MERCATOR OCEAN JOURNA: 
SEPTEMBER 2021 
5. CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVES 
First calls for tender were launched in 2016 and 
immediately met success. Five years later, the User Uptake 
programme is a key element to support the development 
and the promotion of new applications. It is a booster for 
the selected companies. 
The User Uptake programme was built on a mutually 
profitable approach. On the one hand, the Copernicus 
Marine Service supports the development of downstream 
services so that they can best benefit from Copernicus 
Marine Service products and services.In return, contractors 
promote the Copernicus Marine Service products all over 
Europe throughout their services. During workshops, 
conferences, or all other kinds of events, the contractors 
remind users that their services exist thanks to the open 
and free Copernicus Marine Service information 
Moreover, Mercator Ocean has collected detailed and 
concrete end-of-contract feedback to feed the User 
Requirement Document (Delamarche et al., this issue). 
Mercator Ocean has also collected feedback on the socio- 
economic impact of the Copernicus Marine Service. The 
sustainability of the Copernicus Marine Service is essential 
for users developing operational services. At the end of 
2020, it is estimated (from statistics reported by 
contractors) that 24 User Uptake services serve more than 
50,000 users. This estimation only considers DEM1, DEM2, 
DEM3 and DEM4 services one year after their launch. Two- 
thirds of the services serve more than 100 users while 
three services (from SHOM, NIMRD and FMI with services 
for the public where registration is not required) have a 
total of almost 40,000 end-users. 
"he User Uptake programme has grown in maturity, and 
beneficiaries have evolved showcasing more diversity, 
more private companies, and spread to more countries. It 
has offered many opportunities to create innovation 
For the future, and to address marine environmentaı 
zoncerns, there is still a need to highlight the way high- 
Juality marine products and information are processed and 
used to support policymakers, businesses, and citizens. 
During the 2021-2027 period, the EU Space Programme 
Agency (EUSPA) will foster synergies amongst the EU space 
programmes (Galileo, EGNOS, Copernicus) promoting and 
supporting the downstream/applications market 
development and user uptake sectors. Mercator Ocean will 
zlosely interact with EUSPA on activities related to 
Zopernicus Marine Service user uptake and user 
angagement with respect to the downstream private sector.