Spatial information business environment driven by GNSS and GIS technology development

Spatial data business today, either we speak about parts of economy which use spatial information or parts for which spatial information represent core business, is characterized by further globalization, integration in information-communication technology ICT) sector, new concepts of spatial data management and fast technological development. Influence of all mentioned factors results with continuation of high annual growth rates of business sectors which create or use spatial data. New concepts of data collection, management, usage and dissemination of spatial data, described under the name spatial data infrastructure (SDI) and expansion of establishment and usage of satellite technologies for navigation and remote sensing represent two main factors having direct impact on business subjects involved in spatial data business. Among them Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and Geoinformation system (GIS) technologies, especially web-services for data access like geoportals, enabling efficient and mass usage of spatial data to all user groups. In Europe INSPIRE directive defines globally most advanced and in many aspects implemented SDI concept and role of geoportals, while regarding GNSS technologies, in expectation of fully operational Galileo system, we still rely mostly on American GPS. Influence on professionals, as well as on citizens and society has been, separately for both developments, well investigated in Europe and worldwide. This is not the case in the Adriatic region. Recognizing that fact an effort has been made jointly by university scientists from four countries in the Adriatic region: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia in the frame of Synergy project, to investigate this question. Beside the globally known influence of geoportals and GNSS itself, investigation has been launched about synergy and synergetic influence of those two developments on spatial data providers, mainly surveying and geoinformation companies, and spatial information users, mainly governmental bodies and public agencies. A questionnaire has been developed and disseminated in all four countries simultaneously among both target groups (providers and users) and gathered data analysed. Collected replies confirm findings from previous analysis and provides new findings about socio-economic impact of SDI and GNSS on spatial data providers and users. Results clearly indicate towards raising competitiveness, recognized benefit and expansion of activities resulting from SDI/GNSS synergy. Less clear are findings regarding business environment considering increase of partners or complexity of doing business. Comparison has been also made between countries since the level of SDI development and INSPIRE implementation, legal framework and development of private sector are different among them. In this paper initial findings of Synergy project are presented.