Cloud-Native Innovation for a Borderless Geospatial Future
The CIVIS Student Workshop on Earth Observation Sciences is a two-day hybrid training event dedicated to advancing cloud-native Earth Observation (EO) practices across the CIVIS Alliance. Organised by students from the University of Salzburg, Sapienza Università di Roma, and the University of Bucharest, the workshop introduces participants to VirtuGhan—an open-source virtual computation cube that performs on-the-fly raster tile processing using Sentinel-2 Cloud Optimized GeoTIFFs (COGs) and STAC endpoints. Blending seminar-style insights with hands-on exercises and collaborative lab work, the event demonstrates how advanced EO analysis can be conducted efficiently—even on limited hardware.
Beyond a single training event, the workshop forms part of a broader student-led effort to build capacity in geospatial technologies across CIVIS. Participants will explore real-world applications such as flood mapping, wildfire assessment, and environmental monitoring. Outputs include a collaboratively developed community use case, open-access learning materials (videos, tutorials, demonstrations), and the consolidation of a transnational network of students and open-source contributors. Accessibility, open science, and computational equity lie at the heart of the initiative.
