Ordnance Survey is to create a Smart City standards-based technologies business framework for the European Union’s ESPRESSO project.
ESPRESSO is being led by the Open Geospatial Consortium, and OS, working closely with key European bodies, will develop a strategic growth map for Smart Cities.
Supported by PricewaterhouseCoopers, OS will also conduct analysis of existing and emerging economic, financial (including crowd-funding) and procurement models. OS is aiming to gather expert information and advice from commercial organisations and public sector bodies across the globe, and so is appealing to them to input into this framework and become key influencers in determining pan global standards.
Richard Woodling, Managing Consultant for Smart Cities, says: “Over the next decade, the way we live, work and use energy, transportation, city resources and services will change significantly thanks to a range of innovative ‘Smart City’ solutions. Many of these innovative solutions will be based on sophisticated information and communication technologies.
“However, technological complexity, as well as the complexity of the various sectorial services involved within a Smart City, require a system approach to standardisation. We are asking Smart City operators to collaborate with us to produce a harmonisation of standards for global Smart Cities.”
Working with a range of consortia members, OS is also supporting the ESPRESSO project by performing analysis on the existing European Smart City standards, and it is to provide a definition of a Conceptual Standards Interoperability Framework. This framework will be articulated along several horizontal (non-technical) dimensions including, but not limited to, sustainability, wellbeing and socioeconomic aspects.
Woodling concludes: “The Conceptual Standards Interoperability Framework will seek to ensure matching market requirements, helping cities acquire a front run position in the EU Smart City arena. The emphasis is on cost reduction and an open market.”
