Understanding the future of the Finnish cadastral system – A Delphi study

Decision-makers in the field of land administration and surveying need a broad understanding of emerging developments that are expected to shape the future of the industry. This study examines the relative perceived importance of several megatrends in the context of cadastral systems. In addition, we discuss the implications of relevant megatrends for the Finnish cadastral system and synthesize the anticipated impacts into key points. Our results are based on a two-round Delphi survey among Finnish experts in cadastral systems. The respondents identified digital culture, ubiquitous intelligence, and a tendency towards transparency, accessibility, and open data as the most important megatrends shaping the future of the Finnish cadastral system. Technological megatrends were also expected to have major impacts on the Finnish cadastral system by 2035. According to the panel technological advances will shape user preferences in the future. They anticipate that new forms of public services and collaboration between the public and private sectors in producing cadastral information will emerge by 2035. Our results indicate that Finnish experts view the development of the cadastral system as a technology-driven process.