Earth Observation (EO) through satellite sensors and access to open data have expanded opportunities for environmental monitoring, territorial management, and evidence-based decision-making. However, the availability of geospatial information alone does not guarantee effective technology adoption or the implementation of open science principles. In Central America, challenges related to technical capacities, specialized training, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms persist, limiting the transformation of open data into concrete applications.

This paper presents the experience of the Copernicus Academy Costa Rica as an initiative aimed at collaboratively building EO capacities under open science principles. The initiative is led by the National Center for High Technology (CeNAT), through its PRIAS and CNCA laboratories, and is implemented within the framework of the Copernicus Ambassadors programme, with the support of national and regional academic networks.

As part of this process, a participatory assessment was conducted to identify training needs, existing capacities, strategic stakeholders, and priority areas related to the use of Copernicus tools. Preliminary results highlight the need to strengthen capacities for accessing, using, and adopting EO technologies and provide a baseline for structuring a national training plan.

Under this approach, participants evolve from information users into active agents in the generation, exchange, and dissemination of knowledge within communities of practice. The findings suggest that transforming data users into knowledge multipliers is strategic for operationalizing open science, strengthening sustainable capacities, and maximizing the use of open satellite data within geospatial innovation ecosystems.