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Healthy ecosystems are vital for global sustainability and there’s increasing recognition that we need to think wider than just the environment. Comprehensive, consistent, and accessible information is essential for making the world safer, smarter, and more sustainable, so an effective data ecosystem has never been more important.

Fuelling that ecosystem by nurturing and growing collaboration was at the heart of day one of 1Spatial’s flagship event, Smarter Data Smarter World. The hybrid conference saw a huge online presence from as far afield as Peru, and a significant number of delegates attending the Royal Institution in London in person to hear keynote speakers, industry leaders and in-house experts share insights on the value of location data.

This is the second installation of the highlights from the conference. Read the previous post which covers the importance of collaboration in geospatial data.

“Geospatial data is our common denominator, it binds us all together,” said Jonathan Shears, UK and Ireland Managing Director, 1Spatial. “Everyone here focuses on data applications and technologies that help us reduce our global footprint. Our technology has evolved, we're more interconnected than ever and we need to interoperate more to ensure what we do has more resonance in the environment and world around us.”

For Mattie Yeta, Head of Sustainable IT at Defra achieving sustainability is ‘more than just pursuing the bottom line and value for money, it is also about incorporating environmental and social considerations in the decision-making processes.’ She noted that many businesses and corporates are now incorporating the environmental and social pillars of sustainability within the core of their strategy, leading with their sustainability strategy to help drive their other strategies such as digital transformation.

As the responsible owner for sustainable tech across government, Defra’s approach is about driving efficiencies through operations - from a commitment to reducing emissions, a zero to landfill approach, sustainable procurement policies and making sure that the technologies it adopts are as energy efficient as possible.

“This is about innovation,” she said. “This is about a data intelligence which sits at the heart of both the IT for sustainability and sustainable IT, and building trust through data. It is also about unlocking the potential of data to innovate and differentiate, and to  realise the full value of your digital business to build a resilient cybersecure and connected enterprise.”

An open and trustworthy data ecosystem

Lisa Allen from the Open Data Institute explained that the institute’s mission is to work with companies and governments to build an open and trustworthy data ecosystem  “We want a world where data works for everyone … it's about improving the data practices so organisations can build and manage adequate data infrastructures.”

Whether a data asset holder, a data enabler (through the development of standards and technologies) or a data user, they are all stewards of a critical infrastructure relied upon by millions of people every day.  Striking the right balance is important in making the geospatial ecosystem work and managing risks. “It is essential that all feel comfortable with sharing their data to improve quality and interoperability. That’s where the real benefits are to be gained for creating insights and enabling complex analysis.”

Lisa added: “We believe that geospatial data should be as open as possible, but we understand that it's not always possible. There are things that you need to consider like respecting privacy, national security or commercial confidentiality. We need that balance in the data ecosystem where we ensure the ethical and equitable use and access of that geospatial data.”

“Data is a critical part of how society and the economy function, so it really should be thought about in the same sorts of ways [as rail, road and utility infrastructures]. We need to make sure we invest in it; we plan for it, and we maintain it. The pandemic has shown us the need for that trusted geospatial infrastructure. We need to build really strong infrastructure, and this means deliberately building an ecosystem that supports and enables that flow between people, devices, organisations and countries for better and faster decision-making.”

Look out for further updates from Smarter Data Smarter World in further upcoming blogs.

Couldn’t attend Smarter Data Smarter World 2021, or simply wish to revisit the content? Watch all the presentations here.

Sign up now for SDSW 2022 – attendance is free!