Climate Data Factory (CDF)
Challenge Platform: Adaptation services
Project Start Date: 07/2013
Lead partner: Climpact-Metnext, France
Project type: Pathfinder - Explores relevant climate arenas to identify and prioritise innovation opportunities
Project lead: Harilaos Loukos, Climpact-Metnext
Partners
The CDF project involves 4 partners:
- Climpact-Metnext, France
- Institute Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL), France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France
- Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), France
Concept
The goal of the Climate Data Factory (CDF) project is to design a climate service offer in order to facilitate and accelerate the diffusion of climate data to society. This will help reduce time to action for climate change adaptation.
The Climate Change Issue
While the amount of available climate data increases, their dissemination remains confidential. This is a paradox because there are so many potential uses of climate projections ranging from specific business needs in many sectors (energy, building sector, insurance, agriculture, local authorities...) to education and awareness (such as serious gaming). The main reason for this paradox is that there is a common barrier to entry for generating such applications, which is explained by the lack of standardised high quality data in a format which can be used to by developers to generate their own added value.
The Project Solution
The CDF project aims to design a service which will distribute comprehensible climate data. The service will distribute climate data in a reliable and user-friendly format in order to meet the needs of the majority of data users. Its market position is between climate simulation producers and value added resellers, so there is already an opening for its use. The service will initially address only Climate-KIC partners. During the CDF project, surveys and workshop will assess their needs: this will provide a benchmark for its eventual introduction to the rest of Europe and even global market.
The output of the CDF project is a clear business model with potential royalties for the Climate KIC, a product range and a “demonstrator”. CDF will also provide training in issues such as climate change and data handling to ensure that climate data is not misinterpreted or misused.
The Role of Climate-KIC
Climate-KIC has assisted the CDF project by providing crucial business and scientific expertise. It has provided a vast network of experienced partners enabling project stakeholders to form lasting business relationships.