Overview
Europe recognises the need for action to protect the environment and ensure the security of its citizens, needs to be met through its Space programme, EC Directives, GMES and INSPIRE. Central to their successful implementation is the development of common specifications for data documentation, collection, and exchange. The project will address this central issue of data harmonisation, which is widely considered a prerequisite for interoperability among spatial information systems.
The primary aim of the project will be to define geospatial data implementation specifications with the following main objectives. To:
- Be user driven and meet the requirements of GMES, INSPIRE, other EC policies and EU strategic objectives
- Build synergies with existing project s and exploit the results of past projects
- Develop and test a subset of the implementation specifications
- Define a repeatable capability for further development, adoption and implementation of the specifications
- Raise awareness of the results and rec ommendations of the project.
The project will adopt a five stage approach embracing:
- Building the collaborative process by bringing together the parties who need to be involved
- Iterative development of the specifications
- Testing of the specifications with users through prototyping
- Provision of the specifications to industry and standards bodies
- Definition of a repeatable capability for future implementation.
To achieve these objectives, the project will bring together complementary skills areas and the leading organisations in their respective fields. EuroGeographics and its member NMCAs (National Mapping and Cadastre Agencies) will bring the network of the custodians of the main spatial data components necessary for the interoperable functi oning of GMES and INSPIRE. OGC-Europe, supported by OGC member organisations, will bring the know-how of the GI Industry, and the technology that supports GI interoperability.