1. 1/14
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. 2/14
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. 3/14Who 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. 4/14What 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. 5/14The main barriers we identified
 Organizational barriers (within the consortium and
with the Client)
 Technical barriers
 Financial barriers

6. 6/14The main barriers we identified
 Organizational barriers within the consortium:
˗ Misalignment of technical competencies between
partners responsible for the development and further
integration of project components strictly correlated.
˗ Lack of coordination, both at technical and
management level

7. 7/14The main barriers we identified
 Organizational barriers with the Client:
˗ Misalignment of technical competencies between the
Client and the Supplier.
˗ Heterogeinity of the organizational structures of the
Client’s departments/agencies responsible for the
management of the relevant geospatial information

8. 8/14The main barriers we identified
 Technical barriers:
˗ Misalignment between the national reporting
obligations set by EEA and the INSPIRE obligations set
by the Implementing Rules on the interoperability of
spatial datasets.
˗ Complexity of data modelling activities needed to
merge the many applicable schemas into one single
geodatabase structure for each SEIS theme

9. 9/14The main barriers we identified
 Financial barriers:
˗ Competitive tender won offering a price much lower
than the reference one (- 38 %)
˗ Unfavourable payment clauses (30% advance
payment after the contract signature) and 70%
balance payment at the end of a 24 months project
after final acceptance of all deliverables)

10. 10/14Barriers seen as challenges
 Investing in filling-in knowledge gaps:
˗ increasing manpower allocation (in terms of 50% FTE)
in order to deepen the technical and technological
aspects
˗ self-training (thorough analysis of INSPIRE DS and
practice with the data transformation tools and the
data harmonisation workflows)

11. 11/14Barriers seen as challenges
 Investing in filling-in communication gaps:
˗ spending more effort in supporting less aware
partners and also the Client
 Investing in filling-in cash-flow gaps:
˗ getting from the bank an increased credit limit

12. 12/14Turning challenges into opportunities
 The increased technical competencies:
˗ increased our competitiveness
˗ increased our productivity
˗ created new market opportunities

13. 13/14Conclusions
 Not a sales pitch but rather a networking invitation
…

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