Geodesy Supply Chain Summit

Theme: Strategic Infrastructure for Sovereignty, Economic Resilience, and Sustainable Development.

Partner Event

30 April 2026

 
 

Agenda

0930 - 1000
Opening Remarks and Launch of the UNGGCE Study (in the GKI Summit Hall)
Nicholas James Brown
Nicholas James Brown

Head of Office
United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence
Germany

Ananya Narain
Ananya Narain

Vice President - Consulting
Geospatial World
India

1015 - 1100
Redefining Geodesy as Strategic Infrastructure
Nicholas James Brown

Moderator

Nicholas James Brown

Head of Office
United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence
Germany

Deirdre Bishop
Deirdre Bishop

Associate Director - Economic Programs, US Census Bureau, USA
&
Co-Chair - The United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM)

Bonnie Samuyiwa
Bonnie Samuyiwa

Senior Policy Advisor - PNT
UK DSIT

Alejandro Guinea
Alejandro Guinea

President
EUROGI

TEO Hui Ying
TEO Hui Ying

Deputy Director - Geodesy & National Mapping
Singapore Land Authority (SLA)

1100 - 1145
Diagnosing Structural Vulnerabilities in the Global Geodesy Domain
Nicholas James Brown

Moderator

Nicholas James Brown

Head of Office
United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence
Germany

Catherine Williams
Catherine Williams

Director - Foundation GEOINT
Foundation GEOINT

Allison Rose
Allison Rose

Chief of Space Division
Geoscience
Australia

Hannu Koivula
Hannu Koivula

Director - National Land Survey
Geodesy
Finland

Gustavo Caubarrere
Gustavo Caubarrere

President -SIRGAS
Director, Military Geographic Institute of Uruguay (IGM)

Neeraj Gurjar
Neeraj Gurjar

Director, G&RB, Dehradun
Survey of India

Christopher Erickson
Christopher Erickson

Director of Positioning, Navigation and Timing & Spectrum Management
US Department of Transportation

1145 - 1330
Networking Coffee Break Followed by Lunch
1330 - 1500
Industry's Strategic Role: From Passive Stakeholder to Co-Architect
Ananya Narain

Moderator

Ananya Narain

Vice President - Consulting
Geospatial World
India

Richard Gross
Richard Gross

President International Association of Geodesy

Vibhor Jain
Vibhor Jain

Co-Founder
AeroDome Technologies Private Limited

Iain MacInnes
Iain MacInnes

Senior Director
Synspective

Col Mikko Punnala (Retd)
Col Mikko Punnala (Retd)

CEO
SharpNav
Finland

Simon Litvinov
Simon Litvinov

Co-Founder & CEO
StarGate
Luxembourg

Yudhishtir Jagadeesha
Yudhishtir Jagadeesha

Assistant Director, Promotion Directorate, Department of Space
IN-SPACe
India

After obtaining his B.Tech degree in the discipline of Aerospace engineering from IIST, he joined the Spacecraft Mechanisms Group at U.R. Rao Satellite Center. He was responsible for the design of mechanisms for deployment of appendages of a satellite namely reflectors, antennas and solar panels. Over a span of 8 years, he has contributed in his capacity as Project Manager in missions like Chandrayaan-3, SPADEX and satellites of Indian Remote Sensing Satellite Programme for delivery of mission critical deployment systems. He was also responsible for realization of test systems for carrying out Zero-G simulation tests for system qualification. He has had extensive association and collaboration for subsystem realization with industry partners catering to the Space sector. In his current role as Assistant Director at Promotion Directorate of IN-SPACe, he is tasked with the job to enhance the private sector and academia participation in a "whole of nation" approach envisaged for the space sector and broaden the launch and satellite service market.

Besides this he loves reading large chunks of new and interesting articles, reports by various agencies , and policy prescriptions . Loves to travel around the world , having stepped on 30+ countries till date.

1600 - 1645
Governance, Financing and International Cooperation for a Future-Ready Ecosystem
Ananya Narain

Moderator

Ananya Narain

Vice President - Consulting
Geospatial World
India

Nicholas James Brown
Nicholas James Brown

Head of Office
United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence
Germany

Vincent Brison
Vincent Brison

Join Office in Space Navigation
European Commission

Nicolas Paparoditis
Nicolas Paparoditis

Dy Director General
National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information (IGN)
France

Ingrid Vanden Berghe
Ingrid Vanden Berghe

Administrator General
National Institute of Geography
Belgium

James Norris
James Norris

Head of International Affairs
Ordnance Survey
UK

James Norris is Head of International Affairs at Ordnance Survey where he works to promote the vital role that geography and geospatial data has in transforming economies, sustaining the environment and using location insights for positive impacts.

James is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and is a Chartered Geographer. He joined Ordnance Survey in 2008 and has a variety of roles including corporate governance, domestic policy analysis, international policy and international relations.

James currently leads OS's International Affairs activities. This includes developing, maintaining and enhancing bilateral relationships between OS and other National Mapping Agencies, representation and leadership in intergovernmental forums such as the UN and the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). He also currently holds a leadership position within the UN-GGIM Regional Committee for Europe.

Throughout his career, James has been an advocate for early career professionals and DEI initiatives across all aspects of his work.

Overview

Geodesy, once a behind-the-scenes technical field has become a critical pillar of modern infrastructure. As economies digitalise, climate risks grow, and national systems become more interconnected, reliable geodetic data now underpins economic competitiveness, security, environmental management, and disaster resilience. Yet the global geodesy system is increasingly strained. Gaps in infrastructure, uneven investment, and low political visibility create vulnerabilities that affect navigation, climate monitoring, telecommunications, and emergency response. Despite its importance, geodesy remains underfunded and institutionally fragmented, with limited industry engagement due to unclear incentives and governance.

This summit aims to:

  • Build shared understanding of geodesy’s strategic importance.
  • Highlight structural and operational vulnerabilities.
  • Mobilise coordinated action across industry, government, science, and international bodies.

The goal is to shape a policy and investment agenda that treats geodesy as a global public good and as a foundation for sovereignty, economic resilience, and sustainable development.