Several types of organizations play a key role in the execution and coordination of geospatial activities in society. Typically, a distinction is made between data providers and data users, while coordinating organizations exist to coordinate and support the geospatial activities of professionals and entities using GIS&T. Governments are often considered as the major users and producers of spatial data and spatial information. Within the public sector, spatial data are collected and used in different thematic areas and at different administrative levels (from local to global). However, the needs, interests, and capacities of organizations at each of these levels will be different, as well as their role in the development of spatial data infrastructures, and the execution of geospatial activities in general. Also the geospatial industry will exist of both data providers and data users, but also of organizations delivering products and services to support the collection and use of spatial data. Other key organization in the GI domain are professional organizations and associations, bringing together and representing the needs of organizations of a particular sector and/or geographic area.
List and describe the main categories of organizations in the GIS&T domain
In progress (GI-N2K)