TL;DR: ESA has selected OVHcloud and CGI for a 30-month Digital EO contract to build federated Earth-observation infrastructure.

The European Space Agency has selected OVHcloud and CGI to help build Digital EO, the ESA Earth Observation Information System, under a multi-million-euro, 30-month contract, according to the OVHcloud newsroom announcement published Sept. 25, 2026 at 12:00. The planned work covers a strategic, sovereign digital infrastructure designed to federate data, services and processing capabilities related to Earth Observation. Independent trade coverage from ASTRONAVI, published Sept. 27, 2026, corroborates the selection, the multi-million-euro scale and the 30-month duration for the Digital EO construction effort.

The announcement identifies the contractors as OVHcloud, described as a global player and Europe's leading cloud provider, and CGI, described as one of the world's leading end-to-end management and IT consulting firms, acting through its subsidiary CGI France Défense et Spatial. The release carries a Paris dateline of 28th September 2026. The contract is presented as help to build Digital EO rather than as completed delivery of an operational system. The underlying build and future operation are described as plans and ambitions, not as outcomes already achieved.

A contract to build the information system

What was announced

OVHcloud and CGI announced a multi-million-euro, 30-month contract with the European Space Agency to help build Digital EO. Digital EO is identified in full as the ESA Earth Observation Information System. The system is characterized as strategic, sovereign digital infrastructure. Its defined function is to federate data, services and processing capabilities related to Earth Observation.

The OVHcloud newsroom report states the duration as 30 months and the value as multi-million-euro without disclosing a precise amount. ASTRONAVI likewise reports the contract amount as several million euros or more and the contract period as 30 months. The announcement was listed among OVHcloud corporate news items dated Fri, 09/25/2026 - 12:00. The detailed release bears a Paris location line dated 28th September 2026.

Who is building what

ESA is the contracting agency launching Digital EO as a large-scale undertaking. OVHcloud is assigned to provide cloud expertise and a sovereign, long-lasting cloud foundation. CGI is assigned to act as integrator and architect for the Digital EO backbone. The CGI work is to be performed through CGI France Défense et Spatial.

OVHcloud is described in the announcement as a global player and Europe's leading cloud provider. CGI is described as one of the world's leading end-to-end management and IT consulting firms. ESA's Earth-observation management voice in the announcement is Nicolaus Hanowski, Head of EO Mission Management and Ground Segment Department, ESA. OVHcloud's voice is Octave Klaba, CEO and Founder, OVHcloud. CGI's voice is Didier Thérond, President, France at CGI.

Why ESA says it needs Digital EO

The 500-petabyte challenge

The announcement states that more than 500 petabytes of Earth Observation data are expected by 2035. It presents efficiently managing and making the most of that data as a growing challenge for ESA. It also presents efficient management and use of that volume as a strategic digital sovereignty objective for Europe.

Digital EO is intended to open up new uses of space data for scientists, public bodies, businesses and citizens. It is also intended to bring innovations derived from Earth Observation closer to everyday applications. The system is described as a response to the expected growth in volume and heterogeneity of Earth-observation holdings.

A decentralized design

ESA has launched Digital EO as a large-scale undertaking to build a decentralized, scalable and resilient digital system. The stated ambition is to offer a sovereign environment built around a new paradigm to efficiently manage large and heterogeneous data assets, together with computing and AI resources.

The environment is intended to enable federation with national and European infrastructures. It is also intended to support the development, deployment and governance of innovative algorithms, applications and services, whether scientific, public, commercial or citizen-led. The announcement says that by pooling infrastructure and investment, Digital EO is designed to accelerate innovation, scientific development and the industrialization of Earth Observation services and applications.

How the cloud foundation would work

Compute, storage and network resources

The announcement says cloud expertise is decisive to make Digital EO able to meet tomorrow's needs. OVHcloud provides a sovereign, long-lasting cloud foundation combining compute, storage and network resources as well as managed cloud services. OVHcloud will actively support the system evolution over time, in order to guarantee performance, resilience and continued alignment with user needs.

The cloud foundation is meant to support processing, storing and making the most of ever-growing volumes of Earth Observation data for research, industry and operational user communities. The announcement links that work to the highest levels of performance, resilience and security. Octave Klaba is quoted in the release stating that Europe must have control over the infrastructure that runs its most strategic programs and that OVHcloud is putting sovereign cloud expertise at ESA's service for innovative solutions to process, store and valorize growing data volumes.

Initial deployment geography

The system will be initially deployed in Italy, France and Germany. It will rely on support capabilities operated from Poland. It will have the capability to extend to other European countries and Canada.

The release describes the initial footprint as in the heart of Europe, naming Italy, France and Germany. Support capabilities are located in Poland under the announced plan. Extension beyond the initial three deployment countries is described as a capability to extend, not as an implemented expansion. That geographic structure is presented as part of the sovereign, long-lasting cloud foundation.

The backbone and ecosystem role

CGI as integrator and architect

At the heart of the infrastructure, the Digital EO backbone will form its technological and operational core. CGI will act as integrator and architect. CGI will help bring the Digital EO ecosystem to life.

The announcement says CGI's ecosystem work includes enabling organizations to manage their data assets, services and user communities. It also includes providing support to users and developers. It further includes contributing to the continuous improvement of the system. Didier Thérond is quoted linking CGI's contribution to expertise in space and in critical digital platforms, and to know-how in cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence.

Support for Copernicus and DestinE

Nicolaus Hanowski is quoted saying Digital EO must allow a new step forward in the way Earth Observation data is managed and used. The same quoted statement says that with CGI and OVHcloud, ESA will build and operate a European innovative and sovereign system capable of supporting that ambition. The statement also says the system is capable of providing lasting support to ESA and European Commission programs like Copernicus and DestinE.

The announcement separately says Digital EO is designed to help strengthen European digital sovereignty and to prepare ESA's future programs. Pooling infrastructure and investment is presented as the mechanism intended to accelerate innovation while supporting sovereignty and future-program preparation. The programs Copernicus and DestinE are named only as programs to be supported on a lasting basis, not as co-contractors in the announced contract.

What ESA and the companies said

ESA on management and use

Hanowski, identified as Head of EO Mission Management and Ground Segment Department, ESA, is quoted saying Digital EO must enable progress in management and use of Earth-observation data. The attributed statement names CGI and OVHcloud as the companies with which ESA will build and operate the system. It characterizes the intended system as European, innovative and sovereign.

The same ESA-attributed statement connects the system to lasting support for Copernicus and DestinE. Those two programs are identified as ESA and European Commission programs. The statement frames that support as part of the ambition for the system.

OVHcloud on sovereign infrastructure

Klaba, identified as CEO and Founder of OVHcloud, is quoted saying control over infrastructure for strategic programs is essential for Europe. The attributed statement says OVHcloud is putting sovereign cloud expertise at ESA's service for solutions to process, store and make the most of expanding Earth-observation volumes. The beneficiaries named are research, industry and operational user communities.

The OVHcloud-attributed statement cites performance, resilience and security as required qualities. It states the ambition as building a robust, sovereign European Digital EO able to evolve over time. It ties that evolution to ESA's needs and ambitions.

CGI on platform expertise

Thérond, identified as President, France at CGI, is quoted saying CGI is putting expertise in space and critical digital platforms at the service of a strategic ambition for Europe. The attributed statement combines know-how in cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence. It describes the intended result as a sovereign, robust and scalable platform.

The CGI-attributed statement says the platform is able to create lasting value from Earth Observation data. It also says the platform is able to accelerate innovation within the European ecosystem. The announcement places that platform goal within the broader Digital EO backbone and ecosystem work.

What happens next under the plan

The announced contract duration is 30 months for helping to build Digital EO. The release does not state a start date, completion date or operational acceptance date for the backbone. OVHcloud's commitment to support system evolution over time is described as active support to guarantee performance, resilience and continued alignment with user needs.

The release lists media contacts for follow-up, including Giuseppina Forino for CGI media in France, responsible for public relations for Western and Southern Europe, and an OVHcloud media contact. ASTRONAVI's Sept. 27, 2026 item provides the second independent origin confirming the selection of OVHcloud and CGI for Digital EO construction, the multi-million-euro scale and the 30-month term. Further implementation details, deployment milestones and service availability remain future matters under the announced plan.

Sources referenced