The proposed project “Readiness of ICOS for Necessities of integrated Global Observations” (RINGO) aimed to further develop ICOS RI and ICOS ERIC and to foster its sustainability. The challenges were to advance the readiness of ICOS RI along five principal objectives:
- Scientific readiness: To support the further consolidation of observational networks and enhance their quality. This objective was mainly science-guided and aimed to increase the readiness of ICOS RI to be the European pillar in a global observation system on greenhouse gases;
- Geographical readiness: To enhance ICOS membership and sustainability by supporting interested countries in building national consortia, promoting ICOS towards national stakeholders, providing consultancy (e.g., on possibilities to use EU structural funds to build infrastructure for ICOS observations), and offering training to improve scientists’ readiness to work within ICOS.
- Technological readiness: To further develop and standardize technologies for greenhouse gas observations necessary to meet new knowledge demands and to account for and contribute to technological advances.
- Data readiness: To improve data streams towards different user groups, adapting to developing and dynamic (web) standards.
- Political and administrative readiness: To deepen global cooperation of observational infrastructures and thereby increase common societal impact. The impact was expected on the further development and sustainability of ICOS through scientific, technical, and managerial progress, as well as through deepening integration into global observation and data integration systems.
The project ran between 2017 and 2020.