GIScience Heidelberg joins OSGeo GeoForAll Labs

The GIScience Research Group at Heidelberg joined the OSGE GeoForAll initiative and network as an Open Source Geospatial Laboratory and Research Center.
GIScience Heidelberg is supporting free and open GI software, open GI standards (OGC), open Geo-Data (e.g. OpenStreetMap and other VGI), open access publication and GIS education in many ways.
This is demonstrated already in numerous examples, such as the development and provision of free GI services and open source tools as well as the usage, improvement and advocating of open spatial data in education and through development and research as well as through the organization of related workshops and events (e.g. OSM mappathons). We are happy to strengthen our activities in those areas.
Further detailled information about available services, tools, publications and open data related activities and teaching can be found on http://uni-heidelberg.de/gis/.

Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial Applications has now made it possible for a large number of private and government agencies and academics in both developed and developing countries to make use of geospatial software for applications in GIS, spatial database management, and remote sensing in many application domains. GIS without spatial data is not usful. Therefore we do advocate and support the availability of free and open Geographical Information from different sources, including Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) such as OpenStreetMap (OSM) in multiple ways through education and research, as well as the development of relevant tools and services.

GeoForAll is a joint initiative by OSGeo, ICA and ISPRS with over hundred partners worldwide.