swisstopo 2020 Folio Focus on Added Value 20 years of Federal Coordination of Geoinformation where knowing swisstopo Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft Federal Office of Topography swisstopo Confédération suisse www.swisstopo.ch Confederazione Svizzera Confederaziun svizra Coordinating Agency for Federal Geographical Information GCG www.geo.admin.ch Ittigen, coordinates 2 603 152, 1 202 514, 522 metres above sea level swisstopo Folio 2020 Contents Foreword by Federal Councillor Viola Amherd, Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) 2 Foreword by Fridolin Wicki, Director of the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo 3 Innovative, far-sighted and courageous 20 years of coordination of geoinformation in the federal administration 6 Turning data into knowledge for all Milestones, awards and statements by involved players 10 “Green” means low risk Ski touring guides would be lost without the geodata and maps provided by swisstopo 14 Knowing from where the wind is blowing Greater visibility for the weather-related data from SwissMeteo 18 Carrying out research and learning playfully How students learn to work with geodata thanks to sCHoolmaps.ch 20 Designing the future with permaculture Permaculture designers use map.geo.admin.ch as a basis and an auxiliary tool 22 Less noise means better living conditions How the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) develops strategies aimed at reducing noise 24 “Full charge, please!” Use of real-time data on the “Electric Mobility Roadmap” website (www.ich-tanke-strom.ch) 26 Outlook Geodata will provide answers to questions we have to face 28 1 swisstopo Folio 2020 Dear Reader, “The coordination of geoinformation throughout the federal administration is a success story in Switzerland from which every citizen is able to benefit.” When COGIS – the division responsible for the coordination expert and flexible partners such as COGIS who are able to of geoinformation and services throughout the federal react swiftly and offer sound solutions. administration – was established on 1 January 2000, I was officiating as vice president of the municipality of Brig-Glis. The coordination of geodata during the past twenty years Back then I would have been very happy if COGIS had has been a success story not only for COGIS and swisstopo, already been in existence for some time: if it had, we would but also for all the authorities involved in the coordinating have been able to save a great deal of time and effort in agency for Federal geographical information. The latter does so many ways. not only hold discussions – through its cooperation with the cantons and municipalities it has also achieved a great deal Coordinating geoinformation throughout the federal in practice. administration simplifies the tasks for everyone who needs the data for one reason or another. And in Switzerland, I would like to thank the specialists at COGIS as well as that means most of us. We all benefit from the high-quality the personnel of all the authorities participating in the and standardised data and services provided by COGIS, coordinating agency for Federal geographical information including at the political level, in the public sector, in trade and everyone at swisstopo who has performed such valuable and industry, in science and education, as well as in private services during the past twenty years. I look forward to households. continuing to work together with everyone in the future. But what COGIS does is not only highly valuable, it is also Viola Amherd a matter of security: in times of crisis such as we are Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department currently experiencing due to the outbreak of the corona of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) virus, it is particularly important for us to have access to up-to-date and reliable datasets that can be processed beyond cantonal and municipal borders, as well as language and cultural boundaries. The federal authorities need 2 swisstopo Folio 2020 Dear Reader, “With the map.geo.admin federal geoportal, COGIS has created something that enables the federal government to provide an enormous benefit for everyone and save a great deal of money at the same time.” On 1 January 2000 a new unit was launched at swisstopo: heavily frequented websites of the Federal Office of the COGIS (Coordination, Geoinformation and Services) Public Health (FOPH) remained at users’ disposal. They also administrative unit. Its mandate: to secure coordination in supported the Federal Customs Administration in that the field of geoinformation so that it would not be necessary they showed it the 2,086 routes that lead into Switzerland for each federal office and each canton to develop its own via its national borders. infrastructure. But of course, cooperation is always the key. Without the COGIS was small and flexible and was initially manned active support of the involved federal administration units, by a crew of just four. It turned out that they were the right COGIS would not have been able to develop as it did. people to get COGIS sailing smoothly, despite some strong I wish to take this opportunity to sincerely thank them for headwinds. Their formula for success: they chose their route their valued support and I look forward to continued so that they had the wind at their back. In other words, cooperation with them in the next few years. they brought all involved players on board and set their sights on joint solutions. Everyone was encouraged to state The examples presented in this year’s Folio indicate the their requirements and voice their own opinions. This enormous added value that the activities of COGIS have form of cooperation was unparalleled in the federal adminis- created in the past 20 years. I trust you will find this edition tration, and proved to be a recipe for success. interesting and informative! Under the influence of COGIS, swisstopo was transformed Fridolin Wicki from a producer of geodata and creator of maps into a Director of the Federal Office of Topography comprehensive service centre. And COGIS, too, continued to (swisstopo) and Chairman of the Coordinating Agency evolve. What started out as a very small unit is now a for Federal Geographical Information (GCG) full-blown division with around 60 employees, and it is still running smoothly even in the midst of the current crisis. Thanks to their experience, even during the corona virus crisis our specialists at COGIS were able to ensure that the 3 “In the past I spent much more time searching for information. Now I can find everything on map.geo.admin.ch.” Marcus Pan, permaculture designer and initiator, designer and implementer of the “Auenhof Permaculture“ project, Feldbach 4 5 Feldbach/Hombrechtikon, coordinates 2 700 848, 1 232 621, 431 metres above sea level swisstopo Folio 2020 Innovative, far-sighted and courageous The Coordination, Geoinformation and Services division has been shaped by its history of pioneering spirit, readiness to cooperate and courage within its management to break new ground. In a round table discussion, three directors of swisstopo talked about the evolution of COGIS (Coordination, Geoinformation and Services) from an administrative unit to the third largest division of the Federal Office of Topography. COGIS was launched in February 1998. At that efficient, popular public resource which also pro- The team. The COGIS product group team time, a federal resolution called for the Federal vides the other federal authorities with valuable commenced work on 1 January 2000. At that Directorate of Cadastral Surveying to be inte- services. But let us go back to the beginning. time it was an administrative unit that was grated into swisstopo and for these two entities housed in a building opposite the premises of Resources. swisstopo was designated a “FLAG” to jointly create a geoinformation coordination swisstopo in Wabern. For a long time, the team unit (FLAG = managed with a service level agree- unit. The original reason for this move was to cut comprised four personnel, but today COGIS is a ment and global budget) in 1997. This proved to costs based on the principle that not every division with around 60 employees and is the be a wise move because it opened up the neces- federal unit should have to develop its own third largest after Topography and Cartography. sary room for manoeuvre for the coordination of infra structure. The added value that resulted from It is therefore not difficult to judge the impor- geoinformation and services, for instance by this move only became apparent in the course tance that COGIS has attained in the 20 years of recruiting suitable personnel for establishing and of time. The online map viewer, which was its existence. Not all the posts were newly successfully developing it. introduced in 2010 as an integral part of the created; many of them were transferred internally federal geoportal (geo.admin.ch), is a highly from swisstopo to COGIS. 6 From left to right: Erich Gubler, Jean-Philippe Amstein, Fridolin Wicki. Need for tact and diplomacy. For the initial Far-sightedness. The performance, expertise, 20 years of COGIS: coordination of team it was clear right from the start that, if the social skills and professional approach of its geoinformation and services new entity was to be successful, it would be employees were decisive factors for the success Since 2000, the COGIS division has been necessary to integrate the whole range of players, of COGIS. They not only had a thorough under- responsible for coordinating the activities of the i.e. other federal offices and the cantons. standing of their specific tasks, but also had the federal administration in the areas of geodata This called for a considerable degree of tact and courage to adopt fresh approaches and break and geoinformation systems.