This report summarizes the results of the analysis of the prerequisites for a Systems Architecture for a Transnational Data Infrastructure for MSP (BASEMAPS). The first part includes the findings of a desktop study of available systems providing interoperable data and existing technology standards around the world. The second part is presenting the analysis of user demands based on experience from former projects as well as interviews with planners carried out during the Baltic LINes project. Finally, the specification of the design requirements and a conceptual model for the system is presented.
Questions this practice may help answer
-What are the prerequisites to develop decentralised MSP data infrastructure in the Baltic Sea?
-What are the main challenges?
-What are the available systems providing interoperable data?
Implementation Context
This report has been developed as part of the third work package of Baltic LINes project.
Baltic LINes seeks to increase the transnational coherence of shipping routes and energy corridors in Maritime Spatial Plans in the BSR. This will prevent cross-border mismatches and secure transnational connectivity as well as an efficient use of Baltic Sea space.
In its work package 3, Baltic LINes will improve access to relevant MSP data needed for the development of strategic plans for shipping lines and energy infrastructures in the Baltic Sea by piloting the first ever BSR MSP data infrastructure.
This infrastructure will allow MSP practitioners to access MSP data in a decentralized system. This decentralized system will allow the users to have access to the most update datasets hosted by the countries.
Aspects / Objectives
The main objective of this report is to analyse the prerequisites for a Systems Architecture for a Transnational Data Infrastructure for MSP (BASEMAPS).
Method
In order to specify the requirements for the new decentralized system, available systems providing interoperable data, existing technology standards and user demands have been analysed. In addition, experience from other projects have been studied and interviews have been carried out among planners in the partner countries.
Main Outputs / Results
Several challenges have been identified in order to develop the new decentralized system.
The main challenges relate to data not being available and if available not available in formats, that are interoperable and compliant with the suggested architecture. Most of the information to be included in BASEMAPS should in principle be available through the public authorities and required to follow the INSPIRE Directive. Though, information on shipping traffic is provided through the AIS-system standardised by the S-57 and S-100. Besides that, each of the nine countries around the Baltic Sea have their own language, which creates difficulties combining data sets from different countries. But several data are imposed by regulations according to the INSPIRE Directive, and at least available in some degree.
In order to deal with the challenges concerning access to decentralised data, the systems architecture in the BASEMAPS prototype is a hybrid systems architecture based on a mixture between a pure centralised solution and a decentralised solution, which will be updated gradually over time, when more data will be available through web services. The language issue will be solved through a translation table for the layer names in the map services from the different countries around the Baltic Sea. This principle can later be extended so that the users in the individual countries can use their native languages when requesting data from the neighbouring countries.
The prototype will be further tested and adjusted during the project, and the next steps will be to further develop the prototype with data harmonisations tools.
Transferability
Once developed, this tool could be transferable to other regions and sea basins. The effectiveness of this decentralised system, however, relates a lot on the accessibility of decentralised MSP data.
Responsible Entity
HELCOM
Aalborg University
Costs / Funding Source
Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme (Baltic LINes project)
Contact person
Henning Sten Hansen and Lise Schroder – Aalborg University
hsh
plan.aau.dk (hsh[at]plan[dot]aau[dot]dk)
liseschplan.aau.dk (lisesch[at]plan[dot]aau[dot]dk)