A comparative review of the implementation of INSPIRE portals and national spatial data infrastructures
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2713.113.13Keywords:
NSDI, INSPIRE, institutional coordination, interoperability, product-oriented approach, metadata, spatial data harmonization, digital twinsAbstract
Background. The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive in Germany, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Ukraine. It examines the institutional, legal, and technological aspects of establishing National Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI), as well as the transition from the traditional model of "data catalogs" to "product-oriented services" integrated into Digital Twins and Data Spaces. The relevance of the study is driven by the necessity to adapt the practices of EU Member States to the Ukrainian NSDI under conditions of military constraints and European integration. The study aims to identify effective models for the coordination and governance of National Spatial Data Infrastructures, to assess the level of interoperability and harmonization of spatial data in the compared countries, and to determine operational approaches for enhancing the efficiency and resilience of the Ukrainian NSDI within the context of future integration into the European Data Space.
Methods. The research is based on the analysis of official documents from the European Commission, national INSPIRE Country Fiche reports, regulatory acts, and current peer-reviewed publications (2019–2025). Comparative and systemic approaches were applied to evaluate institutional models, portal architectures, and technological solutions (OGC-services, COG/STAC formats, Semantic Web, OBDA/GeoSPARQL). A structured country-by-country analysis was performed, followed by the generalization of trends and typical challenges.
Results. In Germany, the defining factor is the federal GDI-DE approach with the unified Geoportal.de and BKG coordination; in Norway, it is the centralized Kartverket model within Norway Digital, which integrates AI methods and semantic technologies; in Poland, it is the decentralized architecture of PZGiK and Geoportal.gov.pl with gradual data harmonization; in Spain, it is the multi-level IDEE network transitioning to cloud-oriented services and implementing a national remote sensing program (PNT). For Ukraine, a dual dynamic is shown: regulatory convergence with INSPIRE alongside simultaneous restrictions on openness due to the war. Operational steps are proposed, including the creation of a "curated data core" of products, the implementation of COG/STAC catalogs, and the development of product APIs and a semantic layer for register access.
Conclusions. European countries demonstrate a shift from formal INSPIRE compliance to the creation of integrated spatial data ecosystems, founded on coordination, cloud technologies, and a product-centric approach. Ukraine has all the prerequisites for applying these models: the NSDI regulatory framework and technical specifications align with European requirements; only operational mechanisms for implementation are needed. The research findings have practical significance for public administration bodies, geoportal developers, and the scientific community working on the development of the Ukrainian spatial data infrastructure in the post-war period.
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