Esri Ireland and Murphy Geospatial partner to use real-time data and GIS to streamline infrastructure delivery under Ireland’s €275bn National Development Plan.
Let’s face it, when it comes to infrastructure, Ireland’s recent history of delivering core projects on time and under-budget makes for a painful read.
There’s the ongoing construction of the National Children’s Hospital which is €1.25bn over-budget. There’s the putting a toll booth on the M50 when it was just a two-lane highway back in the 1990s, creating a daily traffic jam that existed for decades. And let’s not forget the ongoing failure to reopen an existing rail line connecting Meath – a commuter county with more than 100,000 people travelling daily – with Dublin. It’s worth pointing out when that rail line was initially built in 1850, it was done so with picks and shovels.
“The Government’s recent funding boost for the NDP marks the largest infrastructure investment in Irish history”
You could say that the last big infrastructure that Ireland delivered on time and under budget was probably the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric dam in 1929. That is almost a century ago!
So when the Irish Government recently revealed a record €275.4bn National Development Plan (NDP) to 2035 that will span housing, transport, and energy you’d better hope that the largest capital investment in the Irish State’s history will go to plan. Included in this, some €100bn has been earmarked for key infrastructure projects that include building bridges, roads and rail lines, that the State expects to be complete by 2030.
An eagle’s eye view on future infrastructure rollouts
A new partnership between Esri Ireland, a provider of geographic information systems (GIS) and Murphy Geospatial, a specialist in surveying and data acquisition, could signal better oversight and planning at least.
The collaboration aims to accelerate the rollout of infrastructure, urban planning, and environmental projects across Ireland by integrating advanced location intelligence and geospatial data capabilities.
As these projects become increasingly complex, the need for accurate, real-time data and spatial analytics is growing across sectors such as construction, engineering, utilities, and energy.
By combining Esri’s ArcGIS System with Murphy Geospatial’s real-time data acquisition services, the partnership will deliver actionable insights throughout the lifecycle of critical infrastructure projects. Public and private sector organisations will benefit from enhanced digital mapping, precise data capture, and improved decision-making capabilities.
“The Government’s recent funding boost for the NDP marks the largest infrastructure investment in Irish history,” said Paul Synnott, managing director of Esri Ireland. “Now, more than ever, our customers will rely on high-quality, accurate, and precise data to help them better understand the influence of location, place, and geography on their decisions. Our partnership with the team at Murphy Geospatial enables us to bring their market-leading data acquisition expertise directly to our customers. It’s a partnership that simply makes sense, combining the power of Esri’s ArcGIS system with Murphy Geospatial’s advanced data acquisition solutions to deliver value far greater than the sum of its parts.”
Murphy Geospatial uses aerial, vehicle-mounted, and terrestrial scanners to collect data, including from hard-to-reach locations. All data undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure accuracy and reliability. The integration of these capabilities with Esri’s GIS technology will streamline workflows, increase automation, and transform raw data into interactive maps and analytics.
Niall Murphy, CEO of Murphy Geospatial, explained: “Data accuracy demands are rising, and customers need confidence in their data in order to drive today’s increasingly complex projects. Data and GIS systems often live in silos, but this partnership will combine these advanced capabilities to deliver solutions to key industry challenges.
“From building bridges and developing transport lines to implementing flood relief measures, the potential of geospatial data is huge, and we look forward to leveraging location intelligence to drive further actionable insights. This partnership will accelerate project successes, add increased value, and fuel growth for both customer bases.”
So, can real-time data help reduce cost overruns in infrastructure projects? Will mapping data accelerate urban planning? It remains to be seen but as they say, what gets measured gets managed.
Image at top: Niall Murphy, CEO of Murphy Geospatial and Paul Synnott, Managing Director of Esri Ireland
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