Bad Schandau, 19 March 2011

(by Ton Zijlstra)

The eleventh cross border spatial and geo data infrastructure symposium in Saxony (Germany), GI 2011, will take place in May. This time the event itself is also cross-border, as it takes place in both the German and Czech parts of the Elbe/Labe Euregion.

A call for proposals has been out for some time, and the deadline is Monday 21 March 2011. Regular participants are expected to be able to register at the end of March.

From the call for proposals:

"The organization invites existing and developing Cross-border SDI/GDI Geoportal solutions presenting the transformation, harmonization and integration of independent GIS-Portals into more complex SDI/GDI. The „know-how” of X-SDI/GDI project managers should be shared and discussed. The contributions from GI industries, professional NGO‘s, public sector Administrations, Experts in the field of Geomatics and Applied Geoinformatics, Managers of Geoportals and Infrastructures for Spatial Information supporting X-border spatial planning and environmental protection, as well GIS-Users relaying on SDI/GDI in border regions are invited and welcomed for presentations!

The re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI) and development of Infrastructures for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) are strategic opportunities for more than 200 European border regions. Therefore, the examples of already existing X-SDI/GDI like DP/PLIS , MRH, X-GDI, GRANDE REGION, SIGRS/GISOR, DACH+, CENTROPE, GISEE, CxD etc., as well as the less known and developing SDI‘s from other European border regions now focusing on INSPIRE principles should be presented. The importance of “borderless” OpenStreetMap (OSM) should be highlighted !

The Goal of GI2011 Symposium is to share information, knowledge, and expertise, to learn from SDI and OSM „best practices“, as well as to exchange and discuss European awareness and research projects (NATURNET, SDI-EDU, HUMBOLDT) and other European networks (GEOPORTAL4EVERYBODY,PLAN4ALL, ESDI-NET, etc.) introducing innovative geomatics technologies, demonstrating cost-benefit approaches, as well as discussing the frameworks for GI & SDI policy, organization and technologies behind the INSPIRE process. "

More information in German, and in English is available. Relevant documentation and templates for proposals can be found in the weblog of the organizing team.