Project background

GI-INDEED is a EU training project that aims at improving life-long learning and continuous training in the field of geo- and environmental information, to tune data according in particular to the proposed new INSPIRE Directive.
In such a context, the realisation of modules of pilot training are foreseen on:

• environmental web services
• data harmonisation and Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI)
• use of SDI for protected areas
• use of SDI for coastal areas

Reasons for the project

• The implementation of EU environmental directives:
  -  Water Framework Directive, Habitat Directive etc.
  -  INSPIRE (legal framework for sharing and dissemination of environmental data, http://inspire.jrc.it)
  -  the Directive on the reuse of public sector information (2003/98/EC),
  all of them strictly referring to environment and GI
• The need of training (shortcomings in training can hamper the implementation of environmental directives)

Previous work

• Nature-GIS - A European thematic network for Protected Areas/Nature Preservation and Geographical Information (IST project 2001-34641, www.gisig.it/nature-gis)
• ECO-IMAGINE - European Conferences and forum for Integrated Coastal Management and Geo-Information Research (Marie Curie project MSCF-CT-2003-504444, www.gisig.it/eco-imagine), that has created a community of researchers in the field of GI for integrated coastal management
• the INSPIRE call for SDIC’s (Spatial Data Interest Community, http://www.ec-gis.org/inspire/ir/index.cfm), two of them presented by organisations now partners of GI-Indeed:
  -  NATURE-GIS (protected areas)
  -  GI-CLAN (coastal zone management)
• netbased learning activity, with the following characters:
  -  off-the-shelf ICT technology (LMS & Citrix metaframe servers) tested internationally, e.g. in the BEGIN project (Northern Russia)