EUROPEAN LOCATION FRAMEWORK (E.L.F.): How to Build a Working Infrastructure Based on Reference Data from National Sources

Antti Jakobsson Programmes Manager, EuroGeographics

GSDI 13 conference Quebec 16th May, 2012

What is EuroGeographics?

• A not-for profit international association under Belgium law (AISBL)

• 56 national mapping, land registry and cadastral agencies in 45 European Countries

• Working to bring interoperable European geospatial reference data for the benefit of society

• A distributed head-office of 10 people

• Experience in making interoperable datasets for 20 years

Our experinces in providing interoperability….ERM 2009 version hydrography

And the latest version (2012)….

We have delivered ESDIN project succesfully 2008-2011

• It received excellect results from the Commission reviewers

• It won a GeoSpatial World Policy Award for the exemplary implementation of Geospatial policies and programmes (April 2012)

Understand your users’ needs!

• In ESDIN we found important to understand the users’ process• This understanding is best achieved by involving users to the

project

What we have learnt in ESDIN…

Cross-border interoperability requires agreements with many partners• Data Policy is a key issue• A harmoninized policy is a

dream that can not be achieved

• Modular approach to handling licenses -> GeoProduct Finder

• Resolve first policy then technical issues will be resolved

• Consider legal basis

Think big start small

• You will have to win various stakeholders; the most difficult ones might be your partners

• Make useful demonstrations• Communication is a

challenge – make videos• SCRUM methodology

worked in developement of code!

• Management is a key thing; make sure you have the right resources for the project and enough resources!

Technology

• Fully decentraliced solution (based on WFS) does not work, need to have cache

• GeoRightsManagement solutions do not work -> federated approach works (JRC has confirmed this)

• Open Source vs Industrial strenght solutions -> both should be considered; some ESDIN results base on propriety solutions some on open source

• ESDIN Tech Architecture paper is a good basis

• Solutions for UIDs, quality, edge-matching and generalization provided

• Ultimately transformations are not the solution -> harmonized specs needed for reference data

Why we need the European Location Framework

Today-Access to NSDI data is mostly national

-Only global players provide easy access to geographic data

-NSDI data is not used for the European policy decision making

-use of INSPIRE data services is ?

-common tools not co-ordinated (Quality, Generalization, Edge-matching, Change management, Visualization)

After - Access possible for

National, European and Global use (E.L.F platform)

- SME applications easy to connect

- NSDI data is used for European policy decision making

- INSPIRE services utilized

- Common tools (in the cloud)

ELFI

BASED ON BEST PRACTICES OF NATIONAL MAPPING AND CADASTRAL AGENCIES, INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA

Picture: Virginie Luppens

The European Location Framework is a technical infrastructure which delivers authoritative, interoperable, cross-border geospatial reference data for analysing and understanding information connected to places and features

EU Location Framework will provide the political/policy context to the E.L.F

It is for EUROPE – JOINING NATIONAL GEOINFORMATION TOGETHER

• Policy drivers•eGovernment (Programme

on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, ISA)

•Digital Agenda•INSPIRE•GMES,SEIS•PSI•International (UNGGIM,

GEOSS)

Source: EuroGeographics

IT IS LOCATION – WHERE THINGS ARE?

Locating and geocoding through coordinates, geographical names and addresses (Geolocator)Unique Indetifying of the geographical objects, Linked Data

FROM GLOBAL TO REGIONAL – CONSISTENT INFORMATION AT ALL LEVELS

Management of Generalization, UIDs, Quality, Change and Visualization

FROM REGIONAL… - DECISION MAKING AT EUROPEAN LEVEL

Connection to the thematic sources, UIDs, Change Management

TO NATIONAL… - AUTHORATIVE SOURCES

Source: IGN BelgiumChange management, Specifications, NSDIs

Reference data

Additional andThematic data

Meeting the user requirement

NMCAs Other governmental agencies

Private industryCartographic industryEO

ServiceIntegrati

on

UserApplication

Reference data

services

Web companies GIS industry”the Cloud”

USERS

Reference data and services are part of the solution!

Resolution and Level of Details

Target level of detail

Scale

1:2,500,000

1:1,000,000

1,500,000

1,250,000

1,100,000

1,50,000

1:25,000

1:10,000

1:5,000

1:2,500

Global

Target level of detail

EuropeRegional

NationalLocal

Urban

Rural

Level of details

Mountainous

Target level of detail

Content and Services

•E.L.F Global and Regional (EuroRegionalMap, EuroGlobalMap)

•E.L.F Admin Regional (EuroBoundaryMap) and National

•E.L.F international boundaries for edge-matching

•E.L.F Raster Basemap Service (Regional to National)

•E.LF Cadastral (Regional and National)

•E.L.F Geolocator (names, address and admin)

•E.L.F Hydro, Transport, Buildings

CO

NT

EN

T

The planned E.L.F. coverage at Europe Regional and Global level

Not availableAvailable 2011-2014Admin available 2011-2014Admin, EGM available 2011-2014Availability to be agreed

Malta

Note: Administrative theme covers the whole territory of France (including overseas areas), Denmark (including Greenland and Faroe Islands)

Not availablePhase I Global and Regional Phase II Cluster areas / 15 data providersPhase III New cluster areas /NSDIs

Note Phase I covers also phase II countriesPhase III covers also phase I and II countries

The planned E.L.F. coverage at National Level through proposed ELFI project

The proposed ELFI project

Project proposal send to the CIP ICT PSP call• 36 months project• 30 partners• Implementation of the

E.L.F • Three phases

IT IS A FRAMEWORK THAT MAKES EUROPE UNITED BY GEOINFORMATION

EDGE-MATCHED AT NATIONAL BOUNDARY, QUALITY CHECKED, IDENTIFIABLE, MULTI-LEVEL GEOSPATIAL REFERENCE INFORMATION DISCOVER- LICENSE-AUTHENTICATION- ACCESS

IT IS PROVIDED BY NATIONAL MAPPING AND CADASTRAL AGENCIES OF EUROPE THROUGH EUROGEOGRAPHICSAND SUPPORTEDBY INDUSTRY

WANT TO HELP US MAKE IT HAPPEN?JOIN THEE.L.F COMMUNITY

Together we are stronger

Thank you!

Working together we can achieve much

more than working apart