UK’s National Archives has adopted the Data Exploration Licence by the Geospatial Commission (GC) in order to enable innovators to gain access to a wide range of geospatial data to develop new products and services.
The investment from the GC and the collective determination of its Partner Bodies to change the licensing landscape and simplify data access for users has come to fruition, and this license is now available for wider use, creating new opportunities for developers and entrepreneurs.
The Data Exploration Licence was created under a project sponsored by the GC and allows access to data from any of our partner bodies (British Geological Survey (BGS), Coal Authority, HM Land Registry, Ordnance Survey, and the UK Hydrographic Office) on the same terms and conditions. This license was one of the first stepping stones taken to simplify and harmonize access and use of location data as part of the Commission’s commitment to improving access to and quality of public sector geospatial data.
The National Archive has now agreed to adopt the license under the UK Government Licensing Framework (UKGLF) which makes it easier for other public sector bodies to license their data to developers in situations where the Open Government Licence is not appropriate. This supports the UK’s Geospatial Strategy mission to maximize the value of geospatial data, making it more accessible for research, development, and innovation purposes and unlocks the significant economic opportunities offered by geospatial data.
Karen Hanghøj, Director of the British Geological Survey, said, “At BGS we recognize that data-driven innovation is changing the way we operate as a society. In support of this, we always look for opportunities that accelerate data sharing and the onward use of our data. Since its launch in 2018, the Data Exploration Licence has become an important part of our Data Improvement Programme, to open up access and encourage the downstream innovative use of our data.”
Hugh Phillips, Head of Data and Standards, Geospatial Commission added, “It’s really great to see the excellent work that our partner bodies have done to create a single harmonized license for data exploration being adopted as a standard across government for all types of geospatial data.”
Malcolm Todd, Head of Policy at The National Archives, said, “We’re pleased to work alongside the Geospatial Commission and its partner bodies to introduce the new Developer Licence. This new licence enables the UK Government Licensing Framework to remain relevant to the needs of HM Government and to re-users.”
The Developer Licence can be accessed at The National Archives.
