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The European Space Agency’s Digital EO project is planned as a shared European infrastructure for Earth-observation data, services and processing. CGI and OVHcloud announced a multi-million-euro contract lasting 30 months to help build it. Their 29 September 2026 announcement says the volume of Earth-observation data is expected to exceed 500 petabytes by 2035; that is a forecast, not a figure for data already stored.
What is ESA’s Digital EO system?
Digital EO is the name used for the European Space Agency’s Earth Observation Information System. Its stated purpose is to bring Earth-observation data together with the services and processing capabilities needed to use it, within a European digital infrastructure. The intended users named in the companies’ announcement include scientists, public bodies, businesses and citizens. The system is meant to support ESA and European Commission initiatives including Copernicus and Destination Earth (DestinE).
The scale estimate helps explain the ambition: CGI and OVHcloud say more than 500 petabytes of Earth-observation data are expected by 2035. This is a forward-looking estimate in their announcement, not a claim that ESA currently stores that amount or an independently validated measurement.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhat are CGI and OVHcloud responsible for?
| Company | Announced role |
|---|---|
| OVHcloud | Cloud foundation, including compute, storage, network capacity and managed cloud services. |
| CGI, through CGI France Défense et Spatial | Architecture and integration, plus organizational resources, services, user and developer support, and platform improvement. |
In practical terms, OVHcloud is assigned the underlying cloud resources, while CGI is responsible for designing and integrating the system and supporting its ecosystem. The companies describe the intended environment as decentralized, scalable and resilient, and say it should be able to federate with national and European infrastructure. Those are project goals; the announcement does not establish that the system has already achieved them.
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Where is the infrastructure planned?
The initial deployment is planned for Italy, France and Germany, with support capabilities operated from Poland. The companies say the platform could later extend to other European countries and Canada, but that is a possibility rather than a confirmed rollout.
What is known—and not yet specified?
The companies’ announcement establishes the contract’s stated duration, broad division of responsibilities, intended deployment locations and forecast data volume. It does not state the contract’s exact value, technical specifications, detailed storage architecture, implementation milestones beyond the 30-month term, or measured performance results. Accordingly, the announcement supports describing a project under development, not a completed storage system or a demonstrated performance benchmark.
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- Subscription-Free Personal Cloud – Store, back up, and manage all your videos, music, and photos and access them anytime without paying any monthly fees.
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Reuters separately reported that ESA awarded study contracts to teams led by ICEYE and Leonardo for a security-focused architecture. That is separate from the CGI and OVHcloud Digital EO contract, not evidence of an additional role for those firms in this project: Reuters report republished by StreetInsider, 28 September 2026.
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CGI and OVHcloud announced the Digital EO contract on 29 September 2026. Their announcement is the source for the contract details and 2035 forecast: CGI France announcement. A secondary report appeared the following day: TechRadar Pro, 30 September 2026.
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- Subscription-Free Personal Cloud – Store, back up, and manage all your videos, music, and photos and access them anytime without paying any monthly fees.
- Storage Purpose-Built for Data Security – A NAS designed to keep your data safe, the LS700 features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.
- Back Up Multiple Computers & Devices – NAS Navigator management utility and PC backup software included. You can set up automated backups of data on your computers.
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- Value NAS with RAID for centralized storage and backup for all your devices. Check out the LS 700 for enhanced features, cloud capabilities, macOS 26, and up to 7x faster performance than the LS 200.
- Connect the LinkStation to your router and enjoy shared network storage for your devices. The NAS is compatible with Windows and macOS*, and Buffalo's US-based support is on-hand 24/7 for installation walkthroughs. *Only for macOS 15 (Sequoia) and earlier. For macOS 26, check out our LS 700 series.
- Subscription-Free Personal Cloud – Store, back up, and manage all your videos, music, and photos and access them anytime without paying any monthly fees.
- Storage Purpose-Built for Data Security – A NAS designed to keep your data safe, the LS200 features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.
- Back Up Multiple Computers & Devices – NAS Navigator management utility and PC backup software included. NAS Navigator 2 for macOS 15 and earlier. You can set up automated backups of data on your computers.
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