Spatial data is key to innovation where we live.

This understanding is crucial to our outlook at 2thinknow, where it has been integral to the development of the innovation cities index and program.

Google, as a smart global business, also knows this.

In the mid-20th century Geography departments of Universities were gutted, and many branches of the social science made less prominent. Perhaps this was due to a new base of theory, and Modernist confidence that we could build solutions to city and regional problems.

Bridges, airlines, highways, rails. We seemed to conquer geography. The world seemed infinitely controllable. Today, too much of our policy responses are 'stuck' in this paradigm of 'asserting control and externalising costs'.

Many are fascinated with a 'command-and-control' China, whilst Europe continues to surge ahead as a Lisbon treaty rolls onward. Europe is far bigger economically than China.

One reason for Europe's surge is that the issue of clean mobility, in times of climate change and emergence of a much-hyped open digital connectivity, has brought us back to reality. Conversely, this has brought geography back in the guise of the new field of Spatial Data; with dynamic new tools such as Google maps, street views & mash-ups.

In short, we have discovered resources are finite again. So mapping those resources has again become the key to our analysis and innovation.

A pivotal voice on the topic of geography impacting the economic wealth of nations is David Landes in 'The Wealth & Poverty of Nations'. Landes is a renowned Harvard Professor Emeritus of history and economics.

In synch with Landes’ ideas, when benchmarking innovation in cities (www.innovation-cities.com), 2thinknow allocate a sizable portion of the analysis to geographic considerations: an even greater proportion is allocated to food, ports, water & energy; all geographically dependant. In all, this approaches 30% of a city's benchmark scores.

Our innovation cities models have taken 4 years to develop, and spatial data is integral.

As a trend spatial data will continue to over-influence innovation over the foreseeable 25 year plus future, but not in the ways of the past. So business needs to see the opportunities and Government the risks, of spatial data. It's a brave new world that we forgot about for awhile.

And it's a global world.

Christopher Hire is Executive Director of 2thinknow, providing independent analysis to business, and high-level advice into responses of Government to innovation. He started in ICT analysis in 1998. Christopher can be contacted via 2thinknow.com or twitter: @christopherhire/