‘We’re not making the most of this opportunity right now’: Claudia Röösli on Switzerland’s decision not to participate in Copernicus

The Federal Council has decided that Switzerland will not participate in the European Earth observation programme Copernicus during the 2028–2034 programme period either – despite repeated calls from Parliament and a recent study which concludes that the benefits of joining clearly outweigh the costs. Switzerland will therefore continue to use the freely available satellite data, but will remain excluded from participation in Copernicus services, tenders and committees. In an interview with the SATW, Dr Claudia Röösli, Head of the Earth Observation Applications and Services Group at the University of Zurich’s Remote Sensing Laboratories, analyses the decision. Her conclusion: Switzerland is foregoing a say in the matter, economic potential and the development of expertise in a field of the future.