The strategy is focused at harnessing the huge potential of location data in helping drive the UK’s future economic recovery and growth, and developing a location data framework over the next five years.
In an attempt to unlock the significant economic, social and environmental opportunities offered by location data and boost the UK’s global geospatial expertise, The UK Geospatial Commission on Tuesday launched the UK’s Geospatial Strategy for a period of five years starting 2020. The strategy is a plan for developing the UK’s location data framework over the next five years in concurrence with the UN’s Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF).
“In our digital world, we are surrounded by data. Information defines who we are and how we interact with the world, as captured by the millions of phones in our pockets and other technology. Innovation is inspired and informed by data, transforming how we live our lives. Now, the government seeks to unleash Britain’s potential to lead the world in the data revolution – building on our pioneering expertise in location technology for navigation, trade, and defence,” said Lord True CBE, Minister of State.
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Key missions
The plan sets out an ambitious program of activity across four key missions:
- Promoting and safeguarding the use of location data to provide an evidenced view of the market value of location data, set clear guidelines on data access, privacy, ethics and security, and promote better use of location data.
- Improving access to better location data to streamline, test and scale the development of new and existing location data, ensuring it is findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable and of high quality.
- Enhancing skills, capabilities and awareness to develop more people with the right skills and tools to work with location data — across organizations and sectors — to meet the UK’s future needs and support global development.
- Enabling innovation to maximize the commercial opportunities for innovation and promote market-wide adoption of high value emerging location technologies.
Major benefits
The strategy is focused at harnessing the huge potential of location data in helping drive the UK’s future economic recovery and growth. Accurate location data has can support individuals and society, apart from helping the government to revitalize infrastructure, level-up communities and regions lagging behind in terms of development and limit damage to the environment.
“Location data is the coal and iron fueling a new revolution. The government has empowered the Geospatial Commission to unlock the power of location data — equipping our economy to recover and thrive after Coronavirus, and improving the lives of UK citizens. The creation of a national location data framework with targeted interventions, aligned to the UK’s forthcoming national data strategy, will help build economic, social and environmental value,” added Lord True CBE.
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Areas of opportunity
The strategy is targeted at creating a coherent national location data framework by 2025, so that future technologies will be underpinned by data about events occurring at a time and place. Location data will be the unifying connection between things, systems, people and the environment. “A wave of technological change is sweeping through every aspect of our lives, bringing with it a torrent of data. Location-aware devices and connected sensors — the so-called Internet of Things — are now everywhere, giving rise to an abundance of data, in richer and more complex forms than ever before,” said Sir Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the Geospatial Commission.
The strategy clearly defines the nine areas, where location data will have a significant impact on people’s daily lives. These include infrastructure, transport, housing environment, public health, emergency response, ocean economy, retail and finance. “Location data already has a significant impact on our lives. It tells us about travel disruption, allows us to check the weather before making plans, and helps us find the place we need to be. It tracks deliveries and even shows us how well we’re exercising. Our demand for location services has caused new, location-hungry business models to emerge – such as taxi hailing firms, travel planning apps, and location-based search engines which are transforming our cities and connecting communities,” added Sir Andrew Dilnot.
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