This could be a subject of the Baccalaureate in Economic Sciences, and although I never took this exam (because of post-68 incompatibility and Cancerism chronic) The subject seems to me sufficiently imminent and serious to attempt to deal with it, from my modest point of view.
I have just returned from two European conferences in which I participated as a speaker : European Space Solutions in Prague and MyOcean Users Workshop in Lisbon. The first, at the initiative of the European Commission and the European GSA Agency (¹) , was dedicated to the contribution of large space infrastructures (Galileo, EGNOS) in current economic and environmental applications, and the prospects for development in the many areas of human activities. The second manifestation, more targeted in the maritime domain, was a set of workshops concerning public and private end users of oceanographic and atmospheric data provided by the European Copernicus program (²), Through the Mercator-Myocean project (³).
The Weather4D stand at the European Space Expo of Prague reserved for speakers
In both cases I was invited to present the Weather4D Pro weather app as an example of private use of the data provided daily and free of charge by the Myocean project, namely current forecasts using several models, local and global. Although we felt (⁴) very small in the middle of a bed of summit of satellite imaging, communication, of environmental research or even the prevention of major risks, The organizers have found our application relevant because it is well illustrating the contribution of their data for the safety and efficiency of the navigation of boating users. We were, among others, representative of what high -technical public data could provide the development of useful private applications to high -growth sectors such as nautical leisure.
Very expensive sold data… and unused.
Unlike the USA, or the administrations funded by citizens must freely provide the public with the data they produce, France, and some other European countries, obliges certain administrations to get income from their production. As far as we are concerned, I will mainly cite the SHOM and Météo-France, But we could add the’IGN And certainly others that I ignore.
In a recent article of Son Blog, Nicolas Baldeck (You do not yet know the inventor of Pioupious ?) Relays in a humorous tone its disappointments with Météo France in the hope of obtaining certain weather data for paragliding activities. For my part it does not make me laugh at all, I even find it rather distressing. No user of marine weather forecasts are aware that almost all of the data provided for free for the whole world come from American administration (NOAA, US Navy, aso.) with many forecast models (⁵) at more or less high resolution. A Europe, the European Forecast Center (European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) provides forecasts of a very high level of recognized quality, even by the Americans. With models like IFS, Hirlam, and many others, but inaccessible to the public unless a dissuasive price is charged, they remain intended for professional users. About Météo-France, the only way for an individual to have access to excellent high-resolution models (ARPEGE, AROME, Antilles, aso.) is to open a pre-funded account and download the forecasts with the application (antediluvian) Navimail2. The cost, here again, is completely dissuasive.
An AROME file like this with 3 data (wind+rain+pressure) 8 forecast to 24 hours costs… 75,34 € HT !
Every mariner knows that nautical charts designed and published by NOAA are free for all US coasts and waterways.. A Europe, no hydrographic service provides its maps for free, not even the official vector maps centralized at European level. And yet these state organizations are well financed by taxpayer funds, just like in the USA. SO, where is the error ?
A totally outdated economic model
I was able to see in Prague as in Lisbon many examples of private companies providing real added value based on provided data, among others, by the MyOcean project and the Copernicus program. Satellite images, oceanographic data, atmospheric, allowing multiple uses in fields as diverse as town planning, l’agriculture, maritime traffic, monitoring of maritime pollution, prevention of major disasters, and so on. All companies using the data present base their economic development on quality, the quantity and relevance of data corresponding to their area of intervention.
Space Europe is preparing to revolutionize the services that should help improve our lives on the planet
It seems obvious that the release of data from public research and major infrastructures financed by European states, therefore by the taxes of European citizens, is a formidable engine of economic development for a number of future businesses. Retention of information, or their exorbitant price only intended for large entities (aviation, maritime armaments, armies, multinational groups) is on the contrary a real brake on growth, because it hinders the creation of innovative companies capable of processing this data, which is essential for all kinds of themes making it possible to meet present and future challenges. (climate, environment, security, planetary traffic). Most of the companies we encountered were VSEs or SMEs.
We therefore absolutely need, like the Copernicus program and the MyOcean project, the hydrographic and meteorological services of the Member States are grouped together at European level, at least that the product of their work is shared and made available to the public free of charge and without restrictions. At a time when economic stagnation is a political issue affecting most countries, or underemployment has become a chronic illness, it is high time to pull ourselves together and take courageous and dynamic measures whose repercussions are certain. The economic model of European countries is outdated. For several decades the USA has shown that their model works, and even pretty good, despite the crises from which they emerge much more quickly than us.
Without wanting to advocate a wild liberalism contrary to my convictions, I remain convinced that all data developed by public services in the context of personal safety and the preservation of the planet must be shared to be delivered free of charge to private actors. (and also to individuals) who will be able to transform them into high added value services, creators of growth and jobs. I hope that our leaders will have the courage to move beyond cautious corporatism and factional quarrels in order to integrate the formidable skills of our national scientists into a European concert from which everyone will benefit..
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(¹) GSA : European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency, leads the Galileo and EGNOS satellite programs.
(²) Copernicus models : European Earth Observation and Monitoring Program.
(³) Mercator-Ocean : European Center for Ocean Analysis and Forecasts, is an international establishment based in Toulouse which provides the majority of operational ocean data to the division Marine Service of the Copernicus observation program.
(⁴) I accompanied Olivier Bouyssou, the creator of Weather4D, in Prague.
(⁵) See the entry "Forecast Models" in the Maritime Glossary.
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If one day you wanted to collect testimonies on the same theme, I would have so much to tell that I could have written a chronicle of it ! I understand Nicolas Baldeck, the situations are sometimes so aberrant and incoherent that they become comical.
Thank you Francis !
I also support this point of view. I add that there is also an impact in terms of communication : for our safety, turn to the Americans ! They are less mercantile than Europeans. Is this really the image we want to give of ourselves? ?
In the end, this communication creates a reflex of dependence towards the USA from which they know how to benefit in the long term, them.
I totally agree with these words and wishes. But how to convince these people?
It seems that the recent Objectives and Performance Contract of the IGN signed by Ms. Ségolène Royal is going in the right direction. I mainly noted :