[GSDI Legal Econ] Socio-economic impact study of SDI in Catalunya

[Roger Longhorn]

*Study of the Socio-economic Impact of the Spatial Data Infrastructure 
in the region of Catalunya: Executive Summary*

In January 2006, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission 
organised a workshop to review best practice in the assessment of 
Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs), compare methodologies and findings, 
and see also what lessons could be learned from similar large scale 
infrastructures. Among the key findings of that workshop were the need 
to give priority to longitudinal studies of SDIs in progress, paying 
particular attention to sub-national/regional SDIs, and to 
application-driven approaches able to identify more easily stakeholders, 
user communities, and potential benefits.

As a follow-up of that workshop, the Spatial Data Infrastructures Unit 
of the JRC commissioned a study of the socio-economic impact of the SDI 
in Catalunya to the Centre of Land Policy and Valuations of the 
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. The one-year study, which was 
concluded in December 2007, had the following objectives:

- Analyse the cost and benefits related with the setup and maintenance 
of the Catalan SDI as well as the services utilised by different 
organisations and user groups;

- Define clear and transparent methodologies for the quantitative and 
qualitative evaluation of the socioeconomic benefits of SDI;

- Critically evaluate the lessons learned from the study as input for 
future research in this important field.

The Executive Summary is now available at:

http://www.ec-gis.org/inspire/reports/Study_reports/SDI_Catalunya_Execsummary.pdf

and the full report wil be published later, accessible via the EC’s 
INSPIRE web site at:

http://inspire.jrc.it


<ends>

Roger Longhorn
ral at alum.mit.edu