Introduction
The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, driven by rapid technological advancements and the urgent need to address complex global challenges. From societal and economical global risks to urbanization and geopolitical uncertainties, decision-makers require more than traditional data—they need integrated, real-time insights to navigate effectively. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has ushered in an era defined by intelligent automation, big data, and digital connectivity, rendering geospatial knowledge indispensable. The global geospatial ecosystem is shifting from traditional Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) to Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI), which offers an integrated framework for transforming raw data into actionable insights. This shift aims to integrate geospatial data, technologies, and applications within a broader digital ecosystem, enabling smarter, more efficient, and sustainable decision-making.
The transition towards GKI represents the third generation of geospatial systems. Initially, the geospatial landscape focused on data-centric models (1st Generation), where the emphasis was on collecting, managing, and storing spatial data. This was followed by process-driven frameworks (2nd Generation), which optimized the use of geospatial data in specific workflows and decision-making processes. However, the current need is not just to collect and manage data but to extract actionable insights and knowledge that can drive informed, real-time decision-making. This evolution towards knowledge-powered geospatial systems (3rd Generation) is central to the GKI paradigm.
GKI is not merely a technological upgrade; it is a strategic imperative. The Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) provides a comprehensive blueprint for integrating digital economies, societies, and citizens with geospatial approaches, data, and technologies. GKI fosters collaboration between governments, industries, and the public to drive real-time decision-making and automated solutions, shaping the future of societies. By evolving from data to knowledge infrastructures, GKI enhances competitiveness, policy responsiveness, and societal resilience. It provides a strategic roadmap for policymakers, businesses, and geospatial agencies to climb the value chain, enabling countries to maximize the potential of location intelligence within digital economies.
