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Collaboration promotes use of open geo-data sets

(29 May 2015) The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) and the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a collaborative relationship between the photogrammetry and remote sensing communities with the open source geospatial community. The ISPRS is a non-governmental organisation devoted to the development of photogrammetry and remote sensing through international cooperation. OSGeo is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to support and promote the collaborative development of open source geospatial technologies and data.

The goal of this agreement is to promote the distribution and use of open geo-data sets in all communities, promote the development of related photogrammetry and remote sensing open source software, and to organise joint international workshops on global geo-information sharing through the use of open geo-data sets and open source geospatial software. It also aims to work closely with the “Geo for All” initiative, to help promote openness in education and research. Prof. Chen Jun, president of the ISPRS, is also an advisory board member of the “Geo for All” initiative, which aims to make geospatial education, software, and opportunities accessible to all.

Prof. Jun said that society has a long tradition in open data and open software in photogrammetry and remote sensing. According to Jun, one of the most recent changes in the field is the open access of GlobalLand30 dataset which was recently donated to the United Nations. With this MoU signed, ISPRS is looking to move forward in this field with an advantageous collaboration with OSGeo and ICA.

Commenting on the MoU, Jeff McKenna, president of OSGeo, said that remote sensing data is a huge part of OSGeo’s projects and that the agreement will allow the open geospatial community to work closely with the ISPRS community to discover and share these geodata sets. The hope is also that specific open software for the photogrammetry and remote sensing community can be expanded and developed with the help of the OSGeo community members.

Contact Anne Ghisla, OSGeo, a.ghisla@gmail.com

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