Centre Régional Auvergne - Rhône - Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG)

What Centre Régional Auvergne - Rhône - Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG) does

CRAIG (Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique) is a French public-interest group (Groupement d'Intérêt Public, GIP) established in 2011 and headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France. It operates as the sole regional public infrastructure for geographic information across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, serving approximately 30 public sector members including the regional council, 12 departmental councils, multiple metropolises and agglomerations (Lyon, Grenoble, Saint-Étienne, Clermont-Ferrand), and the IGN (Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière). CRAIG functions as a one-stop platform that aggregates, processes, and redistributes geographic reference data (orthophotography, LiDAR HD, 3D building models, cadastral data, PCRS, altimetry, thermography) and provides application services (Cadastrapp, MapStore viewer, DT-DiCT portals, GéoDrive downloads, GéoCat metadata catalog, NTRIP caster) for territorial management, urban planning, and regulatory compliance.

The platform is built entirely on open standards and open-source software, including OGC-compliant services (WMS/WMTS/WFS), Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF, QGIS plugins (the CRAIG plugin and QSunPotential), and the geOrchestra SDI stack including MapStore and GeoNetwork. CRAIG also co-finances and operates the Centipède GNSS RTK network in partnership with INRAE, providing centimeter-level positioning. Designated as the Autorité Publique Locale Compétente (APLC) for PCRS coordination and the regional INSPIRE directive coordinator, CRAIG holds formal regulatory mandates that anchor its role in the regional ecosystem. CRAIG operates with a team of approximately 12 staff members serving the entire Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes territory (~70,000 km²).

CRAIG's business model is anchored in public-sector membership dues plus project-based co-financing and training revenue. It offers three subscription tiers — Standard (free), Cadastre (mid-tier), and Integral (full access) — with member contributions varying by tier and territory. Discrete project contracts (e.g., €319,000 for Métropole de Lyon high-precision acquisition, €122,821 for La Dombes LiDAR, €120,000 for 3D experimentation, €53,160 for LiDARVERNE, €30,000 for Grand Clermont land use update) supplement recurring membership revenue. Paid training programs (QGIS Initiation/Advanced, Cadastrapp, GéoCat) registered with DREETS are priced at €300 per person per day for Integral subscribers and €500 for non-subscribers. Data is also published under the Etalab Open License, supporting free redistribution and adoption across the regional public sector.

Name

Centre Régional Auvergne - Rhône - Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG)

Legal name

Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique

Website

https://craig.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CRAIG is a French public-interest group (GIP) serving as the sole regional geographic information infrastructure for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, providing GIS data, cadastral tools, PCRS, 3D building models, GNSS RTK corrections, and training to approximately 30 public sector members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geographic Information Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Geocoding, Search & Place Data Platforms (BPAMANAC)

Keywords

• Geographic information systems
• Spatial data infrastructure
• Public sector GIS services
• LiDAR data acquisition
• Cadastral data management

Headquarters

HQ city

Clermont-Ferrand

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Membership Dues: CRAIG operates as a Groupement d'Intérêt Public (GIP), funded by contributions from its public sector members including the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, departmental councils, metropolises, agglomerations, and the IGN. Funding supports the acquisition, production, and dissemination of regional geographic data.
2. Service Subscription Tiers: CRAIG offers three membership tiers: Standard (free, basic catalog and open data access), Cadastre (mid-tier, cadastral data access via Cadastrapp and GéoDrive), and Integral (full access including PCRS, MAJIC, DT-DiCT portals, QGIS plugins, and GNSS corrections). Subscription levels determine data access scope and geographic coverage.
3. Training Services: CRAIG delivers paid training programs on QGIS (Initiation and Advanced), Cadastrapp, and GéoCat. Training is registered with DREETS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (N° 83 63 04265 63). Pricing varies by membership status, from free for GIP members (up to 5 persons/year) to €300–500 per person per day for external participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CRAIG operates as a regional geographic information resource center for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It acquires, processes, catalogs, and disseminates geospatial reference data (orthophotography, LiDAR, 3D buildings, cadastral data, PCRS, thermography, land-use data) and provides multi-channel access through a web platform (IDS), OGC-compliant streaming services, QGIS plugins, and a GNSS RTK correction network. Subscribing public sector members access data via three subscription tiers (Standard, Cadastre, Integral), with training and project coordination services supporting adoption.

Product overview

CRAIG operates as a regional resource center for geographic information serving public authorities in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The platform architecture consists of a suite of interconnected data access and management services built around a central data portal (IDS platform). The core product portfolio includes Cadastrapp for cadastral data consultation, GéoDrive for reference geographic data downloads, GéoCat for metadata cataloging, DT-DiCT for construction declaration procedures, MapStore for cartographic visualization, and GéoFlux/GéoCat for OGC-standard data streaming. Supporting these are specialized data products including IGN geographic reference data (BD TOPO, BD ORTHO, RGE Alti), cadastral documentation (PCI, MAJIC III), PCRS (Plan Corps de Rue Simplifié) for underground network safety, aerial photography with orthophotoplans, LiDAR HD altimetric data, Bâti3D 3D building models, photovoltaic potential analysis, thermography for urban heat mapping, and land occupation data. CRAIG also develops QGIS plugins (CRAIG and QSunPotential) and provides access to the Centipède GNSS network for RTK positioning. Data is delivered through multiple channels: direct downloads via GéoDrive, OGC streaming services (WMS/WFS/WMTS), Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF format, and an Open Data portal under the Etalab Open License. Training services complement the technical offerings with QGIS and cadastral consultation courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cadastrapp

Quantifiable outcome

• Near-complete LiDAR HD coverage of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (~66,570 km²) as of September 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021INRAE hosts and supports the Centipède GNSS RTK network, a collaborative open GNSS network. CRAIG has been supporting its members in the Centipède project since 2021, financing and maintaining new GNSS base stations across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and contributing to the RTK-AURA network (Complementing Centipède-RTK).
• GIP RECIAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CRAIG collaborates with GIP RECIA for maintaining and updating the geographic base map (fond de plan) through its partnership with GIP RECIA, SDEY, and OPENIG. RECIA is also the lead for the Do.TeRR GéoCentre program hosting GeoDataDays 2026.
• Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2011IGN is a founding and permanent member of the CRAIG GIP, represented in the General Assembly. IGN provides geographic reference data (BD ORTHO, BD TOPO, RGE Alti, SCAN maps) that CRAIG rediffuses to regional public sector members. IGN and CRAIG jointly coordinate PCRS production and INSPIRE directive compliance. IGN also hosts its own data centers within CRAIG's datacenter infrastructure.
• Observatoire Physique du Globe de Clermont-Ferrand (OPGC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010OPGC and the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme de Clermont-Ferrand initiated the LiDARVERNE project in 2010, aiming to produce a high-resolution DTM of the Puy de Dôme for archaeological and volcanological research. The resulting data supported the UNESCO World Heritage nomination of Chaîne des Puys - faille de la Limagne.
• DiCT Assistance (Groupe NAT)coreTechnology or IntegrationCRAIG partners with DiCT Assistance (part of Groupe NAT, one of four INERIS-accredited providers) to deliver integrated DT-DiCT web portals for network operators and project declarants. DiCT Assistance provides the technical platform; CRAIG integrates and distributes the service to its members under the Integral subscription tier.
• OSGeo-FR (Open Source Geospatial Foundation France)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRAIG contributes to the francophone QGIS user group hosted within OSGeo-FR. CRAIG sponsors the annual QGIS francophone encounters (Or sponsor since 2024) and develops and maintains QGIS plugins distributed through the official repository.
• Geo2FrancemoderateTechnology or IntegrationCRAIG's QGIS plugin is a fork of Geo2France's (Région Hauts-de-France) QGIS plugin. Code is shared on a joint GitHub repository (github.com/geo2france/idg-qgis-plugin), with CRAIG maintaining its own fork adapted for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes territory and data catalog.
• GeoSolutionsmoderateTechnology or IntegrationGeoSolutions develops MapStore, the geographic data viewer used by CRAIG (as part of the geOrchestra SDI platform) for map creation, management, and sharing. CRAIG deploys MapStore as its primary web GIS viewer.
• SDEY (Syndicat Départemental d'Énergie des Yvelines)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in the fond de plan (base map) data maintenance initiative alongside GIP RECIA and OPENIG.
• OPENIG (Ouvert aux Professionnels et aux Ingénieurs en Géomatique)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in the fond de plan (base map) data maintenance initiative alongside GIP RECIA and SDEY.
• Multiple La Dombes water and environmental syndicatesmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Dombes LiDAR project (2,700 km²) was made possible through a consortium including SMVV (Syndicat mixte Veyle Vivante), SRDCBS (Syndicat des rivières Dombes Chalaronne Bords de Saône), SBVR (Syndicat du bassin versant de la Reyssouze), SR3A (Syndicat de l'Ain aval), Communauté de Communes de la Dombes, 3CM (Communauté de Communes de la Côtière à Montluel), and Dombes-Saône-Vallée. The mutualization enabled cost-sharing and optimized public funding.
• Energy syndicates (syndicats d'énergie)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRAIG collaborates with departmental energy syndicates (e.g., SYDER, SIEL, SDE03) to pilot, co-finance, and update the PCRS across the region. These syndicates manage electricity and gas networks and are key stakeholders in underground network mapping.
• ENEDIS and GRDF (national network operators)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENEDIS and GRDF are national buried network operators collaborating with CRAIG in PCRS production and updates. They have regulatory obligations to provide Class A network mapping (<10 cm precision) by 2026.
• GeoFIT ExpertminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeoFIT Expert was the contractor for the Métropole de Lyon's high-precision aerial photography and orthophotography acquisition (2023–2024), under CRAIG's project management.
• SintegraminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSintegra was the contractor for the Métropole de Lyon's LiDAR acquisition (2023–2024), under CRAIG's project management. Sintegra also conducted nocturnal orthophotography on 1,240 km² for the 2025 campaign.
• Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA) — DatacentercoreTechnology or IntegrationCRAIG's websites (craig.fr and ids.craig.fr) are hosted in the Datacenter of Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA). This provides institutional-grade hosting infrastructure for CRAIG's data platforms and web services.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves2 records

Direct peers

• GéoPicardie: Regional geographic information platform for the former Picardie region (now part of Hauts-de-France). Comparable pre-merger regional GIP model to CRAIG's single-region structure.
• GéoCentre: Regional GIS platform serving the Centre-Val de Loire region, aggregating IGN data and regional reference layers for local authorities. Operates on a similar catalog/viewer/OGC stack.
• GéoBretagne: Regional geographic information partnership for Brittany, providing catalog, viewer, and OGC web services to public-sector members. Directly comparable to CRAIG in mandate, membership model, and data product portfolio (orthophotos, LiDAR, cadastral).
• PIGMA (Nouvelle-Aquitaine): Plateforme d'Information Géographique Mutualisée en Aquitaine, a regional GIS platform serving Nouvelle-Aquitaine public-sector entities. Comparable scope, technology stack, and multi-tier subscription model to CRAIG.
• Geo2France: GIP for Hauts-de-France regional geographic information, the direct model and upstream collaborator for CRAIG's QGIS plugin. Operates the same multi-tier membership model and serves a comparable mix of regional, departmental, and local-authority members.
• GéoGrandEst: Regional geographic data platform serving the Grand Est region. Offers catalog, viewer, and OGC services with a comparable membership model to local authorities and EPCI.
• GéoNormandie: Regional geographic information platform for Normandie, providing catalog, viewer, and data download services to public-sector members. Directly comparable in scope and service model to CRAIG.
• CRIGE-PACA: Centre Régional de l'Information Géographique de la région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, a regional geomatics GIP. Closely comparable in legal structure (GIP), regional scope, and public-sector member base to CRAIG.

Broad incumbents

• IGN (Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière): France's national mapping agency and CRAIG's founding strategic partner. Produces the BD ORTHO, BD TOPO, RGE Alti, and LiDAR HD reference datasets that CRAIG redistributes, while also operating parallel regional infrastructure.
• Esri France: French subsidiary of Esri, the dominant commercial GIS software vendor whose ArcGIS platform competes with the open-source QGIS/MapStore stack used by CRAIG. Engages with the same French public-sector GIS buyer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craig-aura

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre Régional Auvergne - Rhône - Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG)