International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B6. Istanbul 2004
Figure 2 shows how these different viewpoints relate. This figure also shows that the activities of
EuroSDR traditionally paid most attention to the technological issues of data acquisition and
processing and presentation and less to data storage and dissemination.
Data Storage Processing | Dissemination
Process acquisition & & &
retrieval presentation use
Application domain
Technology
Information management
Institutional setting &
policv
Emphasis 1st 2nd 3rd none
Figure 2 - aspects of spatial information handling processes and the context of these processes and the
emphasis of OEEPE in the past.
Other contexts then technology were hardly dealt with. Experts or organisations involved in this field are
generally active in only a few blocks of this diagram. Within this environment EuroSDR reformulated its
objectives and strategy. The scope has been widened, the mission of EuroSDR is now to
e Develop and improve methods, systems and standards for the acquisition, processing,
production, maintenance and dissemination of core geo-spatial information and to promote
applications of all such data. Special emphasis is put on the further development of airborne
and space borne methods for data acquisition, on methods for information extraction from
these sources and on the integration of this information with information from other sources.
eo Encourage interaction between research organisations and the public and private sector to
exchange ideas about relevant research problems and to transfer research results obtained
to geoinformation production organisations.
The emphasis is still on the technological aspects but now all stages of the information production
process will be addressed including also database issues and delivery mechanisms. The organisation
still focuses on core and framework data, but this will be seen more in the context of their use.
3 EUROSDR RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE AND TARGETS
3.1 The Research Perspective
The mission statement specifies the field of activity of EuroSDR, but this is still a "mer a boire" so
that priorities are required for the actual research program and a clear research perspective should be
given. As EuroSDR is an agreement between governments we should first of all support our
governments an their organizations, like NMAs, to develop their strategies in this respect.
With the present developments of technology for data collection, representation and management and
dissemination NMAs but also other organizations involved in processes of spatial information
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