Natural Resources Canada Value Study (2015)

Overview

Commissioned by Natural Resources Canada and published in 2015, the Canadian Geomatics Environmental Scan and Value Study is one of the most comprehensive studies undertaken.

The scope is described as providing findings from all lines of enquiry related to the economic and non-economic benefits associated with geomatics technologies and services in Canada. In Canada, geomatics is taken to include all geospatial information activities, rather than the narrower land surveying context used in most other geographies.

The report was based upon a review of the literature and the input received during consultations with Geospatial Information (GI) suppliers in industry and government, users of GI products and services, and providers of GI education and training programs. Selected case studies were also conducted with users of GI.

Geographical scope

National level: Canada, and provincial level

Non-quantified impacts

It considered three groups of socio-economic impacts:

Geomatics Products and Services: this is the value in the Canadian economy of the provision of geomatics products and services (i.e., supply side).
Economic Productivity: this is the value in the Canadian economy of the use of geomatics products and services (i.e., demand side). The impact that geospatial information has had on the Canadian economy was estimated using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model.
Social and Environmental Benefits: these are the social and environmental benefits of the use of geomatics products and services that are difficult to quantify in economic terms.

Quantifiable impacts

The quantifiable results were estimated for 2013 as:

A supply-side impact of about 2,450 private sector geomatics firms contributing CAD 2.3 billion to the Canadian economy
A demand-side impact from the use of geospatial information of CAD 20.7 billion – or 1.1% of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Generating approximately 19,000 jobs to the Canadian economy.

Reference

The primary URL for accessing resources and greater detail concerning this study are as follows: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geomatics/canadas-spatial-data-infrastructure/cgdi-initiatives/canadian-geomatics

Region

Canada

Study type

Case studies, benefits transfer as input to Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Model

Economy sector

Water, Public Safety and Security, Disaster Risk Management, Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Land Administration, Design and Construction, Public Sector Local Government, Public Sector Central Government