University Colleges can help smaller land surveying companies in introducing new data acquisition techniques

The ever developing instruments, techniques and software are at the same time a blessing and a curse for the contemporary land surveyor. Laser scanning is one of these new techniques and although its versatility, speed and accuracy are praised in articles and on exhibitions, a lot of Belgian land surveyors are somewhat reluctant to introduce laser scanning in their own company. There is still a lot of uncertainty in regard to the efficiency of this data acquisition method and especially the processing of the data and the production of deliverables that meet the client's needs and expectations. University Colleges can contribute to stimulate the smaller land surveying companies to invest in innovation and thus maintain their competitiveness and consolidate their position in an open European market. This article describes how researchers at university colleges translate their knowledge and experience in such a way that they can support smaller companies, which do not have the resources to do their own research, in making an educated decision concerning the introduction of laser scanning in their company