The EGDI Knowledge Infrastructure – the next step of Geological data

One of the main objectives of the European project GSEU (Geological Service for Europe) is to, starting from the EGDI (European Geological Data Infrastructure), develop a system for exchanging knowledge and skills in the geological and geothematic fields, as well as strengthening the development of data and information standards and harmonization frameworks.

To achieve this objective, it was decided to evolve EDGI towards a Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (EGDI-KI), for which the conceptual model and the first prototype under development are presented here, which were developed starting from the document developed by UN-GGIM in 2021 for Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure.

Essential elements of the EGDI-KI are shown in figure 1 and are: The Knowledge Hub forms part of the EGDI structure and serves as a gateway to facilitate access to other components. It enhances the accessibility and usability of the following components:

• Data Hub: This component focuses on data exchange, access technologies, and supports data science, data engineering, and data warehouse endpoints. The Knowledge Hub helps streamline access to the data hub, making it easier for users to leverage data resources.
• Applications: The Applications component encompasses WebGIS or thematic portals designed to share information, data, and enable big data analysis. The Knowledge Hub contributes to the seamless integration and utilization of these applications, ensuring efficient access to information and facilitating analysis.
• Collaboration Tools: Collaboration Tools within EGDI enable the sharing of documents, models, and methods among users. The Knowledge Hub complements this by providing a platform for organizing and accessing these shared resources, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Educational Facilities: EGDI includes educational facilities that support end-users and thematic domains in sharing and transferring knowledge. The Knowledge Hub plays a role in facilitating access to these educational resources, making them readily available to users seeking to enhance their understanding of relevant topics.
• Expertise & Networking Hub is thematic expert and physical Infrastructure catalogue as well as the possible research and Industry community interactions.

Finally, the knowledge infrastructure platform is the portal to query and navigate all the knowledge resources available in the Knowledge Hub.

The Knowledge Hub plays an important role in the European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI) by ensuring that the wealth of knowledge and expertise available within the system is not fragmented and disconnected. Instead, it enables the organisation and accessibility of this knowledge using a semantic Knowledge engine.

By leveraging the semantic Knowledge engine, the Knowledge Hub facilitates the integration and structuring of diverse pieces of information within the EGDI system. It allows for the establishment of meaningful connections and relationships between different data sources, ensuring a coherent and organized presentation of knowledge.

Through the Knowledge Hub, users can efficiently navigate and explore the EGDI system, accessing relevant information in a structured and interconnected manner. It enhances the overall usability and effectiveness of the system, enabling users to leverage the collective knowledge and expertise within the EGDI framework.