And it is technically easy to produce by digital mapping 
using satellite imageries and automation, and especially, 
it is easy to keep up to date. 
Ladies and gentlemen. You are leading scientists in the 
field of mathematical analysis of data in photogrammetry and 
remote sensing. You are surely aware also about the problems, 
which the practical enterprises and the mapping agencies are 
facing today. Public fundings for mapping purposes are more 
restricted nearly all over the world. Markets of the map 
production in the oil producing countries have decreased, which 
creates overcapacity in mapping and photogrammetry also in 
other countries. Competition in the markets has become harder, 
and pressure to cut down expenses even more acute. But what 
is the role of research and development today? There is a 
high risk, that R/D -efforts will be concentrated into short 
term development tasks. I really hope that the extremely 
important fundamental or basic research should not be neglected 
in the pressure of actual economical circumstances. If we 
put all our efforts only in short term development tasks, the 
future of this science and the whole field will be uncertain. 
So, "Hold the flag high", as we say here in Finland. 
By international co-operation we can cut down the expenses 
even in practical research and development. An example in 
the Nordic Countries is the so called "KVANTIF-project". 
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland have established a joint 
research project to study the cost benefit factors in large 
Scale digital mapping. The first results show, for example, 
that up to date keeping of spatial data is more economic in 
digital than in analogical form. 
At last, I am happy to mention to you the next FIG (Interna- 
tional Federations of Surveyors) congress to be held in Hel- 
sinki 1990. On behalf of the FIG-bureau I wish you all welcome 
to join the congress. The last congress was held in Toronto, 
Canada earlier this summer, and I am happy to see here many 
colleagues who also visited Toronto. We have left some 
information about the FIG-congress in your pigeon holes. 
Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you will have an inspiring 
Symposium here at the Arctic Circle. 
27