Stelmaszczuk, M., Drzewiecki, W. & Bielecki, M. (2010). Capacity building in the usage of spatial information – proposition of the specialized geoportal. Annals of Geomatics of the Polish Association for Spatial Information, 6, 42, 121–130

Research 2010 | 05/11/2013

The Earth Observation sector evolves rapidly. This fact provides motivation for organisations from all over the world to undertake different initiatives and programs aimed at improving the management of EO resourses. One of them is an intergovernmental group GEO (Group on Earth Observations) established in 2003. This group is responsible for coordination of the process of formation of Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS). The European contribution to the GEOSS is the GMES program (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) that is a common initiative of the European Commission and the European Space Agency. One of the main objectives of GEO is to initiate development of market for satellite imagery applications. For the same reason, the GEO Network for Capacity Building (GEONetCAB) project has been launched within the 7th Framework Program (theme: Environment). The Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences is involved in implementation of GEONetCAB project with other institutions from Europe and Africa: ITC-coordinator, CNES, IRD, Charles University in Prague, CRA-STE-LF, CSIR, Umvoto. The main aim of the GEONetCAB project is to make it possible to increase efficiency and intensification of performance of developing EO services with special emphasis on environment monitoring in developing countries, new member states of EU and neighbor countries of the EU. The reason for initiation of this project is still poor awareness (in spite of the growing number of various EO programs) of the potential of EO technology.

 

The Space Research Centre as a member of the GOENetCAB project is supposed to prepare a database containing information on experts, providers and users of satellite data and products derived from it. The collected information will be published on GEO Europe portal prepared by GIS Europe company. The GEO Europe portal was created as an European geoportal in order to collect and provide information about companies and institutions operating in the field of geomatics.

The main aims of GEO Europe portal are:

  1. To build a database of Polish companies in geomatics field in order to maintain existing and establishnew cooperation between providers and users of remote sensing data and products;
  2. To build a database of scientific and R&D institutions dealing with remote sensing in order to maintain existing and establish new cooperation between experts and users of satellite data;
  3. To build a database of existing satellite imagery and products derived from it possessed by the above mentioned institutions and companies to make it easy for potential users to purchase them.

The proposed geoportal is compatible with general trend towards common data and knowledge exchange. In addition, this approach is in line with the INSPIRE Directive and actions to build the Spatial Information Infrastructure in Poland.

Full paper (in polish).