ITaRS (Initial Training for atmospheric Remote Sensing) was a research and training project dedicated to advancing expertise in the field of atmospheric remote sensing. It brought together universities, research institutions, and high-tech companies from diverse disciplines, including meteorology, geosciences, physics, electrical engineering, and mathematics, with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary training and strengthening scientific capacity in atmospheric observations.
In the context of rapid technological progress in instrumental techniques such as lidar, radar, and radiometry, ITaRS focused on exploiting the potential of advanced remote-sensing systems to monitor atmospheric composition and dynamics in unprecedented detail. Particular emphasis was placed on aerosol–cloud interactions, recognized as one of the largest uncertainties in current climate projections, and on their relevance for climate change research, numerical weather prediction, and air pollution studies.
The project also aimed to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry, optimizing instrumentation for future observation networks and accelerating technology transfer from research to operational and commercial applications. Through dedicated training programs, research secondments, and joint initiatives, ITaRS contributed to building a new generation of researchers equipped to address emerging challenges in atmospheric science.
The project ran between 2012 and 2016.
More details about the project on the official website: itars.uni-koeln.de