BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//pretalx//talks.staging.osgeo.org//foss4g-2024//talk//R8A7D7
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:-03
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:20000101T000000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=1
TZNAME:-03
TZOFFSETFROM:-0300
TZOFFSETTO:-0300
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:pretalx-foss4g-2024-R8A7D7@talks.staging.osgeo.org
DTSTART;TZID=-03:20241204T093000
DTEND;TZID=-03:20241204T101500
DESCRIPTION:The launch of GRASS GIS in 1984 marked the beginning of open-so
 urce geospatial software. Four years later\, in 1988\, the National Center
  for Geographical Information and Analysis (NCGIA) established the foundat
 ion for GIScience as a distinct academic discipline. Now\, after four deca
 des\, this talk explores the dynamic interplay between geographical inform
 ation theory and geospatial software. Like other fields\, scientific and t
 echnological advancements in geospatial studies are interdependent yet dis
 tinct. This discussion will reflect on past interaction points and conside
 r how the relationship between research and practical applications in the 
 geospatial field may evolve.\n\nOne of the most significant contributions 
 of GIScience to FOSS4G was the development of point-set topological operat
 ors. This work culminated in the dimensionally extended 9-intersection mod
 el (DE-9IM)\, which became the foundation for the Open Geospatial Consorti
 um's (OGC) simple features model. The resulting standardisation of vector 
 GIS was crucial in preventing the spatial data market from being dominated
  by proprietary solutions. Open-source tools like PostGIS\, Python geopand
 as\, and R-sf emerged as viable\, competitive alternatives. The OGC geopac
 kage standard has also been widely adopted for information storage and tra
 nsfer. Leading researchers engaged directly in developing user-driven tool
 s for spatial analysis\, such as GeoDa and R packages like spdep and gstat
 \, further driving innovation in vector GIS.\n\nHowever\, not all GIScienc
 e research has had the same practical impact. Topics such as geospatial on
 tologies\, spatial database accuracy\, cognitive foundations\, and spatiot
 emporal reasoning have primarily remained within academic circles. While t
 hey have enriched theoretical knowledge\, their practical applications hav
 e been limited. Even concepts that could have benefitted FOSS4G — such a
 s geospatial algebras and abstract spatial data types — were overlooked 
 by developers. This talk will explore potential reasons for this disconnec
 t.\n\nConversely\, FOSS4G has made significant contributions to GIScience.
  Tools like GDAL have enabled researchers to tackle critical scientific qu
 estions\, while QGIS has become an indispensable tool for scientists. The 
 R spatial packages offer a reliable foundation for new research\, and a si
 milar robust foundation is likely emerging in Python.\n\nThat said\, the r
 elationship between vector-based FOSS4G and GIScience appears to have reac
 hed a plateau\, with little significant progress on either side in recent 
 years. In contrast\, raster-based GIS is undergoing rapid innovation. The 
 availability of petabytes of open Earth observation (EO) data has spurred 
 a new wave of discovery. Space-borne sensors continue to drive technologic
 al breakthroughs\, but no comprehensive theory exists for modelling and an
 alysing large-scale EO data. This has resulted in fragmented developments 
 like Pangeo\, Open Data Cube\, OpenEO\, and R-sits. The talk will advocate
  for stronger collaboration between FOSS4G developers and researchers in b
 ig EO data analytics\, offering potential paths forward.
DTSTAMP:20260516T232643Z
LOCATION:Room Auditorio
SUMMARY:“The relationship between FOSS4G and GIScience: The first 40 year
 s and beyond” - Gilberto Camara
URL:https://talks.staging.osgeo.org/foss4g-2024/talk/R8A7D7/
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR