imagine - infrastructure for spatial information in the ...€¦ · european umbrella organisation...

European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information

imaGIne

GI Opportunities Everywhere; Today and Tomorrow.

Reflections on a EUROGI Conference

Bruce McCormack President

European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI)

Presentation at the

INSPIRE 2013 Conference Florence, Italy; 24 June 2013


STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION (1) - EUROGI (2) - EUROGI’s imaGIne conference (3) – Context - past and current spatial data paradigms (4) – Context - an emerging paradigm (5) - Opportunities today (6) - Opportunities tomorrow (7) – Yes, Yes, Yes


(1) EUROGI

Established 1993 Aim – promote more widespread and effective use of GI Non-profit, non-aligned Membership – National GI Associations, corporate, other organisations … through NGIAs over 6000 members Main activities – participate in European Commission (EC) funded projects / set out policy from GI perspective in relation to European related topics / liaise with EC departments / sub-national SDI best practice awards / contribute at conferences, workshops / annual imaGIne conference / etc


(2) EUROGI’s imaGIne conference


(2) EUROGI’s imaGIne conference Dublin, 7 & 8 March 2013 Irish Presidency associated event 3 conferences in same week & venue (EEA, JRC and EUROGI) – EUROGI overall manager for all 3 conferences EUROGI conference key theme – identifying and unlocking GI/GIS/SDI opportunities Almost 200 delegates / global leading keynote speakers + 60 other presentations EUROGI conference contained sessions organised by JRC on the EULF initiative, & DG CONNENCT on the Digital Agenda Quotes

‘star studded cast of experts … stimulated some rich and wide-ranging discussion’ – Prof Ian Masser (GIS Professional magazine) ‘… contain both excellent presentations and perhaps unusually great discussions which really seemed to address some of the key challenges of using geospatial technology in Europe.’ – Ed Parsons (Google Geospatial Technologist) blog

Non-technical audience focus


(3) CONTEXT - PAST and CURRENT PARADIGMS

Paradigm 1 – Pre-digital, Hardcopy Paper maps Field surveys Skill sets - cartographers and land surveyors Dominant institutions - National Mapping Agencies (NMAs)



Paradigm 2 – Digital Silos Introduction of GIS Building stand alone databases of digital location data; little or no interoperability between databases in other organisations Focus on single thematic or geographical area Internal own organisation focus / mindset Digitizing legacy data Skill sets - GIS personnel, data base management Dominant institutions – NMAs, government entities



Paradigm 3 – Spatial Data Infrastructures Embracing the web Focus on sharing of spatial data from different silos in a web environment ‘Static’ data, much of it describing past situations Standards development and implementation play a key role – software and data standards Local, national and global focus Skill sets – GIS, standards, data base management, web design, institutional/governance specialists Dominant institutions – government entities, NMAs, private sector companies role growing

eg INSPIRE, EUROGI SDINet sub-national SDIs


(4) CONTEXT – TRENDS SHAPING AN EMERGING GI ENVIRONMENT

Internet of Things Linked data Open data initiatives Crowd sourcing 3D & augmented reality Inside outside positioning Real time The cloud Robotics and AI

Social media Human / machine interface Apps development Mobile Underlying drivers - increasing computing power and network capacities, miniaturization


…………………… imaGIne ……..…………...

Billions (trillions!) of interlinked sensors/transmitters/controllers And millions (billions!) of interlinked ‘intelligent’ autonomous / semi-autonomous ‘machines/devices’ And many moving in and out of things And large numbers operating in an open data environment With millions of crowd sourcing individuals And new hardly yet imagined control interfaces

……many (mostly!) happening in real time…...


(4) WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE SPATIAL / LOCATION / PLACE / GEOGRAPHIC?

………………….in a key position........................

because

.................location is everywhere………….. potentially in all data


(4) EMERGING PARADIGM – a name!

SDE

Spatial Data Everywhere SDEatT

Spatial Data Everywhere all the time LE

Location Everywhere LEatT

Location Everywhere all the Time TLS

The Location Swamp LiE

Location is Everywhere

…….. what’s your naming offer? ………


(5) OPPORTUNITIES TODAY

Using existing data and technologies Opportunities everywhere and anywhere …. CONFIRMED

All spatial scales Virtually all sectors/domains

Public sector, private sector, community / citizen Blockages to unlocking opportunities

Habit / inertia …. ‘we get along quite fine right now … and have been for years” Imagination …. particularly amongst top decision-makers Risk averseness / confidence issues Silo mentality .. social and technical Commitment / drive …. Building information infrastructures is not easy Organisational structure / governance Policy domain Skills/expertise … exists, but not exactly where and when needed ‘We need more money’ Technical? …… yes, but also not really


(5) OPPORTUNITIES TODAY- Drivers for exploitation of opportunities

Competition

There is money to be made Easy/cheap entry/exit

Financial / socio-economic crisis Search of efficiencies … how to do same/more with fewer resources Creates institutional flexibility Changed mindsets Stronger commitment / drive

Technology Open data Social media Informal social networks Legislation Solid business cases … meet real needs


(5) OPPORTUNITIES TODAY – Some observations

Expect the Unexpected …. Example - Myplan.ie, an Irish national planning information service

Designed for planners .. but Revenue – tax income Leisure fishing Teaching geography Bad bank SME business case France … son of Myplan.ie …. ‘Thanks EUROGI’

Opportunity Range

A single data layer on view > Information packages Complex predictive modeling

Strategic challenge

Harness the Drivers … Overcome the Blockages Tactics – some examples

Quick cheap pilots Show other examples … case studies Get into the mindset of the target audience One to one with key decision-makers


(6) OPPORTUNITIES TOMORROW

Where are they? Everywhere ……. ‘Everywhere 2.0’

How to unlock them? Competition (private sector)

The money makers of this world will play a big role … entrepreneurs Big companies and SMEs Low / lowering costs

Understanding (academics/researchers, companies, government) Individual trends/drivers Interaction between trends/drivers

Supportive policy/legislative environment (government) Flexible policy / legislative environment

New devices (private sector, researchers) User confidence (government, private sector)

Strong security User demand


(6) OPPORTUNITIES TOMORROW – Some observations

People have insights into parts … holistic, integrated view missing! How to make money out of the emerging GI environment

Fierce consumer/customer/user focus Know them, segment them ‘Wrap’ them, ‘surround them’, ‘envelop them’ ….. Package the experience, shape their reality

Some ‘things’ to watch Information oasis vs being networked The ‘slippery’, shifting world of new trends vs a world of legal obligations and mandates ‘Save me I am drowning …. in info’ Legislation/bureaucratic system vs market Standards Generational perceptions and take up The new middle classes in emerging nations The meaning of reality

Limiting factors … our vision, drive, commitment, willingness to take risks


YES, YES, YES … location is everywhere …


imagine

……. see you at the 2014 EUROGI imagine conference …..

imagine - infrastructure for spatial information in the ...€¦ · european umbrella organisation...

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