Interoperability of the built environment information

A plethora of information important to society is related to the built environment and this information must be easily accessible and available. The information must also be in an interoperable format so that the utilisation of shared knowledge capital can achieve cost and time benefits for the built environment operators in both the private and public sector.

Interoperability means that all the bodies processing the information understand the shared terms in the same way. Furthermore, the meaning of the information does not change when the information is transferred between different information systems.

The Act on Data Management in Public Administration (HE 284/2018 vp) requires the ministries to maintain interoperability principles in their own branch of activity. The Ministry of the Environment is mainly in charge of the management and interoperability of the built environment information. Interoperability is promoted at the Ministry of the Environment as part of the Ryhti project.

Cooperation committee for the interoperability of the built environment information

In December 2019, the Ministry of the Environment appointed a comprehensive cooperation committee to ensure the interoperability of the built environment information, increase relevant competence, identify the development needs of legislation and enable expansive interaction with the stakeholders. The cooperation committee brings together both public and private sector operators from the industries of property, construction and land use planning.

The cooperation committee also includes a secretariat and three theme groups: Semantic Interoperability, Enterprise Architecture and Standardisation The theme groups’ work is open co-development in which all interested parties can register to participate – either to participate actively or to monitor. In order to register, send an email to the address [email protected] Experts who work in the built environment interoperability at the Ministry of the Environment are also contactable at the same address.

More information

Juha-Pekka Maijala, Senior Engineer 
Ministry of the Environment, Department of the Built Environment, Housing and Cultural Environments 0295250173  


Anssi Hänninen, Senior Specialist 
Ministry of the Environment, Department of the Built Environment, Housing and Cultural Environments 0295250451