OGC Collaborative Solutions and Innovation Program (COSI)

The OGC Collaborative Solutions and Innovation Program (COSI) bundles various core competencies of the OGC: The OGC Collaborative Solutions and Innovation Program (COSI) is the OGC’s experimentation lab, capacity development center, and collaborative solutions program. At OGC, members collaboratively solve the biggest challenges in geospatial IT, provide consulting services, and develop concepts and technologies that help improve geospatial data handling.

COSI is based on a twin-track concept: On the one hand, it pools expertise within the OGC. All OGC members can define challenges or issues to be solved by COSI. The COSI team then brings together selected members of the OGC community, redistributes the funds provided by the client, and coordinates the development of solutions.

On the other hand, the OGC COSI team has internal resources at its disposal. These work on future-oriented research questions on the use, integration, and processing of data that are not currently the focus of other OGC members. The COSI team develops internal solutions such as OGC Rainbow, which supports standardization within the OGC as a central element and is now also used as a central element in ISO TC 211.

In addition, the OGC COSI team advises on issues relating to the standards-based use and processing of data, helps to set up complex technical or administrative architectures such as Spatial Data Infrastructures, and supports their development by organizing workshops and events.

OGC COSI Initiatives

With its expertise, OGC COSI addresses the entire landscape of geodata processing in theory and practice. It serves a wide variety of disciplines and domains. The philosophy of the OGC is reflected in all activities. This is reflected in the fact that open, freely available standards and standards-based solutions for the greatest possible flexibility, performance, and independence from manufacturers or providers are always sought. 

OGC COSI carries out all work within the framework of initiatives. The key to COSI’s success is the collaborative solution of any problem, with each participating organization retaining copyright ownership of its original work. Only the collaboratively developed results documented in official deliverables exclusively belong to and are owned by OGC (see OGC COSI IP Rights & Rules). OGC COSI initiatives are detailed in the OGC COSI Policies & Procedures.

OGC COSI initiatives cover a broad spectrum of research, demonstration, and consulting services. Great emphasis is placed on open, standards-based, vendor-independent solutions. OGC COSI research and demonstration initiatives do not develop operational products, but prototypes that demonstrate possible solutions to a problem. It is then up to the sponsor to independently commission the actual development of the operational system. 

OGC COSI advises with its expertise in the following areas 

• Use of standards
• Development of standards-based architectures and systems
• On all questions relating to standards-based, open systems
• Questions on policies and governance for data

OGC COSI consulting services focus on advising on the use of standards, the development of standards-based architectures, and all issues relating to standards-based, open systems. The OGC advises on policies and governance but does not make recommendations for or against specific products. 

OGC COSI provides sustainable support for standardization through rapid prototyping, testing, and validation of technologies. As part of an initiative, OGC members test and validate draft specifications to meet geospatial data interoperability requirements in real-world scenarios, business cases, and applied research topics.

This approach not only promotes rapid technology development but also determines the technological maturity of potential solutions and increases the acceptance of the technology on the market.Over the last two decades, OGC has completed more than 140 initiatives and redistributed millions of Dollars to its member organizations. Currently, ongoing initiatives are listed here.

Become a Sponsor

The OGC COSI Program offers far-reaching benefits for sponsors: 

• Minimize technology risks while accelerating solution development through a collaborative approach
• You work with the world’s leading teams and facilities while maintaining vendor independence
• Thanks to the multi-disciplinary COSI Program, you will have access to the world’s best expertise on all aspects of geoinformatics 
• Participate in a cost-effective method of sharing expertise and development.
• Stay at the forefront of technological and organizational trends and demonstrate leadership
• Expand your market by adopting new standards and best practices in the industry

Become a Participant

The OGC COSI Program offers extensive benefits for participating OGC members: 

• Access to funded research & development 
• Reduced development costs, risks, and lead-time of new products or solutions 
• Close relationships with potential customers 
• First-to-market competitive advantage on the latest geospatial innovations 
• Influence on the development of global standards 
• Partnership opportunities within our community of experts 
• Broader market reach via the recognition that OGC standards bring

Become a Consultant

To best support these initiatives’ technical architecture and management, the OGC Collaborative Solutions and Innovation Program relies on a Collaborative Solutions and Innovation Program Pool. The Pool is a set of worldwide OGC member experts in various domains who have been pre-qualified to support future OGC initiatives.You will find all further information and the opportunity to apply directly to the OGC as a consultant.