An active, largely volunteer-based community is working on open source projects relating to the processing of spatial data and geodata in Germany. The Prototype Fund has also repeatedly supported projects with this focus.
The open source approach is particularly relevant for geographic information systems (GIS) due to the diverse areas in which these systems are used. Applications for processing geodata range from databases to modelling, simulations and map services and are used in the following contexts, among others:
In addition to volunteers, the main players in this area include public administration and research institutions. Open geodata and open source software for processing it not only enable these different stakeholders to work together effectively, but also facilitate the efficient use of taxpayers' money, transparent administration, participatory planning processes and reproducible research.
Although it is not necessarily a prerequisite for open source software, open data forms an important basis for open GIS applications. Only geodata that can be freely used, redistributed and reused can ensure smooth collaboration and utilisation of these applications. Open geodata generally comes from three different sources:
Challenges in developing open source GIS applications include:
The non-profit association is committed to free and open geoinformation systems and free geodata. It represents the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) in Germany and supports volunteer projects such as OpenStreetMap and OSGeo Live. The association also organizes the annual FOSSGIS conference.
The funding initiative of the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) supports research and development projects on the topic of mobility of the future.
The non-profit organization based in the UK pursues the goal of making free geodata available and usable. In particular, it operates the servers and services of the OpenStreetMap project and organizes the annual State of the Map conference.
