European Parliamentarians told that framework plans need to make room for geographical information research

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS TOLD THAT FRAMEWORK PLANS NEED TO MAKE ROOM FOR GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION RESEARCH

Geographic information research needs to be given a higher profile than its current ‘Cinderella’ status within the plans for the Fifth Framework Programme, if the effectiveness of a significant part of the European Union’s future R&D activities is not to be compromised, members of the European Parliament were warned earlier this week.

The warning came from Professor Ian Masser, Co-Director of the ESF programme GISDATA, speaking at the end of a three-day ESF international conference, which had brought together 70 leading GI researchers. Professor Masser presented key findings from GISDATA discussions on the role of GI in the Fifth Framework Programme to Mrs Astrid Thors (MEP from Finland), Dr Alfred Gomolka (MEP from Germany) at a panel session at the conference and in a briefing with Dr Gordon Adam (MEP from the United Kingdom) at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

• The planned programme on the Information Society, in spite of its heralded social concerns, focuses almost exclusively on information technology and much less on ‘society’. The findings of all the senior researchers present at the ESF meeting indicate that technical issues are no longer a major problem. On the contrary, the key barriers to scientific and social development in Europe have to do with political and organisational issues. Resolving these issues requires a vision of the European society we wish to have in the future, and research on how information resources and technologies can support the identified socio-economic priorities.
• Within the Information Society programme the Key Action on Essential Technologies and Infrastructures is exclusively focused on the physical aspects of infrastructure like cabling and switches, but high quality consistent geospatial data across Europe is also an important element of the infrastructure necessary to develop the Information Society.
• In the current plans, geographic information, which is a key element for the integration of different data sets leading to value added products and more insightful analysis of environmental and social problems, only features under Electronic Publishing within the Multimedia Content Key Action. Hence, it is only perceived as a product and its strategic value for many other actions in the Programme and for European society at large is lost.

Without changing the planned structure of the Fifth Framework Programme, GISDATA researchers argued that it is still possible to address these issues by:

• moving away from the current emphasis on socio-economic studies into the impact of technology towards promoting research on societal and user needs in relation to new information resources and technologies;
• adding data resources as a focal element of the Essential Technologies and Infrastructures for the Information Society, with geographic and spatially referenced data as a strategic core subset.

Professor Masser commented: "Geographic information research has a central part to play in the development of the Information Society, and underpins many other actions throughout the Fifth Framework Programme, such as the integrated development of rural and coastal areas, and the city of tomorrow. Unless changes are made to the current plans for the Programme, there is a danger that the low priority given to GI research will undermine the effectiveness of much of the EU R&D at the turn of the millennium."

Ends

For further information contact :

Andrew Smith
Head of Communication and Information, ESF
+33 (0)3 88 76 71 32
typo3/esf_contacts_form.php?mail=5b10f52345cecc66799659689efa37f0
or

Ian Masser
Dept. of Town & Regional Planning, University of Sheffield,
Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
+44 1142 226179 
+44 1142 722 199
go to website

Notes for editors:

1. The European Science Foundation is an association of 62 major national funding agencies devoted to scientific research in 21 countries. The ESF assists its member organisations in two main ways: by bringing scientists together in its scientific programmes, networks and European research conferences, to work on topics of common concern, and through the joint study of issues of strategic importance in European science policy.

2. The GISDATA programme was launched in January 1993 for a five-year period (1993-97) and is supported by 15 ESF Member Organisations. The objectives of this scientific programme are:

• To enhance existing national research efforts and promote collaborative ventures overcoming European-wide limitations in spatial data integration, data base design and social and environmental applications.
• To increase awareness of the political, cultural, organisational, and technical and informational barriers to an increased utilisation and inter-operability of GIS in Europe.
• To promote the ethical use of integrated information systems, including GIS, which handle socio-economic data by respecting the legal restrictions on data privacy at the national and European level.
• To facilitate the development of appropriate methodologies for GIS research at the European level.
• To produce outputs of high scientific value.
• To build-up a European network of researchers with particular emphasis on young researchers in the GIS field.

For further information contact: Andrew Smith

Category: Media Centre, Press Releases 1997