Tech businesses, start-up companies and educational institutions are set to benefit from a new data hub launched Thursday by Western Australia’s Landgate. The new hub, named SPUR, aims to bring together a selection of Landgate services to support interested businesses and groups to develop new products, services and research projects.

SPUR will provide technology-based businesses, start-up companies and educational institutions with access to a range of resources and networking opportunities to support new technologies and industries.

In lunching SPUR, Lands Minister Terry Redman launched highlighted a number of benefits participants will receive: “This new data hub will offer developer licences and enable these groups to explore Government location data including information relating to property, roads, imagery and geography,” he said.

“For example, a start-up business wanting to produce an app for the property industry would be able to access location data relating to house valuations and sale prices through SPUR to use in the early stages of developing their product.

“Landgate has already helped a number of local start-ups to create prototypes of public safety, mining and other applications that use location information.”

Groups will also have the opportunity to network at SPUR events where they will be encouraged to collaborate to help solve industry and Government challenges using location data.

“They will be able to apply for innovation grants and seed funding through Landgate to help with the development of technologies and products that use location data,” the Minister said.

“This will be through an open, competitive application process.

“I would encourage anyone interested to visit the SPUR website where they can find out more and apply to access the services and products available.”

For more information, visit http://www.spur.wa.gov.au