15 Jun 2023

UK announces a renewed Geospatial Strategy to drive growth for UK economy 

The Renewed Geospatial Strategy, announced at London Tech Week, focuses on the role geospatial technologies will play in securing the UK’s position as a science superpower, stating that the Geospatial Commission is at the heart of the government’s work to drive innovation that will deliver improved public services, create new, better paid jobs and grow the economy.

Through the pioneering work of the Geospatial Commission, UK Government has renewed its Geospatial Strategy with the ambition to expand ground-breaking location data and technologies across the UK by 2030. The Strategy focuses on the role geospatial technologies will play in securing the UK’s position as a science superpower, stating that the Geospatial Commission is at the heart of the government’s work to drive innovation that will deliver improved public services, create new, better paid jobs and grow the economy.

You can read the updated strategy here

This renewed Strategy also emphasises the transformative potential of geospatial data in sectors such as transportation, urban planning, environmental management, and public services, making it clear that location cation data is viewed as a critical national asset.

The Strategy sets out three renewed missions, each with their own objectives towards achievement. These are:

Embrace enabling technologies to accelerate geospatial innovation
Drive greater use of geospatial applications and insights across the economy
Build confidence in the future geospatial ecosystem

While updating the programme of the Geospatial Commission, this renewed ambition is building upon existing foundations around interoperability, accessibility, and data quality, with many recommendations, such as commitment to the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) continuing forward.

techUK members working in transport and public sector may also be interested in the inclusion of targeted sectors where application of geospatial data will be emphasised. This includes the close link between geospatial data and decarbonisation of these sectors.

Targeted recommendations in transport include:

By summer 2023 we will publish findings on how geospatial applications can enable the delivery of connected and automated mobility
By autumn 2023 we will share our findings for the public sector to make more informed decisions about electric vehicle chargepoint locations, as set out in our report ‘Getting to the point’
By summer 2023 we will publish our findings on opportunities to unlock greater value across the property ecosystem through location data, technologies and services

techUK continues to advocate the integral role geospatial data continues to play in the UK economy. techUK has actively worked towards promoting the responsible and innovative use of geospatial data across various sectors. By providing a platform for knowledge-sharing and fostering partnerships, we have enabled businesses and organizations to harness the power of geospatial data for improved decision-making, urban planning, transportation, and environmental management. You can find out more about techUK's work on geospatial here

Sue Daley, Director Tech & Innovation, techUK said:

We welcome the Government’s continued focus on nurturing a thriving geospatial ecosystem. Investing and scaling our capabilities in geospatial technologies will help the UK in its journey to becoming a science and technology superpower. We look forward to seeing how this strategy is put into action to unlock opportunities across our economy

Sue Daley

Director, technology and innovation, techUK

techUK – Supercharging UK Tech and Innovation

The opportunities of innovation are endless. Automation, IoT, AI, Edge, Quantum, Drones and High Performance Computing all have the power to transform the UK. techUK members lead the development of these technologies. Together we are working with Government and other stakeholders to address tech innovation priorities and build an innovation ecosystem that will benefit people, society, economy and the planet - and supercharge the UK as a global leader in tech and innovation.

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