The Surveying and Mapping Authority is in the midst of carrying out a five-year, EUR 48 million project called SLO4D designed to make digital data on spatial management, the environment, waters, real estate and nature interoperable. Some of the project outcomes are already being used in practice.

"Halfway into the project, the objectives are being implemented and some have already been achieved. EUR 24 million has already been deployed, 107 providers are involved, over 60% of contracting procedures have been completed," Tomaž Petek, the director of the Surveying and Mapping Authority, told the press as the organisation celebrated its 80th anniversary on 20 November.

One tangible outcome of the project is a lidar recording of Slovenia's entire territory in a much higher resolution than had been available before. The data is already available to users and makes it possible to model different processes.

For example, the lidar data is being used in the restoration of waterways damaged by the August 2023 floods, building floor plans have been converted to a vector format that is more flexible, and municipal planning data gas been aligned with the land cadastre.

"Given this progress, we are confident that by the end of the project we will have achieved all the objectives and given our users high quality, interoperable and credible spatial data on real estate, hydrography, natural resources, the environment and planning," Petek said.

The project, due for completion in June 2026, also involves the ministries of the environment and natural resources, the Environment Agency and the Water Agency. The bulk of the money comes from Next Generation EU, an EU funding facility, and the national Climate Fund.