• Home
  • At a Glance
  • Open Source HUMBOLDT Software
  • GMES / INSPIRE
  • Related Projects
  • Project Partners
  • Sponsoring
• News
• Scenarios
• Get Involved!
• Press & Publications
• Public Deliverables
• Events
• Contact Information

• Home
• > GMES / INSPIRE

GMES / INSPIRE

It is the aim of the Humboldt project to manage and advance the implementation process of a European Spatial Data Infrastructure. This integrated network of systems providing data and services will allow the sustained use of existing services as well as the development of entirely new applications and business models. For research, this availability of data is – despite ongoing efforts – still highly scattered and heterogeneous. A unification can contribute to the creation of new knowledge by combining data that was previously not integrable - or only with prohibitively high effort. Also, entirely new processes that replace complicated existing activities and have a much higher efficiency can be developed on the base of the envisaged system.

These were not the least reasons for the creation of the INSPIRE initiative, which aims to create the legislative and technical groundwork for the creation of a European Spatial Data Infrastructure. This initiative is an ambitious undertaking, and will thus need to be supported. One of the most important tasks for this is the harmonization of existing data. Together with providing the basis for GMES application services by including their requirements, supporting the harmonization process and creating the basis for a sustained use of spatial data is the aim of the Humboldt project.

GMES

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) is a joint initiative of the European Commission and European Space Agency, adopted by EU Heads of States in Gothenburg Summit in 2001, and aimed at achieving by 2008 an autonomous and operational capability in the exploitation of geo-spatial information services.
The objective is to rationalise the use of multiple-sources data to get a timely and quality information, services and knowledge, and to provide autonomous and independent access to information for policy-makers, particularly in relation to environment and security.
GMES builds upon 4 pillars : the space component, (satellites and associated ground segment), in-situ measurements (ground-based and airborne data gathering networks), data harmonisation and standardization, and services to users.

INSPIRE

The general situation on spatial information in Europe is one of fragmentation of datasets and sources, gaps in availability, lack of harmonisation between datasets at different geographical scales and duplication of information collection. These problems make it difficult to identify, access and use data that is available.
Fortunately, awareness is growing at national and at EU level about the need for quality geo-referenced information to support understanding of the complexity and interactions between human activities and environmental pressures and impacts The INSPIRE initiative is therefore timely and relevant but also a major challenge given the general situation outlined above and the many stakeholder interests to be addressed.

INSPIRE is complementary to related policy initiatives, such as the Commission proposal for a Directive on the re-use and commercial exploitation of Public Sector Information. (Source: INSPIRE website / http://www.ec-gis.org/inspire/home.html)