“Concrete steps to implement INSPIRE: synergies between the public and the private sector”

A smeSpire round-table at the INSPIRE Conference.

---

 

Preparing the discussion about “smeSpire Network”

Geo-ICT SMEs are almost ready to offer mature solutions to implement INSPIRE, but who is willing to pay for that? How the public and the private sector can build synergies to boost the economy of the geo-ICT sector? How the smeSpire network can streamline the process?

In the frame of the study of the Geo-ICT sector in Europe, we would like to start an open discussion with private and public sectors representatives.

On June 24th (Monday at 16:00) we will organise a workshop at the INSPIRE conference in Florence, as part of the smeSpire project (www.smespire.eu).

The idea is to group together people from private companies and public authorities, possibly at national and subnational levels, and build up a discussion about present open issues related (but not limited) to INSPIRE.

During the smeSpire study on GeoICT sector (survey and interviews) we found that:

• the biggest obstacle is the public tendering procedure … dumping the price is an everyday issue
• the qualification criteria are quite frequently very difficult to meet for SMEs, therefore consortia (and/or subcontracts) have to be formed; consortia are temporary groups of organisations, not able to build up long-term real partnerships
• lack of national geoinformation strategies/policies, in practical terms
• lack of budget assigned by the national governments to the public sector entities responsible for INSPIRE implementations at national/sub-national level
• late payments, mainly by public sector
• pace and complexity of INSPIRE process, rules and specifications
• lack of awareness in private sector about INSPIRE

We would like to discuss with you about the following issues:

• how to improve public tendering procedures, avoiding or limiting discount bidding distortions
• how to improve the quality of technical requirements about INSPIRE in public tenders
• how to help SMEs leverage on R&D opportunities and funds and on tenders
• how to facilitate the access to loans or bank overdrafts (a group/network/consortium/… of >270 companies is surely stronger than a single small enterprise!)
• how to change the paradigm by shifting from the classical  ”client” vs “supplier” approach to real “partnership” between public and private entities
• how to facilitate the reuse of open licensed data by SMEs
• how to leverage on international cooperation to help SMEs address international market requirements
• how to structure long-term legally binding relationships between companies and/or other organisations
• how to downgrade or simplify the complexity of data/service specs, in practical terms (e.g. do we need something like “INSPIRE in pills / for dummies”?)
• how to effectively reuse open source assets for INSPIRE activities
• how to contribute to future INSPIRE Maintenance and Implementation Framework

Workshop outline

The discussion will focus on how to lower the existing barriers that are hampering innovation and growth of SMEs, also with dedicated budget for national GI policies involving private sector as stakeholder.

The workshop will be organised as roundtable in which each panellist will have 5 minutes to reply to the aforementioned questions asked by the moderator.

List of panelists (confirmed)

1. Ray Boguslawski (EC JRC), facilitator
2. Koen Rutten (inspire@gbo-provincies.nl)
3. Marjan Bevelander (MBevelander@ipo.nl)
4. Marc Leobet (marc.leobet@developpement-durable.gouv.fr)
5. Christine Giger and Jan Schulze Althoff (giger@giger-geoit.ch)
6. Jirí Kvapil (jiri.kvapil@cenia.cz)
7. Ken Harkin (ken.harkin@sparxsystems.com)
8. Michael Müller and Markus Besenfelder (michael.mueller@aed-sicad.de)
9. Paolo Cavallini (cavallini@faunalia.it)
10. Simone Giannecchini (simone.giannecchini@geo-solutions.it)
11. Maria Cabello (mcabello@tracasa.es)
12. Ivo Planoetscher (Ivo.Planoetscher@provinz.bz.it)

Draft structure and agenda of the workshop