Geo-Information Infrastructure Committee

Introduction

The committee wants to promote the geo-information infrastructure by encouraging the input of knowledge and research among stakeholders. The committee pays attention, among other things, to the definition and description of the geo-information infrastructure, the international context, substantive research (bottlenecks, standards, technology, accessibility), knowledge input, knowledge output and quality assurance.
De committee started in 2008.

Members

  • Bastiaan van Loenen (chair) – TU Delft
  • Joep Crompvoets – KU Leuven
  • Tessa Eikelboom – RWS
  • Jene van der Heide – WUR
  • Cees Hof – DANS-KNAW
  • Hans Kooreman – Province of Gelderland
  • Jantien Stoter – TU Delft
  • Henri Veldhuis – Sweco
  • Wies Vullings –WUR
  • Jaap Zevenbergen – University of Twente


Developments in the field

In this respect, the most significant for the further use and development of the geo-information infrastructure in the Netherlands were:

  • Presenting to the House of Representatives the vision of the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment on the basic provision for the geo-information infrastructure in the form of GIDEON (Geographical Information and Services for E-Government in the Netherlands).
  • Signing the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ between Geonovum and GeoBusiness Netherlands.
  • The start in GeoBusiness Netherlands of the Geo-information Infrastructure, Market and Government, Education and Labor Market, and Innovation Committees.
  • The start of the Geo Labor Market Foundation.
  • Geonovum’s Gateway to Geo-services opened its site to provide access to the metadata of digital maps from parties that want to make their maps accessible in this way.
  • The Dutch INSPIRE law (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) has been presented to the House of Representatives. Prof. J.W.J. Besemer (TU Delft) and prof. P.J.M. van Oosterom (TU Delft) wrote a note about INSPIRE for the NCG.
  • At the beginning of September 2008, the directors of the collaborative initiative PDOK (Public Services on the Map) agreed to the assignment for the quartermaster phase. The preparation phase, resulting in a project proposal including business case, has now been completed. The plan for PDOK was then submitted to the National Service Renewal Program.
  • The launch of the Thematic Working Groups for the Annex 1 Themes of the INSPIRE Directive.

Mission and Tasks

The mission is to contribute to the long-term development of the geo-information infrastructure. The themes of the committee are related to this:

  1. The definition and description of the geo-information infrastructure.
  2. Monitoring the use and development of the geo-information infrastructure.
  3. Scanning technological and scientific trends and estimating their value for the geo-information infrastructure.
  4. Carrying out and initiating research in the field of geo-information infrastructure (including technology, standards, accessibility, policy, organization, market demand, quality (services and information) and use).
  5. Information about substantive developments for the geo-information infrastructure (including semantics).
  6. Demand-driven geo-information infrastructure and development.
  7. Preconditions for the development of the geo-information infrastructure.
  8. Users of the geo-information infrastructure.


The committee carries out the following tasks:

  • providing solicited and unsolicited advice
  • initiating, coordinating and evaluating research
  • disseminating the results of the advice and research.

In carrying out these activities, the committee will use research methods and strategies that effectively address the issue at hand.

Positioning and content

Within the NCG, the committee occupies an independent position and focuses on initiating, coordinating and evaluating medium- and long-term academic research and research by non-academic parties.
In order to make an optimal contribution to society, the committee strives for a composition that, taking into account its scientific basis, consists of officials from government, the market and science. In this way, proactive interaction with different target groups from society is guaranteed.
With regard to the development of the GII, the committee focuses on aspects of a technical, organizational, policy and user nature.
The committee fulfills its mission through regular consultation and drawing up and maintaining a research agenda.