The creation of a single source of authoritative geoinformation has moved a step closer as the European Location Framework project marks its first anniversary.
During its first 12 months, the project has delivered vital transformation tools for harmonising national data; GeoLocator, a georeferencing service; and taken the first steps towards launching a GeoProductFinder, a tool for finding available data, comparing metadata and giving feedback. It also provides license and price information for information not available as Open Data.
In addition, the project Consortium has identified third party datasets that will meet user requirements so that geoinformation can be linked to statistical, demographic and environmental data and used for spatial analysis. Tools for validating data quality, visualisation, generalisation and edge-matching are expected to be available for testing later this year.
“We are delighted with the progress made in our first year,” says Antti Jakobsson the project’s technical coordinator. “The consortium is now working hard on the initial launch of the European Location Framework Platform and agreeing the Framework Agreement and business models. Further updates will be published on our website – www.elfproject.eu – and via our Twitter account, ELFProjectEU.”
The European Location Framework will take INSPIRE to the next level by providing the practical means for delivering operational cross-border and pan-European services.
By standardising geoinformation from the European mapping, cadastral and land registry authorities, it will enable the free movement of interoperable data and deliver cost savings by maximising the reuse of public sector information.
In doing so, it will play an important part in fostering the wider use of accurate, high quality geoinformation, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the geospatial sector.
The three-year project, which started in March 2013, is co-funded by the EC’s Competitiveness & Innovation framework Programme (CIP) Information and Communication
Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP). The Consortium comprises mapping and cadastral authorities, application developers, SMEs, universities, EuroGeographics and the Open Geospatial Consortium.
