Despite increased geospatial data availability in recent years, Spatial Data Infrastructures around the globe often don’t achieve their full potential to become comprehensive knowledge frameworks. Originally intended to be more than mere data repositories, many SDIs have devolved into simple catalogs offering data downloads and online map views, largely contained within government silos. As a result, people who might find this data useful, especially those who are outside the core geospatial community, face significant barriers to accessing and utilizing what’s available. The current top-down, government-driven model stifles innovation and does not adequately cater to user needs, making SDI increasingly obsolete in today’s data-driven world.  

To address these challenges, a shift towards data spaces organized in a more accessible way is essential. A successful approach will require flexible, user-driven, and service-oriented systems that engage users actively in the data creation, exchange, processing, and analytics process. And decision-makers in government and beyond must foster public-private collaboration and create sustainable business models.  

The future of geospatial data infrastructure is likely to be a hybrid model, combining elements of traditional SDIs with new approaches that are more user-centric, data-driven, and technologically advanced. This shift will transform infrastructure from a repository to a platform for geospatial innovation.