Future Trends In Geospatial Information Management
UN-GGIMU N I T E D N AT I O N SCOMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ONGLOBAL GEOSPATIALINFORMATION MANAGEMENTFuture trends in geospatialinformation management:the five to ten year visionTHIRD EDITION
UN-GGIM United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management
UN-GGIMU N I T E D N AT I O N SCOMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ONGLOBAL GEOSPATIALINFORMATION MANAGEMENTFuture trends in geospatialinformation management:the five to ten year visionTHIRD EDITIONUN-GGIM United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management
This document was produced by Ordnance Surveyof Great Britain at the request of the United NationsCommittee of Experts on Global GeospatialInformation Management.Lead author: Christin Walter, Ordnance Survey ofGreat BritainAll parts of the report may be reproduced providedthe source ‘Future Trends in geospatial informationmanagement: the five to ten year vision – ThirdEdition, August 2020’ is cited.Images Adobestock and IstockUN-GGIM United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management
ContentsContentsForeword 4Executive Summary 5Introduction 8The role of geospatial information in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 8Delivering value through geospatial information 91. Drivers and trends in geospatial information management 131.1 Setting the scene: The geospatial industry in the global economy 131.2 Top geospatial drivers and trends: Assessing the five to ten year vision 151.3 Technological advancements 181.4 Rise of new data sources & analytical methods 181.5 Industry structural shift 181.6 Evolution of user requirements 191.7 Legislative environment 191.8 The impact of the trends on the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework 192. The digital infrastructure of the future 232.1 Ubiquitous connectivity 232.2 Conceptualisation and realisation of Digital Twins 242.3 Intelligent transport systems and edge computing 252.4 Visualisation technology and immersive experience 262.5 Building collaboration with standards 273. The rise of Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and data analytics 293.1 Realising value through Big Data and data analytics 293.2 The potential of Artificial Intelligence in geospatial production 304. Trends in technology and the future direction of data creation, maintenance and management 334.1 The new wave of data creation 334.2 Managing a world of data 344.3 Integrating statistical and geospatial information 354.4 Linked data 364.5 Cloud computing 374.6 Developing fit-for-purpose open standards 374.7 Trends in ‘professional’ data creation and maintenance 384.8 Positioning ourselves in the next five to ten years 41UN-GGIM United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management1
5. Legal, policy, and ethical developments 445.1 Growing awareness within government 445.2 Funding in a changing world 455.3 Open Data 455.4 Licensing, pricing and data ‘ownership’ 465.5 Data privacy, data ethics and cyber security 475.6 Disparities between technological advances and the legal and policy frameworks 486. Skills requirements and training mechanisms 516.1 Skills and capabilities for effective organisations 516.2 Education and advocacy 526.3 Open science and collaboration 536.4 Enabling diversity at work 547. The role of the private and non-governmental sectors 567.1 Making mapping available to the masses 567.2 The future role of the Private Sector 577.3 Regenerating the business ecosystems 577.4 The future role of social media data, VGI, and crowdsourced geospatial data 587.5 Coordination and collaboration 598. The demands of the future users 618.1 Rise of innovation-based incubation 618.2 Digital Natives: The future user of geospatial information 619. The future role of governments in geospatial data provision and managementnd management 649.1 Beyond NSDI 649.2 Mapping the Ocean: Marine geospatial information 659.3 Maintaining an accurate, detailed and trusted geospatial information base 669.4 The impact of change: Adapting to alternative sources for data collection 67Presenting the true value of GI 69The third Future Trends report: Reviewing progress 69List of abbreviations 73Suggested further reading 75Full list of contributors 76UN-GGIM United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management2
Acknowledgementsand disclaimersThis report has been authored on behalf of the UnitedNations Committee of Experts on Global GeospatialInformation Management (UN-GGIM) by ChristinWalter of Ordnance Survey, Great Britain’s nationalmapping agency. However, the content is basedprimarily on the First and Second Editions of theFuture Trends report, contributions received in writtenform and the views expressed during the discussionfora held in June and August 2019. Hence thecontent does not necessarily reflect the views of theauthor or the employer. While different, and at timesconflicting, views were expressed by contributors,consensus on a number of major trends and themeswere forthcoming.A full list of those who have contributed can befound at the end of the report. We are grateful toevery person and organisation for giving their time,either to provide written contributions, attending thediscussion fora, or taking part in individual evidencegathering sessions, and allowing us to use theircollective inputs in this report.UN-GGIM The report, which was written before the globalCOVID-19 pandemic, was updated where possibleto reflect the impact and consequences of thisunprecedented crisis. As we continue to experiencethis ongoing public health emergency, the reportdoes not aim to draw conclusions about the potentiallong-term effects on global geospatial informationmanagement.This paper contains information that is covered bycopyright and other intellectual property rights. All orand part of the report may be reproduced providedthe source ‘Future Trends in geospatial informationmanagement: the five to ten year vision – ThirdEdition, August 2020’ is cited.United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management3
ForewordIn these days of global pandemic the value ofgeospatial is more apparent than ever.The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced that, aswith the SDGs, many countries continue to facechallenges in collecting, managing, and usingtimely and reliable data with the required enablinggeospatial technologies to measure and track what ishappening where, when, and how.Our geospatial infrastructure has been calledon to help understand the economic, social andenvironmental impacts of the global responseto Covid-19. Spatial data analytics, geographicvisualisation, and machine learning techniques usingaerial and satellite data have proved to be criticalin supporting the essential components of diseaseprediction, spread, prevention, and response.This report looks in-depth at the challenges andopportunities that will impact how we collect,manage and use geospatial information over thenext five to ten years. Commissioned by the UnitedNations Committee of Experts on Global GeospatialInformation Management (UN-GGIM), this thirdedition of the Future Trends complements theIntegrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF).The IGIF is intended to be dynamic, responding tochanges in the external environment, and this FutureTrends report helps to show where those changes aremost likely to occur, enabling the Framework to keeppace and adapt.But the events of 2020 have made it clear thatour global community is more complex andinterconnected than ever. None of the trends identifiedin this report should be considered in isolation.Digital transformation, disruption and change inthe geospatial industry are a given, but we must beprepared for the reality that our challenges will beshaped by multiple trends acting and interactingacross our societies, economies and environment.Every nation will experience a transformation in theirresponse; the report tries to recognise that everynation is starting from a different place; with differentUN-GGIM experiences, policy contexts, digital technologydevelopment, and levels of geospatial maturity. Theuse and affordability of technology, as well as analyticalmethods, have the potential to reduce the geospatialdigital divide over the next decade, with discontinuouschange creating opportunities for many nations toleapfrog into the future and make rapid progress.But this is not a futurology report or an inspectionof market forces. Instead, this Future Trends reportprovides a consensus view from across the entiregeospatial community landscape. The strength of ourcommunity is in its collective discussion and debate.We enthusiastically share insight for the benefit ofall, and hope that through sharing best practice, wereach a deeper understanding ourselves.Covid-19 has accelerated many of the trendshighlighted in the report, such as the critical rolethat data analytics will play in our public andprivate sectors, and has illustrated the criticalrole that we, as geospatial leaders, will play in theglobal conversation around trust and ethics. As acommunity, we must consider the implications of theproliferation of location data on the global market,our countries, and our citizens.Overall, 124 UN Member States, organisations andrelevant expert stakeholders from all over the worldhave contributed to this revision. We thank you all foryour contributions to this third edition of the FutureTrends report, and hope that you will recognise yourwords and your wisdom enclosed. We look forwardto tackling future global challenges and realising ourshared opportunities over the coming years as weconsider our common geospatial future.Stefan SchweinfestDirector of the UNStatistics DivisionUnited NationsDepartment of Economicand Social AffairsUnited Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information ManagementDavid HendersonChief Geospatial OfficerOrdnance Survey ofGreat Britain4
Executive SummaryThis 2020 edition of the Future Trends reportmarks the beginning of a highly important decadefor both sustainable development and geospatialinformation management. It is characterised by threesignificant global milestones, namely the beginningof the ‘decade of action’ for the 2030 Agenda forSustainable Development, the start of the Decadeof Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, andthe 10th anniversary of the United Nations Committeeof Experts on Global Geospatial InformationManagement (UN-GGIM).The effects of climate change have become the‘defining issue of our time’.1 Today, the way in whichour society is organised amplifies the structuralthreats that climate change and the emergence ofnew infectious diseases have upon the world. TheCOVID-19 pandemic is a striking example of this.Over the last two decades, outbreaks of infectiousdisease have emerged every two to three years.While the resilience of society overall has decreased,and our dependency on globalisation has increased,the potential disruptions caused to society and theeconomy are resulting in unprecedented impacts.It is often impossible to predict the next incidentbut understanding the pattern of recurring risks andinvesting in the capabilities (infrastructure, skills,and technology) to mitigate and respond to theseperceived events increases our level of preparedness.Governments and institutions can make thenecessary investments in the many components ofpreparedness - of which geospatial information is key.In the 1990s, Bill Gates reflected that“we always overestimate the change that willoccur in the next two years and underestimatethe change that will occur in the next ten.”Although still valid, little did anyone suspect that thepace of change experienced today would challengeour ability to adapt. Even though this report aims toanticipate the trends that will influence geospatialinformation management over the next five to ten years,it also recognises that this goal will be increasinglyunrealistic to achieve as the lifecycle of technology andbusiness practice innovation becomes even shorter.UN-GGIM Like never before, the geospatial industry is affectedby a variety of outside influences that determinehow and in what direction the industry is likely todevelop. Climate change, a shift in people’s valuesand attitudes, public health concerns, and populationchange related to urbanisation are topics of concernto all nations. Balancing situation-appropriateresponses to these issues shows the important rolethe geospatial industry plays in providing data-drivenanalysis to support decision-making.For the past three decades, digital data hasincreasingly become the basis on which governments,organisations and businesses alike base theirdecisions. Today, the volume, size, speed, diversityand complexity in which geospatial data is generatedrequires change: to the processes currently used bygovernments and businesses across the world, and toworkforces that are capable of searching, analysing,merging and harmonising these large amounts of data.Technology, in particular, plays a prime role indisrupting the geospatial industry. Ranging fromincreasing levels of automation to the Internet ofThings, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, immersivetechnology and the rise of Digital Twins, the speedat which innovation occurs represents greatopportunities and challenges to those trying toprioritise efforts. The private sector and nationalagencies alike are impacted by this unprecedentedlevel of disruption. Among the variety of technologicaltrends, there is general consensus across theindustry that automation, Artificial Intelligence,and connectivity through 5G will have the greatestdisruptive impact over the short to medium-term.Geospatial information and technologies havebecome a ubiquitous part of everyday services and iscentral to the business models of many of the digitaldisruptors that have become prominent in the 2010s.The rise of smartphones, tablets, and other mobiledevices has contributed significantly to people’sexpectation of the use of geospatial applications.User demand for increasing accuracy, currency, anddetail is growing and processing will require moreautomated data capture and feature extraction tokeep pace with those requirements.United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management5
Technological developments, the nature of machineled decision-making in autonomous mobility, andother applications that require multi-stakeholderpartnerships are creating new challenges in a worldthat will increasingly be managed virtually. In thecontext of trends, cybersecurity, data privacy, ethics,trust and licensing will increase in relevance asinterdisciplinary collaborations, and are now at theforefront. Government-led geospatial infrastructureswill need to take account of and consider responsesto these emerging legal and policy top trends.Governments continue to remain highly relevantin the geospatial industry by providing highquality, reliable, trusted and maintained geospatialinformation for a wide range of applications fromnational resilience to the effective administration ofproperty, resources and land use extended to otherrelevant areas such as health, education, urbanplanning, and others.The first chapter of the report provides a highlevel analysis of the top global geospatial driversand trends that are predicted to have the greatestimpact on geospatial information managementover the next five to ten years. Recognising thatchange in the industry is driven by a set of diversedrivers and trends, the report sets out five topforces: Technological advances, the rise of new datasources, the changing user requirements, industrychanges, and the regulatory and policy environment.The chapters that follow provide updates, whererelevant, on the trends identified in the previous twoeditions. It concludes by producing a brief overviewof the topics covered by all Future Trends reportssince the publication of the first edition in 2013.The next five to ten years will see significantdevelopments in the maturity and applicationof already well-established technologies acrossthe geospatial industry. Among others, ArtificialIntelligence, sensor technology, and the Internet ofThings will drastically change how data is collected,managed and maintained. Developed nations,developing nations, and small island developingstates alike will reap the benefits of more affordabledrone and satellite technologies equipped with imageclassification capabilities as valid alternative datasources. This will address the incredible inequalityobserved today in nations around the world. Theuse of technology and analytical methods has thepotential to reduce the geospatial digital divide overthe decade to come.2The report provides a consensus view of thedevelopments and future direction for geospatialinformation management over the next decade.We wish to thank all those who have contributed tothe development of this report and provided theirexpertise and professional insights.UN-GGIM United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management6
UN-GGIM United Nations Committee of Experts onGlobal Geospatial Information Management7
IntroductionThe first and second editions of the report Futuretrends in geospatial information management: thefive to ten year vision have proved to be importantreference documents for the global geospatialcommunity. They are considered an important outputfor the UN-GGIM Committee of Experts and haveprovided a consensus view for the professionalgeospatial community to keep abreast of new trendsin geospatial information, particularly in assessing theimpact of geospatial technologies.3This third edition Future Trends report, preparedthrough a global consensus process is expectedto be presented to the Committee of Experts foradoption at its tenth session in August 2020.As well as exploring emerging themes, this thirdedition highlights changes to the trends identified inthe previous two reports, showing how geospatialinformation and technology underpin nationalgovernments, and documenting the increasing rolethat geospatial information will play as part of the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Many of the chapters in this report touch on the‘state of the art’ developments in geospatialinformation management that are mainly of interestto developed nations and major economic centresincluding topics like Big Data analytics, ArtificialIntelligence, automated feature extraction andchange detection. The report aims, whereverpossible, to highlight exceptions and challengesfaced by developing nations and rural populationsas well as show the opportunities related totechnological advances and analytical methods toensure no one will be left behind.The report seeks to achieve two aims, to highlight thelatest trends in geospatial information management,and to provide a high-level overview of how thesetrends have developed since the publication of thefirst and second editions of the Future Trends report.It includes a separate chapter illustrating the topglobal drivers and trends likely to impact the industryover the coming five to ten years. It aims to showhow evidence-based decision-making benefits andpromotes economic development and increasesUN-GGIM sustainability and resilience by applying geospatialthinking and adopting geospatial data and technologyinnovatively at the local and national level.The role of geospatial information in achievingthe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable DevelopmentThe year 2030 marks a milestone in the evolutionof the global effort to steward the progress towardseconomic, environmental and social dimensions ofsustainability. One of the most critical conditions forthe fulfilment of the ambitions expressed in the 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development is the effectiveand efficient use of dynamic and disaggregated datafor decision-making, the delivery of services, citizenempowerment, entrepreneurship, competitivenessand innovation, and to contribute to th
Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), this third edition of the Future Trends complements the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF). The IGIF is intended to be dynamic, responding to changes in the external environment, and this Future Trends report helps to show where those changes are
of geospatial basic big data, a complete geospatial big data is formed, which provides the basic data source for the following geospatial big data application, national spatial information infrastructure platform, projectinformation system, etc. 3. APPLICATIONS OF GEOSPATIAL BIG DATA The geospatial big data is widely used in the Internet, obile M
Geospatial data management has predominantly occurred at the individual level; as analysts, developers, scientists, and other geospatial data consumers apply project and data management best practices throughout the course of the data lifecycle (Fig. 1). These practices included geospatial data creators defining and ensuring data quality
The United States is a world leader in geospatial technology and research, an area that represents a . The Workforce Development Subcommittee believes that inclusion of geospatial disciplines in the White . the Federal Government has a handful of programs directly related to geospatial or remote sensing.
4.7 Recommended Future State Army Geospatial Enterprise Architecture 93 4.8 Considerations for Enterprise Transformation 94 4.9 Observations from the Future State Analysis 94 4.9.1 A Portfolio Approach to the Geospatial Portion of the Informa
production of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT). Therefore, in order to create application specific high value information, hard/soft data fusion, in particular geospatial conflation is essential. This research is motivated by the problem of determining an effective information fusion process to conflate authoritative and crowdsourced data.
long trends. Trends shaping the future of work Earlier Deloitte research identified seven disruptive trends that are shaping the future of work (see Figure 1). these trends can be grouped into two categories: socio-demographic trends and enabling technology trends. For example, the diversity of the workforce is increasing as we live longer and
geospatial resources consistent with planning and management of any other enterprise information, process and organization components. Governance of Geospatial Resources – Inter-Enterprise Collaboration The importance of a coordinated and collaborative effort at all levels of government – local, state, tribal and federal - is a primary .
Request: to those who have found this material useful, please make an effort to let at least two people know about my web site, so that we can start a chain reaction of ever more people that will be informed of this site. I am looking for volunteers to translate this book into any language. See "Notes for
