Lack of spatial soil data in digital form has been a primary obstacle in establishing European policies on land use and environmental protection. Abundant data on soil characteristics exist in Finland but have been scattered among various sources, making it difficult for authorities to make country-wide presentations and predictions.The objective of the project was to create georeferenced soil map and database according to the instructions of the European Soil Bureau using data from existing databases and collecting some new data. The basis of the work was a geological map of quaternary deposits, which describes the soil at a depth of 1 metrem (parent material) according to the Finnish classification based on the concentration of organic matter and the texture of mineral material. Primary research topics included generalization methodology of soil polygons with GIS technology, calculation of soil characteristics needed in the database and computerizing the existing non-digital soil information. It was proved that aerial geophysics can be used for separation of shallow peats from deep peat soils and muddy soils and other wet areas can be identified. Soil names according to the FAO/Unesco system and the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB-2014) were derived from the soil names of the Finnish soil classification system and geophysical data. Soilscape (Soil Mapping Units) of Finland with WRB-2014 soil classification, intented to be used in European scale e.g to delineate risk areas mentioned in soil framework directive proposal.

The Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) developed a method called multi-source national forest inventory (MS-NFI). The first operative results were calculated in 1990. Small area forest resource estimates, in here municipality level estimates, and estimates of variables in map form are calculated using field data from the Finnish national forest inventory, satellite images and other digital georeferenced data, such as topographic database of the National Land Survey of Finland. Nine sets of estimates have been produced for the most part of the country until now and eight sets for Lapland. The number of the map form themes in the most recent version, from year 2017, is 45. In addition to the volumes by tree species and timber assortments, the biomass by tree species groups and tree compartments have been estimated. The first country level estimates correspond to years 1990-1994. The most recent versions are from years 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. The maps from 2017 is the fifth set of products freely available. It is also the third set produced by the Natural Resources Institute Finland. A new set of the products will be produced annually or biannually in the future. The maps are in a raster format with a pixel size of 16m x 16m (from 2013) and in the ETRS-TM35FIN coordinate system. The products cover the combined land categories forest land, poorly productive forest land and unproductive land. The other land categories as well as water bodies have been delineated out using the elements of the topographic database of the Land Survey of Finland.

The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) has carried out systematic aerogeophysical low-altitude surveys during the period 1972-2007. The flight altitude (main terrain clearance) has been 30-40 m with a nominal flight line spacing of 200 m. The standard flight lines chosen run North-South and East-West and follow the main geological trends. The distance between the measuring points along the survey lines has been 6-50 m. The geophysical parameters measured include Earth's magnetic field, the electromagnetic field and natural gamma radiation. Magnetic measurements determine the Earth's magnetic field strength (magnetic flux density), and the parameter obtained is the total magnetic intensity. The measurements have been made with one to three proton magnetometers until 1991 and thereafter with one or two cesium magnetometers. Most of the land area has been flown using two magnetometers.

The Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) developed a method called multi-source national forest inventory (MS-NFI). The first operative results were calculated in 1990. Small area forest resource estimates, in here municipality level estimates, and estimates of variables in map form are calculated using field data from the Finnish national forest inventory, satellite images and other digital georeferenced data, such as topographic database of the National Land Survey of Finland. Five sets of estimates have been produced for the most part of the country until now and four sets for Lapland. The number of the map form themes in the most recent version, from year 2009, is 43. In addition to the volumes by tree species and timber assortments, the biomass by tree species groups and tree compartments have been estimated. The first country level estimates correspond to years 1990-1994. The most recent versions are from years 2005, 2007 and 2009. MS-NFI 2011 will be ready early 2013. The first set of the products freely available are from year 2009. The new set of the products will be produced annually or biannually in the future. The map from products are in a raster format with a pixel size of 20mx20m and in ETRS-TM35FIN coordinate system. The products cover the combined land categories forest land, poorly productive forest land and unproductive land. The other land categories as well as water bodies have been delineated out using the elements of topographic database of the Land Survey of Finland.