Bluesky Geospatial Joins Ireland’s Growing Geographic Information Industry

UK aerial survey company Bluesky has expanded its international operation with the launch of its first wholly-owned regional subsidiary. Set up to service the Republic of Ireland, Bluesky Geospatial will offer a complete sales and marketing function, servicing the rapidly expanding Irish Geographic Information (GI) market recently estimated with a total economy wide impact value of €126.4 million. Business and sales enquiries will continue to be managed by Robert Loughran, International Sales Manager, from the regional headquarters based in the City Gate development in Mahon, Cork.

“The mapping and geographic information industry in Ireland has expanded significantly in recent years with a growth in digitalisation and location based services, and recently published evidence indicates that geographic information plays an important role in the Irish economy in terms of output, employment and value added,” commented Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director of Bluesky. “It was therefore an opportune time for us to cement our already established position within this exciting market place with the announcement of our first international subsidiary.”

Bluesky originally announced its plans to capture high resolution aerial photography and colour infrared imagery for the whole of The Republic of Ireland in 2014, and began flying as planned during the spring of 2015. Flying recommenced in March 2016, and Bluesky has already committed to a three-year update cycle for core data products. Products already available from Bluesky Geospatial include 25 cm and 20 cm resolution aerial photography coverage for nearly 22,000 square kilometres. This includes either complete or partial coverage over counties Carlow, Cavan, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow, and higher resolution, 12.5 cm and 10 cm, data for urban areas including Sligo, Limerick, New Ross, Enniscorthy, Gorey and Wexford.

In addition to the aerial photography and CIR imagery already captured, national Digital Terrain Models (DTM) at 2m resolution and Digital Surface Models (DSM) at 25 cm resolution, are being created. The first datasets, available in a variety of GIS ready formats, have already been delivered to clients and have been well received.

CONTACTS:
Laura Eddy, Bluesky, tel +44 (0)1530 518 518, [email protected], www.bluesky-world.com