Unlocking the value of geospatial data

The UK’s marine economy is estimated to be worth £47 billion. As an island nation, this comprises everything from the rapidly expanding offshore wind industry in the North Sea, to maritime trade – through which the UK receives 95% of all physical goods. While this is a staggering figure, we believe it’s only scratching the surface of what’s possible if businesses in this sector have better access to geospatial data, enabling them to flourish and innovate further.

To help meet this aim, in 2018/19 we coordinated an evidence base for marine geospatial data that was used to support the development of the UK Geospatial Strategy, published in June 2020.

This task was carried out by working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS); together, we hosted a number of workshops with participants from across government, academia and industry. High engagement across these workshops supported discussions on challenges relating to data collection, access, collaboration and standards. This qualitative report highlights the perceptions of the attendees and will serve as a valuable tool to direct further discussions amongst the community to help promote and advance the collective sector.