Capacity-building across sectors: Making a reference platform for INSPIRE implementation, interoperability and reusability

EU Member States are currently implementing the Infrastructure for Spatial Information for Europe (INSPIRE) Directive (2007/2/EC) that is helping to create a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for the environment and related policy areas. This will facilitate the exchange of spatial data between Member States, with an aim to overcome related technical and organisational challenges. To support this process, several initiatives have been put in place but more coordination and communication are needed. This includes implementers gaining access to tools and information that will help overcome interoperability barriers. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) is establishing an information system containing reference resources for INSPIRE implementers, software solution providers and users of the infrastructure, including in other sectors. By considering Living Labs and capacity-building in SDIs, we aim to create a fertile collaborative `arena' and present the approach and lessons being learnt in this paper.