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Director External Affairs ITC - International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation Email: beerens@itc.nl Background From data acquisition to information infrastructures The past 50 years have shown the gradual development of earth observation to a stage where it has become an integral component of geo-spatial information handling. This has been the result of both supply- and demand-driven conditions. Originally largely supply-driven, scientific and technological developments in earth observation applications have rapidly accelerated, presenting the following general dimensions. In terms of:
As a result, earth observation has become an integral part of geo-informatics, which on the one hand deals with the process from data acquisition to dissemination and use, and on the other addresses the context in which these processes take place. Expertise requirements Scientific and technological developments, the proliferation of earth observation applications, and their integration into geo-spatial data infrastructure have resulted in a proliferation of expertise fields. Moreover, looking at geo-informatics from the two angles a) structure of processes and b) context in which these processes take place, we realise that experts from one specific disciplinary background can seldom address both. Geo-informatics always concerns an interdisciplinary context. Professionals operating in the field of geo-spatial data infrastructure have to take this requirement into account throughout their career. The fact that the application domains cover a wide variety of fields, such as land registration and administration, natural resources management, disaster mitigation, etc., implies that specialisation (although within an interdisciplinary context) will be required for professionals to keep up to date with the state of the art in their field of expertise. 
Education and training The importance of GDIs for governance also has implications for the national (public) organisations responsible for establishing and operating these GDIs. Hence, besides the education of individuals, capacity building of the entire organisation is required. The goal of education is to prepare (young) professionals for their tasks ahead, while the goal of capacity building is to simultaneously shake up the organisation that will employ them. The aim is to strengthen an organisation so that it can assume responsibility for designing, managing and sustaining development. This is also required in the field of marketing and public relations, since the national agencies associated to GDI’s atre generally not used to client- and market driven ways of doing business. For this, not only are thematic professionals required but also staff that can formulate, design, manage and negotiate with other organisations and central government in order to address organisational and institutional issues in support of the acceptance of technological solutions. Hence capacity building comprises human resources development, organisational strengthening and institutional strengthening - of which education is part and parcel.
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