3rd of April marks the launch of Sentinel-1A, the first dedicated satellite in the European Earth observation programme Copernicus. The data it emits from space will open doors to countless potential applications along the entire value chain. To support this new era, the Copernicus Masters competition will give recognition to outstanding ideas, applications, and business concepts that utilise Earth observation data for commercial purposes and socially relevant projects. Along with cash prizes, the winners will receive technical support in realising their ideas, access to satellite data, and start-up support from a prize pool worth a total of more than EUR 300,000.

In 2014, for the first time, the Copernicus Masters is carried out on a worldwide basis. Geared primarily toward start-ups and other companies, researchers, and students, the competition will require entrants to submit their applications from 15 April to 13 July 2014 at www.copernicus-masters.com.