52°North is devoted to spatial information research. As a non-profit company in Münster, we support open science through open data and open source software. Our major interest is in developing spatial research data infrastructures to foster the derivation of information from data. Turning data into information is the key to making informed decisions. Through Spatial Information Research, 52°North develops methods, technologies and solutions to support the information generation, and hence the decision process. We are spatial data enthusiasts!

Our team knows how to integrate data provided from a range of sources – from in situ to satellite – and we contribute to a variety of application domains. We conduct applied research in the field of spatial data and we also support open science with powerful Geo-IT solutions from data harmonization, processing, analysis to visualization.

52°North partners closely with universities to regularly offer courses and seminars. We foster interns and engage in international development initiatives. Contributing to international standardization, we are an active Open Geospatial Consortium member and contribute to  a number of boards regionally and internationally.

Our team of data scientists and research software engineers explores and researches analytical tools from linear statistics, recent multivariate distributions to modern machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches. We develop an appropriate solution for the problem at hand given the data available. A prerequisite is a solid data and business understanding. Our work in KI:STE focuses on the development of the Spatial Research Data Infrastructure (SRDI) and associated interfaces that will supply the AI processing platforms with data. A requirements analysis (conducted with Ambrosys) provides the basis for defining and developing interfaces for data acquisition and provision. The platform must react flexibly to the requirements of the AI algorithm requesting data in order to be able to provide them for various processing workflows and environments.

At 52°North, we believe that open science based on open data and open source software is essential to tackle societal challenges. 52°North explores recent developments and research results to adapt these to the field of spatial information research. Based on a co-development process, we tailor these solutions to the needs of customers and partners. This leads to added value innovations and professional services for public administration and industry.