Welcome to E-SWAN

The European Space Weather and Space Climate Association (E-SWAN) is an international non-profit association established in 2022.

In March 2021, the need for a new way forward for the European Space Weather and Space Climate Community was intensively discussed in a white paper published in the Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate. The authors were the initiators of the "Quo Vadis, European Space Weather Community?" Initiative, which was ongoing throughout 2021 when the community took a major step forward in mapping out its future. 

The community discussed and debated the best way forward to unite and help itself to sustain and develop the successful space weather activities that have been achieved so far across Europe. Working groups were established to investigate the best next steps, related to the technical, statute, legal, and funding aspects of creating a new organisation. A public discussion was opened to the whole international space weather community (not restricted to Europe) to get advice and comments in real time through a Slack workspace public discussion forum. 

Two key votes were then put to the community. The first vote in June 2021 was to decide to create a new independent organisation (International Not-for-Profit Association or INPA; see vote results). Once this was decided the second vote in October 2021 was to name the new organisation, which became the European Space Weather and Space Climate Association, E-SWAN (see vote results).

Many members of the initial "Quo Vadis" working groups then formed part of an Interim Board (IB) to establish this new INPA, preparing the statutes and completing all necessary legal aspects. New working groups (technical, statutes, legal, funding, website scientific content, education, and outreach) have now been established as of 2022 to make the important first steps in creating E-SWAN.