Issue link: https://geospatial.trimble.com/en/resources/i/1415423
Unlocking data potential to defeat pandemic Findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable data holds the key to an effective COVID-19 response, explains Thalia Baldwin, Director, Geospatial Commission, UK How do you view the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy? COVID-19 has had an immediate and significant impact across all global economies, with a substantial reduction in economic output in many sectors. However, some sectors, such as hospitality, retail and leisure, have been hit harder than the others with many livelihoods destroyed across the globe. Going forward, global collaboration will be vital. Every crisis, while creating adversity, presents opportunities. In the last few months, we have seen innovative ways of data use by both public and private enterprises, along with new partnerships. Moreover, local communities have come together to support each other. In the UK, the government's response aims to address these wide-ranging impacts based on scientific and data-driven evidence. How can geospatial data and technology help in combatting the current pandemic? e value of geospatial data to track and respond to a disease is not new. Since John Snow's mapping of the London cholera outbreak in 1854,this kind of data has been used to identify causes of a disease, track infection rates and monitor the recovery of patients. Advances in technology mean that more robust data collection and analytical methods are now at our disposal. We see this in the rapid deployment of tools to monitor the spread of a disease; model and predict future spread; mobilize and coordinate response efforts; and monitor the impact/compliance of policy interventions. ere has been a growth in near real-time use cases of geospatial data applications such as improved and accessible sensor, mobile location and consumer data — all enabling improved strategic coordination and response. We are in a period of rapid innovation driven by technology, and by the urgency to rethink how geospatial data can be deployed. At the UK Geospatial Commission, we are not only interested in the direct application of geospatial data for COVID-19 response, but also in the long-term impact of the use of this data and associated technologies. We have established a specific program of activity to consider the medium to long-term application of this innovation for future statistical and health applications, and to provide for the broader opportunities for the use of geospatial data for economic, social and environmental benefit. What is your opinion on the short and long- term impact of COVID-19 on the geospatial industry, and on national geospatial agencies? As a short-term impact, we see an accelerated interest in the role of geospatial data in response to COVID-19, which also includes cross-sector data sharing. It will be interesting to see the long-term impact that new alliances and experi- ences from sharing data will have. To support long-term priorities, including the UK's economic recovery, we are currently gathering evidence through a geospatial market study. e impact of the current pandemic on the market will be of interest, including how it supports disruption or a change of approach in some sectors. e diversity of business models that are informed in some way by geospatial data is apparent, and we will need to have an approach that creates opportunities for the market as a whole. www.geospatialworld.net | May-June 2020 44 INTERVIEW