An analysis by Deloitte Access Economics reveals that for every euro invested in GBIF there is a return of €3 in direct benefits to users and up to €12 to society. These data result from the first economic valuation of the GBIF network, infrastructure and services , and are part of several conclusions highlighted by the report Economic valuation and assessent of the impact of the GBIF network, prepared and published by that entity.
Deloitte's team of economists used several analytical methods to produce this estimate. The report places the annual value of benefits for GBIF users at 48 million euros, based on a total investment of 15 million euros (about 5 million euros at the International Secretariat level plus 10 million euros at the level of the national nodes and other activities). The indirect benefits for society can reach 185 million euros per year.
Other key findings from the report include:
- GBIF expands the scope of what is possible to accomplish . Nearly half (47 percent) of all users surveyed by Deloitte reported that it would have been impossible to conduct their investigation in the absence of GBIF.
- "The most substantial and quantifiable benefit of GBIF" is an estimated average time savings of 64 hours per user to find data through alternative sources.
- Nearly all users (92 percent) linked their use of GBIF-mediated data to contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals .
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