AGILE cooperates in many ways with other organisations, industry and government. This cooperation can be in the form of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), reactive or proactive communications, etc.

Open Geospatial Consortium

www.opengeospatial.org

The Open Geospatial Consortium is an international industry consortium of more than 220 companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available geoprocessing specifications. Open interfaces and protocols defined by OpenGIS® Specifications support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web, wireless and location-based services, and mainstream IT, and empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications.

ESRI

www.esri.com

For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of GIS software with more than 300,000 clients worldwide. ESRI is a major player in the educational GIS market worldwide. Besides software development, ESRI is active in the educational field with the Virtual Campus distance learning courses and the ESRI Press books. ESRI also organizes educational conferences both in the USA and Europe. Headquartered in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 1,500 business partners. ESRI's goal is to develop comprehensive tools that enable users to efficiently manage, use, and serve geographic information to make a difference in the world around them.

University Consortium for Geographic Information Science

www.ucgis.org

The AGILE Council has negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with its US sister organisation. Under this agreement AGILE and UCGIS will disseminate information and materials from the other organisation to their members. There will also be a mutual exchange of official representatives at the principal annual meeting of each organisation. The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is a non-profit US organization of universities and other research institutions dedicated to advancing our understanding of geographic processes and spatial relationships through improved theory, methods, technology, and data. UCGIS membership is open to all U.S. academic and research organizations that meet the membership criteria.

Global Spatial Network

www.globalspatial.org

The Global Spatial Network (GSN) was formed in 2010 through the leadership of its core founding members and with the strong support of its associate members, from across the globe. It is a not-for-profit consortium which has executed legal agreements specifying its business and other aspirations and operations.

Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations

ec.europa.eu/isa

Administrative procedures have the reputation of being lengthy, time-consuming and costly. Electronic collaboration between Public administrations can make these procedures quicker, simpler and cheaper for all parties concerned, in particular when transactions need to be done cross-border and/or cross-sector. The ISA programme of the European Commission facilitates such transactions through more than 40 actions with a budget of some EUR 160 million.

Australasian Spatial Information Education and Research Association

www.asiera.org.au

ASIERA is an association of the tertiary education institutions in Australasia that have a focus on spatial information education and research. Member departments are represented in ASIERA by the academic discipline leaders; there is no individual academic membership. As such, ASIERA represents a significant part of the spatial information industry in Australasia, with a workforce of several hundred people in fundamental and applied research and innovation, and a responsibility for educating and training future generations of spatial professionals. ASIERA aims to be a discussion leader on the future of the profession as well as the science, a place for sharing information among members and collaborating on joint initiatives.

EuroSDR

www.eurosdr.net

EuroSDR is a not-for-profit organisation linking National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies with Research Institutes and Universities in Europe for the purpose of applied research in spatial data provision, management and delivery. EuroSDR (formerly OEEPE) is a pan-European organisation established by International Treaty, as OEEPE, in 1953 in Paris in accordance with a recommendaion passed by the Council of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, The spatial data research interests of European countries are represented through the membership in EuroSDR of national organisations from their production and research sectors.

European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information

www.eurogi.org

The mission of EuroGI is: In order to ensure good governance, economic and social development, environmental protection and sustainability, and informed public participation, the mission is to maximise the availability, effective use and exploitation of GI (geographic information) throughout Europe. This requires EUROGI to stimulate, encourage and support the development and effective use of GI and relevant technologies and policies, and to act as channel of the voice for the European GI community, private and public sectors alike.

International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

www.isprs.org

Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing is the art, science, and technology of obtaining reliable information from noncontact imaging and other sensor systems about the Earth and its environment, and other physical objects and processes through recording, measuring, analyzing and representation. The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing is a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry and remote sensing and their applications. The Society operates without any discrimination on grounds of race, religion, nationality, or political philosophy.

Various Communications

• In reaction to the INSPIRE questionnaire, AGILE has sent an official response with an accompanying letter (6 June 2003).
• AGILE response to GINIE BGI questionnaire (14 February 2003).
• AGILE responds to the on-line consultation by DG INFSO D1 (Towards a European Union framework for the exploitation of public sector information) (22 February 2002).
• Progress on ERA (European research Area): Mr. Busquin, Member of the European Commission responds to AGILE.
  On 21st December 2000 the acting chairman of AGILE, Prof. Mauro Salvemini, wrote to Mr. Philippe Busquin, Member of the European Commission, informing him about AGILE, its mission and purposes, and of Agile ‘s network of excellence. The letter addressed the issue of channeling AGILE efforts in a most productive way for the benefit of EU policy and science through maintaining and implementing a European Research Agenda in Geographic Information Science. It proposed that AGILE act as one of the beacon projects demonstrating the value of the European Research Area from an early stage. The tone of Mr. Busquin’s answer, dated 30 January 2001, was positive. He says

  Within the framework of the European Research Area, I consider activities such as the thematic networking of 50 laboratories in 20 countries as highly relevant.

  and more

  Regarding the future and the preparation of the Sixth Framework Programme, I have taken good note of your request for further progress in research and development in the field of Geographic.

• Progress on GI2000: Director-General of DGXIII Robert Verrue responds to AGILE. On 20th Oct 1998 the acting chairman of AGILE in 1998, Prof Ian Masser, wrote to the Director-General of DGXIII to express AGILE members' concerns over the apparent lack of progress of a major initiative which seeks to tackle the problems that many of its members face in their day to day work. On 20th November M. Verrue replied:

  I can assure you that these delays do not reflect a diminished interest in the area. In fact, we have undertaken a range of actions in geographic information, such as support to projects in the INFO2000 programme, to the setting up of EUROGI, workshops, studies etc. GI2000 proposes to complement and group these actions into a more strategic approach adding a political dimension to geographic information in Europe. Unfortunately, such an initiative is more difficult to get approved.

  However, he went on to add

  The good news is that the Commission most probably will adopt the 'Green book on public sector information' in a few weeks. This is another of our initiatives which has been under way for quite some time and which has, by the way, also relevance for geographic information. At that point we intend to give full attention to GI2000, such that it could be adopted in a short time frame thereafter.