Education

Evolution of National Mapping — the UK and Beyond

If you step off an airplane in the UK and proceed to almost any geospatial related event you'll hear discussion about that country's national mapping agency - Ordnance Survey. The debates are not new, they have raged around the world at different places and during different times. These discussions are focused upon the business operating model of the Ordnance Survey and can become heated, sometimes humourous in the thoughts put forward, but invariably can be compacted into "we pay taxes and the Ordnance Survey data should be free to use."

As a Canadian living in Berlin (my grandparents emigrated to Canada from Ipswich), I grew up singing 'God Save the Queen' and hoisting the Union Jack - at least until a Maple Leaf was pasted between two red stripes and the Constitution was repatriated from Westminister.

My mother pointed to OS maps, which ably described the UK, her hopes being of course, that I would a) grow up to pay taxes and be nice and b) one day visit the UK and see where my grandparents lived.

I do the later reasonably often. I can tell you that I can fly into the UK from Berlin Tegel airport in what is probably less time than someone living up the M25 drives into London.

Each time I go the OS theme rings through the air. In recent times these debates have grown. Last year the national mapping agency came under greater scrutiny as it's operating model was debated more openly.

OS responded with a report entitled "Comparison of Geographical Information Trading Models."  The report is an interesting read, and any student studying GIS, mapping, CAD and geosciences would do well to read it. It captures the essence of the differences between national mapping agencies in different countries. It explores not only that they are different, but why they seemingly follow different paths. I have discussed some of these factors here, here and here.

It is not surprising that that different countries practice different trading models. And, even as the OS discusses a 'hybrid' and "'standard" option for pursuing more commercial friendly models, it shoudl be noted that Canada and the U.S. are in fact already practising 'hybrid' models. In Canada the large-scale information becomes more up-to-date and charged for as it approaches street level accuracy. The same happens in the U.S. where local agencies contract for the more highly detailed granularity.

Conceivably, OS could be giving away small scale data while charging for the more costly local information. Indeed, The Guardian newspaper in an article entitled 'Ordnance Survey business model costs appear in leaked presentation' this week points to document containing variations in the costs of operaitng OS and collecting the spatial information that supposedly fuels the nation into the 21st Century and a Digital Future.

Now I don't know if one set of figures are right or wrong. And, to be frank, I am pretty sure that the UK Ministry of Defence is not expected to show a profit at the end of budget year. In addition, I am also pretty sure that UK universities are not expected to show profits (though I expect they have lucrative pop machine contracts and imported java at high prices like other universites in their eating places, and so on).

And at this juncture, the whole debate changes.

What exactly do people want and expect in national mapping?

Can you see the future? As previously mentioned, the country has a Digital Future document. It is operating within the realm of the EU INSPIRE Directive, responsble for it's environment, given the current economic situation like everywhere else - is scratching it's head and trying to figure out a way forward.

Spatial information is linked to economics. These data are tied to development.

I was surprised to have listened to several presentations from the French IGN recently. That agency not only is responsible for mapping within the country, but also commands a significant presence on the international stage. It is involved in forestry around the world, doing research and mapping as well as developing new techniques for realising the potential of gathering more information. I was intrigued by this because it doesn't take too many neurons to figure out that exporting technology and knowledge is also a revenue generator.

OS pulled back from this some time ago, although it maintains a presence. But I can't help but think that a 'hybrid' approach that pushes back out into the international space is not warranted. Why not harness the synergies of all the neo-geo energy within the country for international purpose?

Like I said, when you get off the plane and start talking, it is immediately recognisable that many folks in commercial ventures are stampeding along with government into a smaller and smaller corner. Expect the questions to get stranger, the witch hunts to rise higher and the lasso's to pursue more strays.

But leveraging talent in a 'hybrid' approach to an international stage may reveal more grass than weeds and a sunny pastures.

The geospatial brainpower in the UK is formidable. It is international in scope and capability.

Hopefully things work out.

Related Posts

1. Australia: Thesis — The Integration of Multi-source Spatial Datasets in the Context of SDI Initiatives
2. National Energy Policy — National GIS
3. Rewind — What is the role and value of a national mapping organisation?
4. What is the role and value of a National mapping organisation?
5. National Mapping and the Charging Issue: Ver. 254,322
6. National Mapping Agencies: GIS in the Society of Tomorrow
7. Lagos to Launch National Digital Mapping Project
8. Germany: Near Real-time Air Quality Mapping
9. Russia Plans National Map for 2008 for GLONASS
10. Russia: Geospatial Evolution Growing — GIS To Follow?

© 2009 Vector One.