With present computational capabilities and data volumes entering the Exascale Era, digital twins of the Earth system will be able to mimic the different system components (atmosphere, ocean, land, lithosphere) with unrivaled precision, providing analyses, forecasts, and what if scenarios for natural hazards and resources from their genesis phases and across their temporal and spatial scales. DT-GEO aims at developing a prototype for a digital twin on geophysical extremes including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and anthropogenic-induced extreme events. The project harnesses world-class computational and data Research Infrastructures (RIs), operational monitoring networks, and leading-edge research and academia partnerships in various fields of geophysics. The project will merge and assemble latest developments from other European projects and Centers of Excellence to deploy 12 Digital Twin Components (DTCs), intended as self-contained containerized entities embedding flagship simulation codes, Artificial Intelligence layers, large volumes of (real-time) data streams from and into data-lakes, data assimilation methodologies, and overarching workflows for deployment and execution of single or coupled DTCs in centralized HPC and virtual cloud computing RIs. Each DTC addresses specific scientific questions and circumvents technical challenges related to hazard assessment, early warning forecast, urgent computing, or resource prospection. DTCs will be verified at 13 Site Demonstrators (SD) and their outcomes will contain rich metadata to enable (semi-)automatic discovery, contextualisation, and orchestration of software (services) and data assets, enabling its integration to the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The proposal aims at being a first step of a long-term community effort towards a twin on Geophysical Extremes integrated in the Destination Earth (DestinE) initiative.

Imaging the Earth's interior has always been one of the key challenges in geosciences as it is a prerequisite for understanding our planet's internal dynamics and the coupling between its inner and outer envelopes. Gravity measurements at different altitudes (ground, airborne and space-based observations) provide a unique imaging tool, as they supply direct information on mass changes at different spatio-temporal scales. Following decades of research, developments and industrial transfers, quantum technology reached a high level of maturity and it is now possible to deliver operational quantum gravimeters offering various advantages with respect to devices that have been hitherto used. Aligned with the objective of strengthening EU’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness, EQUIP-G proposes to deploy a network of quantum gravimeters in Europe. This will represent the first step towards establishing the terrestrial segment of the pan-European quantum gravimetry infrastructure, revolving around a shared instrumentation facility (Instrumental Park). For this purpose, quantum gravimeters, dual quantum gravi-gradiometers and an onboard quantum gravimeter will be employed. These instruments will be comprehensively tested, before being deployed in the field. We will demonstrate, through innovative measurement strategies, the ability of the quantum gravity network to contribute to EU priorities, such as green deal, energy management and risk mitigation. Metrological oversight will ensure that all collected quantum gravity data will be SI traceable. Data will be managed in line with the FAIR principles and with a long-term perspective to establish a TCS for gravimetry within EPOS. EQUIP-G will engage in strong community building, aimed at involving the whole European gravimetry community in the development of the long-term Instrumental Park initiative that will extend beyond the end of the project, democratizing the use of quantum gravity devices produced in Europe.

Three strongly felt earthquakes of magnitude M>5.9 occurred within a 50 km source zone along the Central Apennines mountain chain in a period of just over 2 months. The first, on the 24th August M=6.0 earthquake killed 297 people, leaving the medieval villages of Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara di Tronto devastated. On 26th October two large shocks of M=5.4 and M=5.9 (32 minutes after) struck ~30 km further north in the same region as the 1997 M=6.0 Colfiorito earthquake. The largest (M=6.5) event to date that occurred only four days later, on 30th October, caused severe damage to buildings at Norcia, including the historical cathedral of San Benedetto. The area has been struck by destructive earthquakes of significant magnitude in historical and modern times. This is the third catastrophic sequence to occur in the Central Apennines, with preceding sequences to the north (M=6.0 Colfiorito) and south (M=6.1 L'Aquila) in 1997 and 2009, respectively. Cultural heritage sites including word-famous medieval churches near Amatrice village, have suffered severe damage and total collapse in many cases. Within this post-disaster environment there is a clear need to improve our understanding behind the evolution of such sequences and to develop tools that can support informed decision-making in the future. Our research will be based on a unique high quality dataset that is a product of on-going UK-Italian collaboration involving the deployment of more than 85 seismic sensors at the affected area since last fall. This unprecedented observational capability enables us to capture the "breadth and depth" of seismicity leading to the large events within the sequence. Based on this dataset we will develop innovative methods to translate measurements into testable physical models for the underlying processes. We aim at developing a comprehensive earthquake catalog that includes precise locations, source parameters and focal mechanisms derived from algorithms that are able detect, locate and characterize even the smallest events. This new 'microscope' provides information that is crucial for unravelling the physical processes that underlie sequences such as the extended 2016 Amatrice/Norcia earthquakes in Italy. We will then use the high-accuracy catalog to formulate and test alternative earthquake triggering hypotheses and integrate those in the development and validation of testable forecast models using empirical and physics based models to ensure high predictability. The project brings together world-experts on earthquake detection, seismic source characterization, earthquake triggering and forecasting from US, UK and Italy in an effort to develop breakthrough approaches to address current challenges that not only impede our understanding behind earthquake processes but also weaken our scientific response in any post-earthquake disaster environment. In the course of our research we will involve further international initiatives such as CSEP (Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability) to ensure transparent testing of our forecast models, and EPOS (European Plate Observation System) to maximize knowledge exchange and the scientific impact of the project in other countries. The new observational capability to detect, locate and characterize even the smallest magnitude events within few hours will find application to induced, geothermal and volcanic activity areas in US and Europe. We anticipate that the application of our research framework especially in high seismic hazard sites worldwide will enable future decision making with the same scientific standards across different operational and cultural environments.

ENVRI-Hub NEXT develops and implements the open access hub to the data and services provision framework of the Cluster of Environmental Research Infrastructures (ENVRI) and connects the environmental research community to the European Open Science Cloud. The overarching goal of ENVRI-Hub NEXT is to consolidate and advance the robust conceptual and technical structure established by the ENVRI-Hub to empower the ENVRI Science Cluster to provide interdisciplinary data-driven services. These services will support climate change research, including the development of mitigation and adaptation measures and strategies, and the assessment of the climate change risks. Through this platform, ENVRI-Hub NEXT will facilitate the integration of the environmental sciences community into EOSC, guided by the concept of Essential Climate Variables. In direct answer to the Call Topic, ENVRI-Hub NEXT expands the frontiers of multidisciplinary environmental sciences by fostering operational synergies between ENVRI RIs and developing and utilising complementarities in their data and services provision. The joint forces of ENVRI and e-infrastructures allow for the integration of cutting-edge information technology, alignment with the EOSC architecture, and efficient resource allocation for the advancement of a more integrated, productive, and globally competitive ENVRI Science Cluster. The ENVRI-Hub NEXT consortium brings together the key ESFRI Landmarks (ACTRIS, AnaEE ERIC, EPOS ERIC, EuroArgo ERIC, IAGOS AISBL, ICOS ERIC, LifeWatch ERIC) and ESFRI Projects (eLTER) participating in ENVRI-FAIR, the ENVRI information technology development and support providers from the University of Amsterdam, SeaDataNet as the key marine data infrastructure, FMI for the close relationship to EOSC Association and stakeholders, and the EGI Foundation and members of the EGI Federation to implement the operation of the services and the integration with EOSC Core.

Skills4EOSC brings together leading experiences of national, regional, institutional and thematic Open Science (OS) and Data Competence Centres from 18 European countries with the goal of unifying the current training landscape into a common and trusted pan-European ecosystem, in order to accelerate the upskilling of European researchers and data professionals in the field of FAIR and Open Data, intensive-data science and Scientific Data Management. Competence Centres (CC) are seen as centres of gravity of OS and EOSC activities in their countries. These entities can either be established national initiatives (as is the case of ICDI in Italy) or initiatives under establishment (e.g. Austria, Greece and the Nordic countries) or organizations which have the leading or mandated contribution to the OS activities nationally. CCs pool the expertise available within research institutions, universities and thematic and cross-discipline research infrastructures. They offer training and support, empowerment, lifelong learning, professionalization and resources to a variety of stakeholders, including not only researchers and data stewards, but also funders, decision makers, civil servants, and industry. Thanks to their position at the heart of the above described multi-stakeholder landscape, the CCs represented by the Skills4EOSC partners play a pivotal role in national plans for Open Science and in the interaction with scientific communities. They also have close access to policy makers and the related funding streams. The Skills4EOSC project will leverage this reference role to establish a pan-European network of CCs on OS and data, coordinating the work done at the national level to upskill professionals in this field. The Skills4EOSC CC network will drive the co-creation of harmonised trainer accreditation pathways, academic and professional curricula and skills quality assurance, recognition frameworks, and learning material creation methodologies.