Building the Geospatial Future Together—The NSDI Strategic Plan 2025-2035
In the next decade, as this plan is implemented, evolving technologies and shifting priorities will demand ongoing adjustments to work plans and objectives. It will be necessary to proactively monitor and adapt to key trends across all NSDI use cases, including in the following areas:
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Big data and analytics. With the proliferation of sensors, satellites, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the volume and variety of geospatial data will continue to grow exponentially. Advanced analytics techniques that provide trusted results will be crucial for extracting actionable insights from large and complex datasets, as well as large volumes of interactions on authoritative datasets, and will be a driver for innovation in such fields as urban planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster response.
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Advancements in technology. Technologies such as AI, machine learning, cloud computing, and big data analytics continue to transform the way geospatial data are collected, processed, analyzed, and used. These technologies enable more accurate and timely insights from geospatial information, thus fostering innovation across various sectors.
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Integration of location intelligence. Location intelligence, which combines spatial data with traditional business data, is becoming increasingly important for informed decision-making across government and industry. The NSDI will support the integration of location intelligence into business processes and decision support systems.
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Open data and collaboration. There is a growing emphasis on open data initiatives and collaboration among government agencies and the private sector, including private industry, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Open data policies and platforms will promote transparency, innovation, and knowledge sharing, and collaborative partnerships will foster the development of integrated solutions to address complex societal challenges.
- Privacy and security. As the volume and sensitivity of geospatial data increase, ensuring privacy protection and data security will be paramount. Governments and organizations will need to implement robust cybersecurity measures, data encryption techniques, and privacy and anonymity-preserving policies and technologies to safeguard sensitive information and data integrity and to comply with regulatory and policy requirements. In addition, both training and oversight must be in place to preclude inappropriate or incorrect use of the data and information.
- User-centric design. There is a shift towards more human-centered design principles in the development of geospatial applications and services. This emphasis will grow and continue to be focused on enhancing user experience, accessibility, integration with generative AI, and usability to ensure that geospatial data and tools are trusted, accessible, and useful to a diverse range of partners, including policymakers, researchers, businesses, and the general public.
- Interoperability and standards. Interoperability standards, specifications, and protocols will continue to play a crucial role in facilitating seamless data exchange and integration across national and global systems and platforms. Efforts to harmonize data formats, metadata standards, and geospatial interoperability frameworks will enhance the usability and accessibility of geospatial data, driving greater collaboration and innovation globally.
- Geospatial data marketplaces. The NSDI establishes a framework and technical standards for geospatial data marketplaces, allowing data providers to sell or share their geospatial datasets securely. The framework and standards facilitate access to diverse geospatial data, provide incentives for data sharing, and ensure data quality and ownership transparency.
Overall, the future of the NSDI is characterized by greater data integration, innovation, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making, with technology serving as a key enabler for addressing complex societal challenges. Embracing these trends and adapting to them can help to ensure that the NSDI will continue to remain relevant to the needs of its diverse users in an increasingly interconnected and evolving world.