Have you heard of the phrase “digital dark ages?”. Despite increasing investment in data and analytics, many organizations are quietly drifting away from disciplined, standards driven, data-first management. The refrain “AI will solve that” grows louder, even as large volumes of poorly governed data continue to age, fragment and lose value. Advanced analytics cannot compensate for data that are poorly documented, inaccessible or unfit for reuse.

The concept of the digital dark ages was raised in the late 1990s with the example of 1969-72 Apollo Lunar data held on magnetic tapes that were mostly discoverable, but no longer accessible or re-usable. They were in an undescribed format, and the data managers of the time had long since moved on. This data interoperability problem was eventually solved by NASA, but at great cost. Many will recognize this risk within their own organizations.

In the geospatial data domain where the value proposition is clear. The effective use of geospatial information to support policy, sustainable development and national decision making is well understood. Geospatial data create real value only when they can be easily found, shared, combined and reused – in other words, when they are “FAIR and Square” (both an acronym of FAIR Data Principles and an English idiom meaning “in an honest, impartial way and without any doubt”).

For the past 30 years, ISO/TC 211 geospatial standards have provided internationally recognized foundations to make this value possible. They set common, trusted rules for how location-based data are described, exchanged and understood; helping organizations move beyond data silos and one-off solutions. ISO/TC 211 standards also support reusability by encouraging transparency about data quality, provenance, and conditions of use, so users can confidently assess fitness for purpose.

For leaders, the implications are strategic. Using these standards means better return on data investments, stronger collaboration, and more reliable evidence for decision-making. Adopting ISO geospatial standards helps ensure geospatial data are a trusted, shareable asset that is truly “FAIR and Square”, now and into the future.