing.

From data to action on the ground

A core principle of COMUNIDAD was that solutions must be shaped by local needs. This approach was reflected in a wide range of regional workshops, pilot site visits, and stakeholder meetings that created space for knowledge exchange and co-creation. Farmers, foresters, researchers, and public institutions actively contributed to defining challenges and validating proposed solutions.

By integrating Copernicus satellite data, EGNSS technologies, and advanced spatial analytics, COMUNIDAD supported applications such as landslide risk assessment in coffee-growing areas, forest and fire monitoring in Patagonia, and tools for climate-resilient land management. These applications were tested and validated directly in the field, ensuring their relevance and reliability.

Co-creation, innovation, and capacity building

Hackathons organised in Chile and Colombia became an important driver of innovation, bringing together students, developers, researchers, and local actors to transform data into concrete digital solutions. At the same time, workshops and training activities strengthened local capacities and helped demystify Earth Observation technologies for non-technical users.

The project also placed strong emphasis on knowledge sharing and scientific excellence, resulting in multiple publications and contributions that connect geospatial intelligence with sustainable agricultural and environmental practices.

The COMUNIDAD platform

A key outcome of the project is the COMUNIDAD Platform - a digital environment designed to make complex geospatial data accessible and actionable for diverse user groups, from farmers and foresters to planners, researchers, and public authorities. Built on extensive collaboration and field validation, the platform demonstrates how Earth Observation data can be transformed into trusted decision-support tools.

Its development was supported by a strong partnership structure, with coordination provided by Lesprojekt-služby and technical leadership by Baltics Open Solutions Center, working closely with partners from the Plan4all network and regional stakeholders.

Looking beyond the project

The COMUNIDAD Final Event marked a moment of reflection, but also a starting point for what comes next. Rather than closing a chapter, the project leaves behind validated tools, strengthened partnerships, and a shared understanding of how satellite data and local knowledge can work together to support sustainable territorial development.

Watch the project recap video to revisit key milestones, pilot activities, hackathons, and project impacts:
https://comunidad-project.eu/news/recap-video-comunidad-project/

Explore the final COMUNIDAD newsletter for a comprehensive overview of project actions, results, and stories from the field:
👉 https://comunidad-project.eu/news/newsletter-comunidad-project/

As COMUNIDAD comes to an end, its impacts continue—through ongoing use of the platform, continued cooperation among partners, and the growing community of users and innovators inspired by its activities.