Transcript No Slide Title

EUROSIG: the European Special
Interest Group of the AGI
Massimo Craglia
Sheffield Centre for Geographic
Information and Spatial Analysis
Outline
• The Association for Geographic
Information (AGI)
• The Special Interest Groups
• The EUROSIG
The AGI
• Established in 1989, following the Chorley
Commission Report
Mission:
- to spread the benefits of geographic
information amongst the widest possible
community
- to help all users and vendors of geographic
information and GIS
Informing, Influencing, Acting
• Informing: the AGI ensures that members
are kept up to date on all aspects relevant to
their needs. This is done through a regular
newsletter and mailings, seminars,
publications on key topics, conferences
(including Europe's biggest devoted to GIS)
and articles in the trade press
Informing, Influencing, Acting
• Influencing: as many of AGI's members are
themselves in Government departments and
agencies, the AGI has an invaluable entree
into decision-making at the highest level.
The AGI belongs to the Parliamentary IT
committee (PITCOM) and maintains close
links with influential parliamentarians. The
AGI is also a founder member of EUROGI
Informing, Influencing, Acting
• Acting: wherever necessary, the AGI will
take decisive action to protect members'
interests. For example,the AGI is active in
the British and international GI standards
arena. Where new legislation might impact
on the exploitation of GI, the AGI is a
vigorous lobbyist on members' behalf.
AGI
• Over 1000 members from industry,
government, academia, and voluntary
organisations,
• Structure:
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Council
Corporate Affairs Committee
Direct Action Committee
Information and Education Committee
Special Interest Groups
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European
Environment
Survey and mapping
Emergency services
Business
Health
Marine and coastal zone management
The EUROSIG
• Preliminary discussions at the AGI’s
Conference in October 1998
• First meeting in January 1999
• Mission:
'to help the AGI membership to obtain the
benefits of greater involvement within the
wider Europe'
Objectives
1. to provide and support bi-directional information flows
between AGI members and others in Europe
2. to improve European business opportunities for AGI
membership
3. to provide guidance for involvement in European
projects and initiatives
4. to develop and promote AGI member views on relevant
European policy matters
5. to develop closer links with EUROGI
6. to enable those interested in lobbying MEP's and
European institutions
7. to advise the AGI Council and committees on panEuropean initiatives and opportunities
Activities
• Evening meeting on 18th March to
introduce 5th Framework and IST call
• Day meeting on 10th May to examine
progress on GI2000 and discuss Green
paper on Public Sector Information
• Web site with information about
opportunities for funding, and potential
partners
Achievements
• Greater awareness among AGI members of
opportunities within EC R&D programme
• Key input into AGI’s response to Green
paper
http://www2.echo.lu/info2000/en/
publicsector/pdf/agi.pdf
Future Activities
• Evening seminar to update on R&D and
policy developments in Europe
• Session at the AGI conference, London,
September 99
• Web development with forms to register
interest in participating to R&D projects.
Management of EUROSIG
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John Rowley, Geobase Consultants (Chair)
Kritee Apjee, AGI
Max Craglia, University of Sheffield
John Glover, Intergraph
Mike Jackson, Laserscan
John Leonard, CERCO
Roger Longhorn, IDG-UK Ltd
Conclusions
• The Eurosig has a key role to play in
increasing and supporting the exchange of
experiences and strategic alliances between
UK and European GI community.
• This is a two-way link UK-Europe to
develop both the market and the policies.
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~scgisa/eurosig.htm
http://www.agi.org.uk/