Published on 20 May 2026

The economic value of the Confederation’s geological data

Construction projects are becoming more complex, whilst surface space is becoming scarcer. At the same time, demands on infrastructure, energy and spatial planning are increasing. Consequently, more and more projects are moving underground. To make well-informed decisions there, one thing is essential above all else: reliable geological information.

The Federal Office of Topography provides such a foundation. swisstopo collects data, develops models and makes geological knowledge accessible for a wide range of uses in various ways. The costs of data collection can be determined precisely. Two other questions are more difficult: What concrete benefits do these data provide? And how great is their economic value for users – and for society as a whole?

Roland Baumberger, Head of the Swiss Geological Survey at swisstopo, explores these questions in his Master’s thesis “The Economic Benefits of Publicly Accessible Geological Data from the Federal Government”. The study is based on a nationwide poll conducted in spring 2025 with over 400 participants from 15 sectors – ranging from geology and construction to real estate and insurance, and including tourism. The analysis thus covers not only traditional specialist applications but also broader economic perspectives.

Respondents assessed the added value of using federal geological data specifically in terms of project cost savings and reduced project durations. At the same time, the poll examined how much respondents would be willing to pay for existing but publicly unccessible data – compared to the costs of collecting their own data.

The results are clear

Those who make use of federal geological data that is publicly available save, on average, at least 10% of project costs and around 15% of project duration. These savings occur primarily because the need for costly in-house data acquisition is reduced and uncertainties regarding the subsurface can be better assessed during a project preparation.

Extrapolated to the applications examined, the picture is impressive: Over the last five years, the economic added value of using federal geological data amounts to at least CHF 7.2 billion. The additional costs that would have been incurred without the availability of these data alone are estimated at around CHF 2.44 billion. Thanks to the available data, project implementation can be significantly more efficient and cost-effective overall.

Access statistics for geological datasets 2007 – 2024 — Annual requests and downloads of geological datasets on map.geo.admin.ch (information and data products as well as derived datasets) for the period 2007 – 2024

Production costs of geological data 2007 – 2024

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The examined cost-benefit ratio confirms this picture. The production and provision costs of around CHF 142 million (2007 – 2024) are offset by an estimated benefit of around CHF 2.8 billion – based on a minimum willingness to pay an average of CHF 3,890 per dataset and over 576,000 accesses and downloads during the same period. This results in a conservatively calculated cost-benefit ratio of 1:20.

A further finding underscores the importance of data availability: whilst the willingness to pay for existing datasets is moderate, the costs of independent data collection – averaging around CHF 27,700 per dataset – are many times higher. Access to existing data thus enables significant efficiency gains and reduces barriers to market entry for many stakeholders.

For swisstopo, this is a key insight

swisstopo’s work does not end with data collection or the publication of maps and models. It has an impact where these data are used – in projects, planning and decision-making throughout Switzerland. By making its data publicly available free of charge or for a small fee, the Federal Office creates measurable added value for the economy and society. This applies not only to geological data, but also to all of swisstopo’s data and products.

The question of the value of geological data has been debated internationally since the 1980s. Thanks to Roland Baumberger’s work, reliable, empirically based figures for Switzerland are now available for the first time. They clearly show that geological data are not merely a technical foundation, but a productive economic factor with a significant impact. To put it another way: every franc that swisstopo invests in geological data generates manifold benefits for Switzerland.

Roland Baumberger heads the Swiss Geological Survey at swisstopo. As part of the “Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) in Digital Leadership” programme, he authored the master’s thesis “Economic Benefits of Publicly Accessible Geological Data from the Federal Government”.