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The Power of Location Data: Unlocking Scotland’s Potential

The Power of Location Data: Unlocking Scotland’s Potential

March 2024
Working together to foster innovation, develop talent, and drive economic growth.

Scotland boasts a vibrant geospatial sector.  Innovation is happening across the country, but benefits are not being fully realised.  The sector is siloed and faces a shortage of skilled workers. To harness the full potential of location data, we must work together to foster innovation, develop talent, and drive economic growth.

Unlocking the Value of Public Sector Data

The UK and Scottish Governments are committed to making public sector data more accessible (where licensing permits) , thus fostering innovation, and stimulating economic growth. Initiatives like CivTech® demonstrate the power of collaboration between the public, private, and third sectors. By sharing data and working together, we can develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Building a Thriving Geospatial Ecosystem

Location Data Scotland (LDS) is at the forefront of driving innovation and growth in Scotland’s geospatial sector. By fostering a thriving ecosystem of businesses, organisations, and individuals, LDS is helping to raise awareness of the benefits of location data, sustainability and investment with the aim of achieving economic growth for Scotland.  These companies are all included in the recently launched LDS Directory.

Collaborative Partnerships for Success

Collaborative procurement and project partnerships are essential for maximising the impact of location data. By sharing resources and expertise, we can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and accelerate innovation.  There are already several collective agreements in place for spatial data, including the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA) which public sector organisations can access Ordnance Survey (OS) location data and services, Royal Mail Public Sector Licence and Aerial Photography Great Britain (APGB). Significant savings are being generated through adopting a collaborative approach to procuring national datasets with an estimated 20% saving.

Addressing the Skills Gap

As the demand for geospatial expertise grows, it is imperative to develop a skilled workforce. The Scottish Government and industry partners are investing in training programs and initiatives to equip individuals with the skills needed to succeed in the geospatial sector.  The Geospatial Foundation Skills Programme, which is being delivered by Fife College, is the first of these initiatives.  It is a 6-week course starting in Feb 2025 to provide an introductory foundation to a geospatial role. Places on this course are still available.  More information can be found on the Fife College website.

By embracing the power of location data, Scotland can position itself as a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. By working together, we can unlock the full potential of this valuable resource and build a more prosperous future for all.  If you are looking for an innovative organisation working in the geospatial sector in Scotland, search the LDS Directory by type, capabilities or sector.

Pictures from the LDS Directory launch event at Geovation Scotland’s hub below ⬇️

 

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Launching in November: New Geospatial Skills Programme to Boost Scotland’s Space and Geospatial Sector

Launching in November: New Geospatial Skills Programme to Boost Scotland’s Space and Geospatial Sector

March 2024
LDS is a key partner in developing this new geospatial skills programme.

Location Data Scotland (LDS) is a key partner in the Space Bridges Facilitating Future Space Careers training programme, which includes the highly anticipated Geospatial Foundational Skills Programme, set to launch in November, funded by the UK Space Agency.

The Geospatial Foundational Skills Programme, delivered by Fife College, will be the first of its kind in colleges in the UK.  The aim is to provide foundation skills in understanding geospatial systems and their application in a range of industries.  Students who complete the course will have skills suitable for entry level positions within the geospatial and space sector, brining fresh talent to this fast-growing field.

The programme consists of six learning modules with a focus on the workplace experience:

  • Introduction to Geospatial Systems, Data types, Monitoring, Cartography and Data Visualisation
  • Introduction to GIS, Geospatial Data and Disciplines
  •  Remote Sensing, Earth Observation (EO) & Satellite Observation Technology
  • Completing a Geospatial Project – planning, execution and reporting
  • Multi Sector Geo-Applications by Industry Sector; their Management & Impact
  • Industry Applications, Soft Skills and Employability in the Space and Geospatial Industry.

Head of Geospatial at Scottish Government Alan Corbett said, “This funding has been instrumental in helping shape and deliver this ambitious skills programme.  The space sector is worth £18.9bn* to the UK economy and employs over 52,000 people, with Scotland a leading employer in the sector.  We need to ensure we are attracting and retaining good talent to be able to encourage more inward investment into Scotland and encourage more Scottish businesses to capitalise on opportunities as the space sector grows.”

LDS with its strong industry and public sector network, will help to secure projects and placements for participants, ensuring hands-on experience and smoother entry into industry.

To find out more about the programme visit:

https://www.fife.ac.uk/courses/subject-areas/space-industry-courses/?tagged=7137_7099&hideAlpha=true

If you have a project or a placement that might be suitable for this programme, please complete your details here and one of our team will be in touch with further details.

 

*Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2023

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From Space to Climate Change geospatial data enables to see the see the world in a different way

From Space to Climate Change geospatial data enables to see the see the world in a different way

March 2024
Geospatial data is essential across many sectors from whale watching to local neighbourhoods.

Geospatial is an important element of any location.  It involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data linked to a geographic location such as

  • Maps and charts
  • Satellite imagery
  • GPS data
  • GIS data

 

At the event, Geospatial Insights 2024; Innovations and Applications across Sectors held in the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute on Tuesday 27th August, hosted by Location Data Scotland in partnership with AGI Scotland, we heard from a wide range of speakers from various organisations about how geospatial data and technologies are being used in their organisations to deliver products and services.

Technology is evolving further and with applications such as AI and Machine Learning we can analyse locations even further.   Scotland’s strong research base, government support, industry partnerships, and expertise in geospatial technology have made it a thriving hub for satellite and space activities.

Alan Moore from Idox said, “Geospatial data is now being discussed in the Boardroom.  This emphasises the importance of this data source in supporting decision making and helps organisations regulate and monitor their environmental impact”.

The speakers explored the importance of geospatial data across a range of sectors from land management systems through to road safety, whale watching, climate change and local neighbourhoods.

This event was delivered as part of the Data Lab Community’s Geospatial Fringe series.

Steven Thomson, Events and Community Manager at the Data Lab said, “It has been fantastic to see the range and breadth of work going in Scotland and beyond within geospatial. Throughout the last month we’ve heard from organisations working to improve road safety, right through to environmentalism and climate change. The potential for geospatial data to improve where we live, and work is immense and is only going to get more exciting.”

Slides and case examples from the presentations can be viewed below

Make sure your organisation benefits from being part of the geospatial community in Scotland by joining our Directory.  Sign up here.

 

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Geospatial Skills Industry Day

Geospatial Skills Industry Day

March 2024
Industry day to update the Scottish geospatial skills roadmap and share ambitions for developing the skills agenda.

We are inviting organisations across different industries in Scotland to an event in the Scottish Government’s offices in Leith on Thursday 2nd May from 09.30 – 13.30.   Join us and other key individuals from industry and academia to hear about the progress of the Scottish geospatial skills roadmap and our ambitions for developing the skills agenda. The event will also be an opportunity to discuss specific skills that are needed by industry that will help shape and inform the future development of curriculum content with a view to increasing the number of pathways into the Geospatial Sector, and also the talent pool.

Head of Geospatial at the Scottish Government, Alan Corbett said, “It is essential to have constructive engagement with industry to jointly decide how we can create more highly skill jobs and retain existing skill staff in the forward-thinking businesses across Scotland.  As a leader in geospatial, Scotland is at the forefront in the advancement of geospatial technologies.  To retain this position, we need to ensure we have the talent and skills to fulfil different types of geospatial roles to meet emerging global industry demands.  Geospatial is a core element of Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy and as such we are committed to making Scottish talent more attractive to the global Geospatial market.  Our aim is to attract new inward investment into the country and boost economic growth through the creation of more highly skilled jobs.”

Geomatics Manager at Shell, Rob Dunfey said, “I am very supportive of initiatives to build geospatial skills. Obviously, there is value for employers such as Shell in being able to recruit geospatial professionals, but more importantly for broader society and the economy. I truly believe that geospatial skills are going to underpin our energy transition to net zero.”

We are limited to 50 places at this event but if you are passionate about having your say, register to attend here.  A waiting list is in place, so we will advise as soon as places become available.

 

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Business Insider interview with Ashley Stewart

Business Insider interview with Ashley Stewart

March 2024
Location data is creating new jobs, new products and vital public services for Scotland

In an article published in Business Insider on 1 March 2024, Ashely Stewart shares her key highlights from LDS from the start of the pilot.
LDS has championed the application of geospatial data in several key traditional sectors over the last three years, including financial services, agriculture, space, construction, travel, tourism and energy, as well as emerging sectors in telecommunications.

Our goal was to show how geospatial technologies could drive innovation and create new products and services for a range of sectors. There have been some shining examples of this from the LDS community in Scotland.

Data and AI experts Eolas Insight are transforming how geospatial data is utilised in the environmental and ecological sectors to improve nature in light of the climate crisis. They are now working with the agricultural sector to combine the power of automation and analysing large scale data from space to help farmers, ecologists and land managers save time and money, while getting more vital groundwork done.

Edinburgh-based Topolytics, who use mapping and machine learning to generate data to track waste, is working with government teams to meet their recycling requirements and support the drive for a circular economy.

Location data is also instrumental in helping deliver new services throughout Scotland

Photo of vaccine by Mika Baumeister--There have been giant leaps in how the emergency services sector in Scotland is using geospatial data to drive efficiencies and provide the public and business with access to key public services. Scotland has one of the most successful Covid vaccine rollout programmes and location data was at the core of how the health service delivered this highly efficient programme.

By sharing data from local authorities, the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), which is a contract between Ordnance Survey and the Geospatial Commission, is delivering business critical services such as roads and infrastructure, utilities, environmental services and healthcare through location datasets.

Geospatial is an exciting area and Scotland is playing a very important part in driving innovation, key services, and a robust talent pipeline. Scottish Government believe geospatial technologies and location data has the potential to save time, money and lives.

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