Since the beginning of July, the Palacký University Olomouc Department of Geoinformatics and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg have been collaborating on the BorderData project, which will focus on researching cross-border links in the areas of labour market, real estate, traffic flow, and mobility using innovative data sources.
The project aims to overcome the limitations of traditional statistical methods by using new modern data sources and analytical techniques. These sources include social media data analysis, web scraping in the real estate market, the use of location data from mobile operators, and car tracking.
“Even though we have relatively high-quality statistical data on both the German and Czech sides, in many respects it is simply not enough. Our goal is to go beyond the limits of existing official statistics and explore the potential of non-traditional data sources for the purposes of cross-border cooperation,” said Vít Pászto, the project’s principal investigator.
The international project team plans to conduct case studies to develop a methodology for improving spatial monitoring of geographical phenomena and processes in regional development. The results will be published in peer-reviewed articles and should benefit local entities as well as facilitate broader international research collaboration.
“The cooperation with our German colleagues has a very interesting dynamic because we have already been successful with another joint project. In a broader consortium, we managed to obtain a rather prestigious contract within the framework of the pan-European ESPON calls,” concluded Pászto.
The BoarderData project (LUABA24029) was supported by the INTER-EXCELLENCE programme funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. More information about the project can be found here.