Leveraging SMEs’ strengths for INSPIRE Dialogue session at Geospatial World Forum, Rotterdam (NL)

1. Leveraging SMEs’ strengths for INSPIRE Dialogue session at Geospatial World Forum, Rotterdam (NL) 16.05.2013 SEIS & INSPIRE IN ACTION Giacomo Martirano (Epsilon Italia) g.martirano@epsilon-italia.it

2. SUMMARY • Who we are and what we are doing (in brief) • Tips to stimulate the dialogue session debate • The main barriers we identified • Barriers seen as challenges • Turning challenges into opportunities

3. Who we are (in brief) • We are a small enterprise specialized in geospatial technologies • We are based in South Italy • We are deeply involved in EU co-funded projects dealing with geospatial information in general and with INSPIRE implementations in particular

4. What we are doing (in brief) • We are implementing SEIS using INSPIRE • We are involved in the execution of a contract for the implementation at national level of SEIS (Shared Environmental Information System) for 5 themes: Air, Water, Soil, Noise and Radiation. • We are responsible for the design of the SEIS theme-specific geodatabases • We are focusing on INSPIRE EF DS (and on O&M), so more on the data “production” side of the data chain

5. The main barriers we identified • Organizationalbarriers (within the consortium and with the Client) • Technical barriers • Financial barriers

6. The main barriers we identified • Organizationalbarrierswithin the consortium: • Misalignment of technicalcompetenciesbetweenpartnersresponsible for the development and furtherintegration of projectcomponentsstrictlycorrelated. • Lack of coordination, bothattechnical and management level

7. The main barriers we identified • Organizationalbarriers with the Client: • Misalignment of technicalcompetenciesbetween the Client and the Supplier. • Heterogeinity of the organizationalstructures of the Client’sdepartments/agenciesresponsible for the management of the relevantgeospatial information

8. The main barriers we identified • Technical barriers: • Misalignmentbetweenthe national reporting obligations set by EEA and the INSPIRE obligations set by the Implementing Rules on the interoperability of spatial datasets. • Complexity of data modellingactivitiesneeded to merge the manyapplicableschemasintoone single geodatabase structure for each SEIS theme

9. The main barriers we identified • Financial barriers: • Competitive tender wonoffering a pricemuchlowerthan the referenceone(- 38 %) • Unfavourablepaymentclauses (30% advancepaymentafter the contractsignature) and 70% balance paymentat the end of a 24 monthsprojectafterfinalacceptance of alldeliverables)

10. Barriers seen as challenges • Investingin filling-in knowledge gaps: • increasingmanpowerallocation (in terms of 50% FTE) in order to deepen the technical and technologicalaspects • self-training (thoroughanalysis of INSPIRE DS and practice with the data transformationtools and the data harmonisationworkflows)

11. Barriers seen as challenges • Investingin filling-in communication gaps: • spendingmore effort in supportinglessawarepartners and also the Client • Investingin filling-in cash-flow gaps: • getting from the bank an increased credit limit

12. Turning challenges into opportunities • The increasedtechnicalcompetencies: • increasedourcompetitiveness • increasedourproductivity • creatednew market opportunities

13. Conclusions • Not a sales pitchbutrather a networking invitation …

14. Conclusions • If this is the business model we are aming at … • … then join us at www.smespire.eu