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Geographic Information Systems in Austria
What are geographic information systems?
A geographic information system (also known as geomatics, abbreviation: GIS) is a network-supported information system and allows:
- digital entry and revision
- saving and reorganisation
- modelling and analysis
- alphanumeric and graphic tasks
of geographic data.
Geographic data is processed together with specialist data and attributes and combined within a GIS. This provides the basis for efficient evaluation and analysis of a site or territory via the geoinformation system.
The term GIS covers
- a technology
- the products
- and the projects for the provision of geodata.
Areas of application for geographic information systems
Geographic information systems provide valuable services in all areas of data management and decision-making. As the service capabilities continue to increase, GIS is on the verge of a breakthrough in the field of space-oriented information. The GIS industry enjoys annual growth rates.
The abbreviations of the areas of application follow German convention, as these categories are less familiar in the English-speaking world.
Spatial information systems (RIS)
This instrument aids decision-making and consists of data collection for
- population, economic and regional planning
- infrastructure development
- land use and
- resources used in regional development programmes and land related schemes.
RIS assists the planning and development of the relevant areas.
Civil information systems (LIS)
An in-depth tool for decision making in law, administration and economics, as well as planning and development. At the simplest level, it is concerned with mapping the earth's surface in the form of digital maps and ownership registration (land register).
Communal information systems (KIS)
Defines the information system of a political constituency, consisting of the basic geodata from the LIS and aerial pictures.
Environmental information systems (UIS)
An instrument for preparing environmental information, consisting of multiple environmental databases and offering a service tool for accessing and evaluating environmental information in the most diverse areas. It provides data to describe the environmental situation with regard to threats and dangers, therefore providing a basis for environmental protection measures.
Specialist information systems (FIS)
A special class of geoinformation system, which supports specialist tasks and is essential for solutions to concrete technical requirements. This includes specialist applications, such as geography, construction engineering, transport logistics and tourism.
Soil information systems (BIS)
Covers data from agrology and geology and, in its most limited sense, deals with data concerning the regional extension of soil types and their properties such as bulk density, humus levels and pH values. These are mostly highly complex structures, which can only be configured through inter-disciplinary cooperation, meaning that BIS is often subdivided into various FIS (e.g. soil morphology).
Network information systems (NIS)
This instrument collects, utilizes, analyses and presents resource data related to network topology. Here the geometric and graphic documentation of the line supply is at the forefront. Facility Management Systems can therefore also be attributed to NIS. Utility and waste management service providers make particular use of this special form of geoinformation system.
Competence from Austria
In Austria geodata is centrally co-ordinated. This centralized authority of geodata has a long tradition in Austria. At the beginning of the 19th century Emperor Franz Joseph I ordered the surveying of the Danube empire. To this day, the basic geodata in Austria is collected and managed by the Federal Office for Calibration and Measurement (in German) in Vienna. This means that the Austrian data - in contrast to the German for example - are always standardized and available.
The GIS-Cluster Salzburg (in German), a consortium of 13 Austrian GIS companies, was formed in Salzburg in the mid eighties and is an internationally renowned competence centre in the field of geosciences. The competence field has scientific components such as
- The Centre for Geoinformatics - Salzburg University, founded in 2004
- Salzburg Research and
- Research Studio iSpace (since 2003)
and is additionally home to a wide range of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The majority of these SMEs were founded by graduates of Salzburg University and have an operational focus in the field of geoinformation.
Thanks to its size and wide array of offers, GIS-Cluster Salzburg is unique on the international stage. It represents the competence area of geo-information to the outside world and has positioned the Salzburg region as the GIS competence centre of Austria. Companies cooperating with the GIS Cluster offer a full range, including
- Services in space and geographic data collection
- Organisation of databases
- Information analysis
- Visualization
- Communication -
- over a wide range of project competences.
Salzburg also becomes the centre of the German-speaking GIS world every year, hosting (AGIT) the Symposium and Trade Fair of Applied Geoinformatics (German Only) in the city. AGIT is the most important platform for the exchange of experience, familiarisation with new developments and the presentation of innovative projects.
The Austrian Umbrella Organization for Geographic Information is the umbrella organization for all the GIS bodies in Austria and is responsible for representation both within Austria and to international organisations. The Austrian federal provinces have also had a communal internet platform since 2004, where centrally held geodata can be accessed. At www.geoland.at, the Austrian provinces offer free access to important geodata. With this, they have taken the first concrete step towards a liberal Austrian geodata policy.
In addition to the GIS organizations (AGEO, Z_GIS) and the GIS-Cluster Salzburg (German only), as well as the individual technology parks, (Villach Technology Park, Techno-Z) there are also many university institutes in Austria with a focus on geosciences. The Technical Universities in Graz and Vienna offer an exceptionally wide range of courses and programmes in this field. The Carinthia University of Applied Sciences offers the opportunity to study a 'geoinformation' study programme. Additionally the Centre for Geoinformatics - Salzburg University offers UNIGIS distance learning courses and seminars in geosciences, which can be taken part-time by professionals.
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