EOPF Zarr Community Notebook Competition

Test out the power of cloud-native Sentinel data! Whether you’re a seasoned EO expert looking to transition to cloud workflows or new to the cloud and eager to explore Sentinel data with cutting-edge tools, this competition is for you.

Your challenge is to write a educational Jupyter Notebook showcasing what is possible with Sentinel-1, 2 or 3 data in the new Zarr format. All are welcome! Find out more about the competition and how to take part.

Prizes

We will select ten outstanding notebooks to be featured in the EOPF 101 online book, which will be the go-to resource for everyone who is new to using Sentinel data in Zarr format. You will be invited to be co-authors in a publication about the EOPF 101 resource.

In addition, thriveGEO is sponsoring a prize pool of 10 000 Euros in upskilling vouchers to be used on any of our training offerings, such as our flagship Cloud-Native Geospatial 101 course.

About the Competition

Get ready to dive into the world of cloud-native Earth Observation! We’re launching an exciting Jupyter Notebook competition focused on leveraging Copernicus Sentinel data through the EOPF Zarr Sample Service and its powerful plugins. Notebooks can be submitted from 1 November 2025 until 30 January 2026, 11:59 p.m. CET.

Competition Timeline

Learn more about the competition at our Introductory Webinar!

Introductory Webinar

16 Oct, 10:00 - 11:00 (UTC+1)

Office Hours 1

4 Nov, 10:00 - 11:00 (UTC+1)

Co-Working 1

13 Nov, 10:00 - 11:00 (UTC+1)

Office Hours 2

25 Nov, 16:00 - 17:00 (UTC+1)

Co-Working 2

4 Dec, 16:00 - 17:00 (UTC+ 1)

Office Hours 3

15 Jan, 10:00 - 11:00 (UTC+ 1)

Co-Working 3

27 Jan, 10:00 - 11:00 (UTC+1)

Submssions Due

30 Jan 2026, 23:59 (UTC+1)

FAQ

The EOPF Zarr Community Notebook Competition brings together Sentinel data users to showcase the power of cloud-native workflows using Sentinel data. This initiative is part of the EOPF Toolkit, brought to you by the European Space Agency, Development Seed, Sparkgeo and thriveGEO.

The EOPF Zarr Sample Service provides a way to access Earth observation data in the cloud-native Zarr format. This allows for fast, efficient data analysis without having to download large files.

Absolutely not! This competition is specifically designed for Sentinel data users who are new to cloud-native workflows. The EOPF 101 book and our support channels will provide all the resources you need to get up to speed.

Yes, you can. You'll be able to form teams during the learning and development phase of the competition. We'll encourage participants to use the Discourse forum to connect with potential teammates.

There is a prize pool of 10 000 Euros worth of upskilling vouchers provided by thriveGEO. In addition to prizes, winning notebooks will be featured in the EOPF 101 book and showcased at the awards ceremony, giving you visibility within the Earth observation community. You will be given the chance to be a co-author of a publication on EOPF 101.

We'll be offering support through our dedicated Discourse forum, live online office hours, and guided co-working sessions. Stay tuned for more details on these support channels.

Eligibility

The competition is open to individuals and teams.
All participants must register through the official registration form.

Submissions must be a Jupyter Notebook (.ipynb file).
The notebook must be functional and reproducible.
The notebook must make use of the EOPF Zarr Sample Service data.
The notebook may incorporate one or more EOPF plugins, though this is not a mandatory requirement.
All code must be original or be clearly cited. All AI use must be disclosed.

By submitting a notebook, you grant the European Space Agency and thriveGEO GmbH a non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, and display your work for promotional and educational purposes, including featuring it in the EOPF 101 online book.

Submissions will be judged on the following criteria:

Technical Soundness: Does the notebook work as intended and demonstrate a complete workflow? (30 points)
Effective Use of EOPF Sentinel Zarr Data: How well does the notebook leverage the unique advantages of the EOPF Zarr format? (30 points)
Educational Quality: Is the notebook well-documented and easy for others to understand and learn from? (40 points)