Anupam Anand, an IAS officer of the 2000 batch from the Gujarat cadre. He holds a Master's degree in International Politics from School of International Studies (SIS), JNU, New Delhi, and an Executive Masters in Public Administration (EMPA) from Maxwell School, Syracuse University (USA).

Currently, Anupam Anand IAS is serving as the Joint Secretary, IN-SPACe, Ahmedabad. Over his career, he has held multiple significant roles across the Gujarat state administration.

He has an experience of more than 25 years in the Government. He has held a wide range of important assignments in various sector in the state government of Gujarat such as transport, labor, disaster management, election management, planning, power distribution, industries, urban development, municipal governance, District Administration as well as Central Government.

Archita Shaktawat is Director - Consulting at Geospatial World, with expertise in the space and geospatial industry. She holds an M.Tech in Remote Sensing, bringing a strong technical foundation to her work in market intelligence and strategic advisory.

Her expertise spans market intelligence, market sizing and forecasting, socio-economic impact assessment, industry and investment strategy, and geospatial ecosystem development, with experience working across the geospatial ecosystem, including government, industry, and institutional stakeholders.. Her work focuses on analysing market structures, growth trajectories, and the evolving role of geospatial technologies across sectors and economies.

Mike Gilbert is Vice President of Product Management at TomTom, where he leads the maps organization responsible for navigation, ADAS, and automated driving map products. He oversees product strategy and delivery for TomTom's Orbis map platform, including advanced road- and lane-level technologies used by leading automotive OEMs worldwide.

Since joining TomTom, Mike has led the transition from legacy map systems to a scalable, continuously updated platform, while strengthening product quality, governance, and global customer engagement across Europe, North America, and Asia. His work focuses on delivering production-ready map solutions that meet real-world automotive, safety, and regulatory requirements at scale.

Prior to TomTom, Mike spent more than 25 years at Microsoft in a range of product leadership roles. His experience includes operationalizing and scaling the first version of Streetside, Microsoft's street-level imagery solution, and leading product management for the Bing Maps Data Platform.

Javier de la Torre, founder and Chief Strategy Officer of CARTO, has been instrumental in advancing the geospatial industry. At CARTO, he's led innovations in location intelligence. He also serves on the Open Geospatial Consortium board, aiding in the development of standards like geoparquet.

Mark E. Reichardt has internationally recognized experience in geospatial policy, technology, and interoperability standards. As Senior Consultant at Geospatial World, LLC, he facilitates high-level forums to engage industry, government, academia and NGOs in enhancing geospatial strategies, governance, and infrastructure for sustainable development.

Previously, Mark spent nearly two decades at the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), serving as President and CEO from 2008 to 2018. In this role, he led over 500 organizations in the global development and adoption of open geospatial standards. He also represented the OGC to the UN Global Geospatial Information Management Committee of Experts and chaired the US National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC), advising the federal government on geospatial programs and the implementation of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. Mark began his career as a federal cartographer (1980-2000), specializing in map production and technology modernization programs.

Dr. Siva Ravada serves as Vice President of Development at Oracle Corporation. In this role he is responsible for development of the spatial and graph technology at Oracle. Oracle's spatial database server and related geospatial offerings are used across a wide range of applications from traditional GIS/LIS applications to business geographic applications providing location-based services.

Dr. Ravada works with many national agencies to help them define the architecture for their spatial data systems and help them guide in their implementation of spatial data platform. He is a member of program committees of several international conferences to serve the broader communities of spatial databases, Geographic Information Science and spatial computing.

Dr. Ravada is an author and contributor to numerous geospatial publications, and he holds over 40 patents in geospatial technology. Dr. Ravada received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and a B. Tech. in Computer Science & Engineering from Andhra University, India.

Avinash Viswanathan, Senior Vice President at DSM Soft is a civil engineer and a GIS professional. He has been with the organisation for over 25 years and has held diverse technical roles in geospatial, telematics and software development.

He currently leads the geospatial sales and marketing team of DSM Soft and has been instrumental in forging long-term client partnerships. He manages key accounts worldwide effectively blending strong technical expertise with commercial acumen for sustained business success.

Greg Scott is the Executive Director of the SDG Data Alliance in PVBLIC Foundation, where he leads the expansion of the Data Alliance's next phase of execution and growth, with a particular focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through PVBLIC's recent agreements with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to establish a Global Data Hub for SIDS.

Greg previously spent 12 years in the United Nations as the strategic advisor and Secretariat lead in the establishment and development of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) in New York.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Greg spent 25 years in Geoscience Australia, Australian Government's national geoscience research and Earth sciences Agency. Spanning several key roles, he delivered Australia's national topographic mapping and derivative geospatial programs, and provided independent scientific analysis and advice in the use of geospatial information for environmental management, emergency management, and critical infrastructure protection.

Greg possesses formal qualifications in Cartography and Survey Mapping from New Zealand, a Graduate Diploma in Geography from the Australian National University, and PhD in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Melbourne.

Coco is the Director of Space Applications at the Netherlands Space Agency (NLSA). With a background in geoscience and remote sensing, she has extensive experience in the satellite applications domain. Coco focuses on stimulating the development and uptake of satellite-based solutions, and on improving the alignment between supply and demand for space-based data and services across sectors.

Sallie Payne Snell is the Secretary General and Executive Director of EuroGeographics. A highly respected senior manager, she has an international network of geospatial contacts gained through extensive relationship and reputation management experience.

Sallie represents EuroGeographics in its capacity as an Observer Organisation at both the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) and UN-GGIM: Europe.

Her previous positions include Deputy Director, Association for Geographic Information and International Stakeholder Relationship Manager, Ordnance Survey. She holds a BSc in Geographical Science.

Caspar de Jonge is Program Manager of the DMI ecosystem, on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. With a background in Smart Mobility and Intelligent Transport Systems, he has led major public-private innovation programmes focused on the use of data and information technology to improve understanding and steering capabilities in urban systems and complex city challenges.

His work centres on tackling complex societal challenges - including housing, energy and climate - through an integrated, system-level approach. He connects domains, stakeholders and scales to enable coherent strategies and more effective interventions.

Within the DMI ecosystem - a partnership of over 140 organizations - he drives the development of trusted data infrastructures and interoperability, enabling rapid scaling and shared learning across organizations, sectors and regions.

Linda ter Heerdt is a Senior Strategy Advisor at the Netherlands cadastre, land registry and mapping agency (Kadaster). As chair of the Innovation Board, she plays a key role in shaping the organization's innovation agenda. Her work focuses on the intersection of innovation, strategic foresight and digital transformation to support future-readiness in the public sector.

Greg Scott is the Executive Director of the SDG Data Alliance in PVBLIC Foundation, where he leads the expansion of the Data Alliance's next phase of execution and growth, with a particular focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through PVBLIC's recent agreements with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to establish a Global Data Hub for SIDS.

Greg previously spent 12 years in the United Nations as the strategic advisor and Secretariat lead in the establishment and development of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) in New York.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Greg spent 25 years in Geoscience Australia, Australian Government's national geoscience research and Earth sciences Agency. Spanning several key roles, he delivered Australia's national topographic mapping and derivative geospatial programs, and provided independent scientific analysis and advice in the use of geospatial information for environmental management, emergency management, and critical infrastructure protection.

Greg possesses formal qualifications in Cartography and Survey Mapping from New Zealand, a Graduate Diploma in Geography from the Australian National University, and PhD in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Melbourne.

David Lewin is a digital and data transformation leader with 15 years' experience delivering multi million pound digital, data and organisational change programmes across UK Government and the private sector, including Government Digital Service, His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, UK Export Finance and J.P. Morgan. He currently serves as Head of International Strategy, Governance and Strategic Partnerships for Geospatial in GDS/DSIT, leading the UK's international geospatial strategy and representing the nation in major global forums. Previously, David headed the National Data Library's Kickstarter Programme, where he scaled a multidisciplinary team, helped secure over �100m in long term funding, and delivered foundational data elements of the UK's AI Strategy. His earlier roles include driving strategic financial stewardship and governance reform at HMRC, leading large-scale organisational transformation and rapid delivery capability building, and steering high-impact digital and data modernisation at UK Export Finance. David is also a former J.P. Morgan Product Manager with global profit accountability. He is recognised for his ability to navigate high stakes political, executive and commercial environments to deliver systemic, mission-driven change.

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.

Ms. Chauke has over 26 years of experience in Geographic Information Science (GISc), having worked with various organisations. She holds a Masters Degree in Business Leadership with a specialisation in Information Systems from the University of South Africa, a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Geographic Information Science from the University of Pretoria and her junior degree majoring in Statistics and Geography.

Currently, Ms. Chauke serves as the Director of the National Spatial Information Framework in the Ministry of Land Reform and Rural Development, South Africa, where she is responsible for implementing the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure. She is the former Chair of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Committee of Experts for Africa and currently Co-chair of the United Nations Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre of Excellence in China.

Ms Chauke served on the High-Level Forum on Integrated Geospatial Information Framework, representing the African region from 2023-2024.

She is very passionate about her work and through this, she has represented the South Africa through various platforms, presented papers at national and international conferences.

She has without doubt positioned the Geospatial Information Management and the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure, nationally, regionally, and globally.

Markus Jobst is Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Austrian Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (BEV). He holds a degree in surveying from the Vienna University of Technology and a PhD in cartography, where his research focused on 3D cartographic communication. His academic work includes research positions at the Vienna University of Technology and the Hasso Plattner Institute at the University of Potsdam, where he contributed to developments in 3D geo-visualization and geospatial standards within the Open Geospatial Consortium.

Since joining BEV in 2009, he has played a key role in coordinating the implementation of European initiatives such as INSPIRE Directive and open data policies. As CIO since 2022, he is responsible for the strategic planning and management of the organization's IT landscape. His research and teaching focus on service-oriented architectures, geospatial knowledge infrastructures, modern cartography, and geo-communication, and he actively contributes to international discussions through the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management community.

Dongpo Deng is a geospatial AI practitioner and founder of Geomni Tech Inc., focusing on geospatial knowledge engineering through the integration of knowledge graphs, open standards, and AI. He collaborates with Taiwan's National Land Surveying and Mapping Center (NLSC) and National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC) to transform mapping specifications into machine-readable knowledge. His recent work on "National Map Agents" leverages GraphRAG and GeoAI to enable interoperable, standards-aware geospatial workflows. Forthemore, he also engages with data space initiatives in Taiwan advancing data sovereignty and trusted geospatial data sharing.

Jill Saligoe-Simmel, PhD - Jill is Senior Principal Product Manager at Esri, responsible for Geospatial Ecosystems, Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), and ArcGIS Hub. She is a professional geographer, former statewide Geospatial Information Officer, and experienced business owner. Jill is dedicated to applying a geographic approach to create vibrant, healthy, and sustainable communities worldwide.

Prof. Dr. Zaffar Mohamed-Ghouse, Vice President and Director-Advisory and Innivation at Woolpert, is a globally recognized leader in the Spatial and Space sector, with over 28 years of experience spanning government, research, and private industry. He has led multi-million-dollar national mapping programs and advises on spatial strategy, policy and geospatial ecosystems in Asia, Middle East, Oceania and North America.

He currently serves as Chair of the UN-GGIM Geospatial Societies, Chair of the UN-GGIM Asia Pacific Private Sector Network, Vice Chair of the OGC Board of Directors, Program Board Member, Group of Earth Observation, and Senior Advisor to the SmartSat CRC, Industry Advisory Committtee Member to Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network among many other roles.

Prof Dr Zaffar is also one of the founding members of the Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) and has been recognized internationally for his leadership, innovation, and contributions to digital earth, geospatial policy, strategy, spatial data infrastructures and standards. He serves as Professor in Australia and India's reputed Universities and Research Institutions and holds Fellow status with several international and national peak professional bodies.

Emilio López, Computer Engineer from the University of Málaga, member of the Senior Corps of Information Systems and Technologies of the General State Administration. He is currently Director of the Autonomous Agency National Center for Geographic Information and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Geographic Information Infrastructure of Spain. He is also a member of the Governing Council of State Ports, the Board of Directors of EuroGeographics, and a member of the INSPIRE Committee of the European Commission and representative of Spain at the Pan American Institute of Geography and History.

Dr. Siva Ravada serves as Vice President of Development at Oracle Corporation. In this role he is responsible for development of the spatial and graph technology at Oracle. Oracle's spatial database server and related geospatial offerings are used across a wide range of applications from traditional GIS/LIS applications to business geographic applications providing location-based services.

Dr. Ravada works with many national agencies to help them define the architecture for their spatial data systems and help them guide in their implementation of spatial data platform. He is a member of program committees of several international conferences to serve the broader communities of spatial databases, Geographic Information Science and spatial computing.

Dr. Ravada is an author and contributor to numerous geospatial publications, and he holds over 40 patents in geospatial technology. Dr. Ravada received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and a B. Tech. in Computer Science & Engineering from Andhra University, India.

Dr. Lesley Arnold is a geospatial strategist and data governance specialist with over 30 years' experience working with governments, international organisations and academia to strengthen national spatial data infrastructures. She is the founder and Director of Geospatial Frameworks, a consultancy that works globally on SDI strategy, data governance and implementation planning. Lesley is one of the lead authors of the UN-IGIF and has advised the United Nations and World Bank on geospatial policy, governance models, country action plans and the future geospatial information ecosystem. She is a Non-Executive Director of AuScope and the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University. Her research focuses on knowledge on-demand ecosystems, data as critical infrastructure, and using geospatial intelligence to support sustainable development and decision-making.

Tomaž Petek is geodetic engineer and public sector specialist for geomatics. He has many years of work experience in the field of real estate registration, spatial data management and geoinformatics. During his professional career, he works on the projects of the State Geodetic Service and the establishment of Infrastructure for spatial information in Slovenia. He also participated in the procedures for establishing a new system of spatial planning and spatial management and the establishment of a spatial information system in Slovenia. He has many years of experience in the field of international cooperation and professional enforcement of the state geodetic service in Europe and the Western Balkans region. On behalf of the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia he was a representative of the National Contact Point and a member of the INSPIRE Committee at the European Commission. Since 2015 he is a member of the Executive Committee of the UN Group of Experts on Global Spatial Data Management (UN GGIM Europe) and in period from 2018 to 2023 he was also Chairman of Executive Committee UNGGIM Europe. Last two years, Tomaž Petek is a president of Management Board of EuroGeographics, the Association of European Geodetic, Cartographic and Cadastral Administrations.

Gerhard specialises in IT, data, data protection and international contract law as well as the sectors of research and development, earth observation, security and defence, in particular in the areas of open data, AI, intellectual property when using open-source components, unmanned systems, etc.

His clients include international corporations, medium-sized companies and German and European authorities, international organisations, and research institutes. In addition to providing legal advice, he regularly conducts customised workshops on contract drafting for agile procedures and helps companies and research institutions to implement the requirements of the EU AI Act. Gerhard is a TUV-certified external data protection officer. He has been listed in 'Germany's Best Lawyers' in the category 'IT Law' in the Handelsblatt since 2022. He studied law at the University of Cologne.

Johannes Van Geertsom is Coordinator for International Relations at the National Geographic Institute of Belgium (NGI), working at the intersection of geospatial information, policy, and international cooperation. In this capacity, he supports the NGI in its mandate to represent Belgium in international geospatial fora and contributes to its engagement in global geospatial governance. He facilitates cooperation with European and international partners and helps position the NGI as a geobroker, connecting data, stakeholders, and decision-making processes across institutional and thematic boundaries. Through the NGI, he actively shapes and advances Belgium's participation in United Nations geospatial processes, including UN-GGIM, as well as in key multilateral frameworks such as the UN Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF) and the EU Directive INSPIRE. His work focuses on strengthening geospatial ecosystems, advancing governance approaches, and promoting the societal value of geospatial data for addressing complex challenges.

Kimberly Mantey is the Director of the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The NGTOC serves as the operational hub for the Nation's topographic mapping programs, including the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) and US Topographic Mapping Program. Ms. Mantey has been employed with the USGS since 2010 where she began as a student temporary employee. Her background is in remote sensing and geospatial project management, with specialized expertise in lidar and IFSAR applications.

Ms. Mantey holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Geography from the University of Colorado Denver, a master's certificate in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Colorado Denver, and a certificate in Engineering Graphics Design from the Red Rocks Community College. Ms. Mantey is energetic and passionate about providing high quality geospatial and mapping data to the public and is grateful for her role as NGTOC Director to support the USGS mission.

Geo-standards expert at Geonovum (Netherlands), involved in the development and implementation of information standards.

I work at the intersection of business, society, and data infrastructure, connecting front-office needs with back-office data services and registers. In this context, I refer to myself as a "social architect".

My work has both national and international scope, including contributions to OGC and ISO standards development.

Wejdan Abdullah Asiri is a non-practicing Saudi lawyer, and Head of Regulation and Policy at the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA). She leads the development of national regulatory frameworks shaping the Kingdom�s geospatial ecosystem, with a focus on data governance, privacy, and the integration of emerging technologies.

Holding an LL.M. in Law from the University of Reading, she brings a multidisciplinary perspective that bridges law, policy, and innovation, contributing to regulatory models that enable growth while safeguarding sovereign data interests.

Mark E. Reichardt has internationally recognized experience in geospatial policy, technology, and interoperability standards. As Senior Consultant at Geospatial World, LLC, he facilitates high-level forums to engage industry, government, academia and NGOs in enhancing geospatial strategies, governance, and infrastructure for sustainable development.

Previously, Mark spent nearly two decades at the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), serving as President and CEO from 2008 to 2018. In this role, he led over 500 organizations in the global development and adoption of open geospatial standards. He also represented the OGC to the UN Global Geospatial Information Management Committee of Experts and chaired the US National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC), advising the federal government on geospatial programs and the implementation of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. Mark began his career as a federal cartographer (1980-2000), specializing in map production and technology modernization programs.

Erik Holmlund is the Executive Director of Alberta Data Partnerships (ADP), a not-for-profit, public-private-partnership that focuses on data governance and access. Formed in 1996, ADP is responsible for geospatial mapping and data distribution within the Province of Alberta through partnerships with the private sector firms: Altalis, MNC and AbaData. ADP is a stakeholder-driven company with a Board of Directors consisting of Government, Municipalities and Industry. Erik is also the program manager for the Open Data Areas Alberta initiative that was established to provide consistent, accessible, no cost geospatial datasets in defined locations to support innovation and commercialization in areas such as land use planning and environmental monitoring.

Prior to his work at ADP, Erik held various roles with geomatics and technology firms with projects in Canada, Africa and Papua New Guinea. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Environment and Conservation Sciences from the U of A and a Master's Degree in Geomatics Engineering from UNB.

Diane Dumashie is an internationally respected leader in the land and built environment sector, currently serving as President of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), a UN recognised global NGO representing professionals in more than 120 countries. She is known for her strategic clarity, inclusive leadership, and commitment to shaping a sustainable, resilient future for communities worldwide.

With a career spanning corporate real estate, international development, and high level policy engagement, Diane brings deep expertise in land management, across the functions of land use, land value, land tenure and economic development. She holds a Doctorate in Land Policy Planning and Integrated Coastal Area Management, a BSc in Land and Property Management, and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as well as an accredited CEDR mediator.

Diane's professional journey includes senior corporate roles, founding Dumashie Ltd, and advising UN Habitat, the World Bank, and the Commonwealth Secretariat. She has worked extensively across UK, and globally particularly Africa, supporting national agencies to build capacity, strengthen governance, to drive sustainable economic development outcomes.

As FIG President, she champions generational inclusivity, diversity, and global collaboration. Her leadership focuses on empowering young surveyors, embedding equity and inclusion in professional practice, and aligning the surveying profession with the Sustainable Development Goals. Her presidency is marked by a focus on climate resilience, digital transformation, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the rapidly evolving geospatial landscape.

A masterful communicator and passionate advocate for professional communities, Diane is widely regarded as a unifying voice-bringing people together with purpose, empathy, and vision to advance the profession, fostering innovation, and building a profession equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Diane remains committed to inspiring the next generation of global leaders.

Said Abdullah Abri, ST, MT is a geospatial leader and entrepreneur driving innovation at the intersection of land administration, data infrastructure, and emerging technologies. With academic foundations in geodesy, geomatics, and geophysics from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), he has led complex, large-scale mapping and geophysical survey initiatives across Southeast Asia, including national-scale airborne and subsurface data acquisition programs.

As former Director of PT Karvak Nusa Geomatika, Said spearheaded strategic projects in Timor-Leste, overseeing LiDAR, photogrammetry, and multi-sensor geophysical operations supporting natural resource management and infrastructure development. He currently serves as CEO of PT Tirta Bumi Manunggal, while also building a technology startup focused on applying Digital Twin and Artificial Intelligence to transform the survey and geospatial industry.

An active contributor to the global geospatial community, Said holds leadership roles within the Indonesian Surveyors Association and the ASEAN Federation of Land Surveying and Geomatics. His work is centered on developing trusted, interoperable geospatial ecosystems-bridging cadastre, land registry, valuation, and spatial planning.

At the Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) Summit, he brings a forward-looking perspective on how Digital Twin and AI can enable a trusted national land stack-enhancing data integration, reliability, and decision-making for future-ready land governance systems.

He currently handles policy-related matters concerning property registration and land acquisition in India, and is also involved in the World Bank's B-READY framework on the Business Location topic.

As Director of Kadaster International, Paula collaborates globally to help secure land rights, empower communities, and support sustainable development through reliable geo-information.

With a background in Social Geography and expertise in GIS and cadastre and land management, she is passionate about turning knowledge into impact. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the UN-GGIM Expert Group on Land Administration and as Chair of the FIG Task Force on the SDGs-roles that allow her to help shape global frameworks and foster meaningful change.

Kees de Zeeuw holds an MSc degree in land and water management and is Principal Consultant at Esri Global. Within Esri he is the Practice Lead on Land Administration at the Geospatial Authorities Department of Professional Services. His expertise is on land administration, e-governance, geo-information services and Spatial Data Infrastructures. He made contributions to Fit for Purpose Land Administration, LADM, IGIF and FELA.

Mr Wu Defu is a Principal Geomatics Manager at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), leading advanced GeoAI initiatives to enhance Singapore's National 3D Mapping capabilities, including indoor mapping, in support of sustainable development and digital twin strategies.

He plays a pivotal role in Singapore's 3D cadastre initiative, piloting 3D digital strata submissions to enable integrated and accurate land administration. Over the years, he has also contributed to the Digital Underground programme, 3D geological information management, and BIM development for Singapore's Underground Master Plan, translating geospatial innovation into tangible national infrastructure outcomes.

Shashikant Bagul has over 28+ years of distinguished experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Information Technology (IT). He has a proven track record of leading and managing high-stakes e-governance and mission-critical projects for the Government of India, as well as key defense and law enforcement agencies, including the Indian Army and Police. His extensive expertise spans the global GIS landscape, where he has successfully overseen complex, multi-national GIS initiatives across diverse sectors.

In his current role as the leader of Regulations, Compliance, and Partnerships at Tech Mahindra, Shashikant plays a vital role in driving the readiness and strategic alignment of GIS teams. His responsibilities include shaping regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and fostering strategic partnerships that enable innovative solutions and drive business growth. His leadership and strategic vision continue to contribute significantly to advancing GIS capabilities and industry excellence.

Nokokure is a GIS professional with a background in land administration. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Land Administration from the Namibia University of Science and Technology and an MSc in Geographic Information Science and Earth Observation from ITC, University of Twente.

She has professional experience in local government in both Namibia and the Netherlands, working with geospatial data to support land administration and spatial planning processes. She currently works as a GIS Specialist at the Municipality of Dordrecht, where she contributes to the integration and application of geospatial information across different areas within the municipality.

Bobbie H. Kalra is the Founder & Chief Solutions Officer at Magnasoft, bringing over 20 years of entrepreneurial leadership in building a globally recognized geospatial technology venture from the ground up. From securing early institutional capital to scaling operations across emerging and mature markets, Bobbie has consistently translated innovation into measurable customer value-helping enterprises, utilities, and governments digitize, optimize, and future-proof critical infrastructure through intelligent geospatial solutions.
His career is defined by a combination of deep tech fluency in AI/ML-powered spatial technologies, sharp product-market fit instincts honed from ideation to monetization, and firsthand experience navigating complex global markets.

Greg van Gaans is the Director of Geospatial Information Services at the South Australian Department for Housing and Urban Development, where he leads the state's cadastral, land administration and spatial platform capabilities within the Land Administration Division.

A geospatial and cloud specialist, Greg has built his career across private industry, academia and government - including a lectureship at the University of Adelaide and senior technology leadership roles such as Manager of Enterprise Platforms at the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport. Throughout, he has focused on translating complex spatial and data capabilities into platforms that are usable, reliable and valuable to the people who depend on authoritative information about land, planning and growth.

Greg has championed a cloud-native geospatial approach to modernising government mapping and land information services, pioneering architectures built on open formats and technologies such as GeoParquet, PMTiles, DuckDB, MapLibre and vector tile pipelines on AWS cloud to replace traditional, hardware-bound GIS infrastructure. Under his leadership, South Australia has delivered nationally significant public platforms including the South Australian Property and Planning Atlas (SAPPA), the PlanSA Land Supply Dashboard, and Australia's first fully digital, interactive Regional Planning Portal.

His contribution to the sector has been recognised with the APSEA SA Professional of the Year award, and his work has contributed to international recognition at the Geospatial World Excellence Awards. Greg is a passionate advocate for open, cloud-native geospatial infrastructure and the role it can play in making government land and planning information more transparent, accessible and decision-ready.

Amir Bar-Maor graduated with a degree in geodesy from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in 1999 and a master degree in geodesy in 2002. After working for several years designing and implementing GIS technology, he joined esri in 2008 - initially as a project manager and consultant for cadastral projects and later as a product engineer in software development. Amir is a licensed cadastral surveyor and a licensed real estate appraiser.

Archita Shaktawat is Director - Consulting at Geospatial World, with expertise in the space and geospatial industry. She holds an M.Tech in Remote Sensing, bringing a strong technical foundation to her work in market intelligence and strategic advisory.

Her expertise spans market intelligence, market sizing and forecasting, socio-economic impact assessment, industry and investment strategy, and geospatial ecosystem development, with experience working across the geospatial ecosystem, including government, industry, and institutional stakeholders.. Her work focuses on analysing market structures, growth trajectories, and the evolving role of geospatial technologies across sectors and economies.

Greg Scott is the Executive Director of the SDG Data Alliance in PVBLIC Foundation, where he leads the expansion of the Data Alliance's next phase of execution and growth, with a particular focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through PVBLIC's recent agreements with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to establish a Global Data Hub for SIDS.

Greg previously spent 12 years in the United Nations as the strategic advisor and Secretariat lead in the establishment and development of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) in New York.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Greg spent 25 years in Geoscience Australia, Australian Government's national geoscience research and Earth sciences Agency. Spanning several key roles, he delivered Australia's national topographic mapping and derivative geospatial programs, and provided independent scientific analysis and advice in the use of geospatial information for environmental management, emergency management, and critical infrastructure protection.

Greg possesses formal qualifications in Cartography and Survey Mapping from New Zealand, a Graduate Diploma in Geography from the Australian National University, and PhD in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Melbourne.

Maher Abdel Karim is a Senior GIS and Geospatial Intelligence Leader with over 20 years of experience in advancing national-scale geospatial initiatives. He currently serves at the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) in Kuwait, where he leads strategic programs integrating GIS, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence to enhance national geospatial services and digital transformation.

Maher has extensive experience across government, private consultancy, and ESRI distributors, and has contributed to international development projects in Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, and Syria under donor-funded programs. His work focuses on leveraging geospatial technologies to support data-driven decision-making and sustainable development.

At PACI, he has led the implementation of innovative platforms and datasets, including Kuwait Finder, LiDAR mapping, and StreetView programs, in addition to national drone mapping and mobile LiDAR initiatives. His current interests include applying machine learning and deep learning techniques to improve geospatial data quality, automate feature extraction, and analyze photogrammetric distortions in urban environments.

Maher holds an MSc in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and several internationally recognized certifications, including GISP, PMI-PMP, PMI-RMP, PMI-PBA, and the Esri Enterprise System Design Associate credential.

Javier Santos is an Aerospace Engineer by the Technical University of Madrid, Spain and Institut National Polytechnique of Grenoble, France. Javier has developed his career in technical roles in the aerospace and satellite operations domains, as well as in business development, sales and marketing roles in technical contexts. He is the Director of Business Development for GEOSAT, currently leading the commercial area through the provision of innovative Earth Observation solutions and data to customers worldwide.

Mark E. Reichardt has internationally recognized experience in geospatial policy, technology, and interoperability standards. As Senior Consultant at Geospatial World, LLC, he facilitates high-level forums to engage industry, government, academia and NGOs in enhancing geospatial strategies, governance, and infrastructure for sustainable development.

Previously, Mark spent nearly two decades at the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), serving as President and CEO from 2008 to 2018. In this role, he led over 500 organizations in the global development and adoption of open geospatial standards. He also represented the OGC to the UN Global Geospatial Information Management Committee of Experts and chaired the US National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC), advising the federal government on geospatial programs and the implementation of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. Mark began his career as a federal cartographer (1980-2000), specializing in map production and technology modernization programs.

Héctor has been a volunteer OpenStreetMap Mapper since 2011. He has been serving on the OpenStreetMap Foundation Board since October 2024, currently as the Deputy Secretary, the Chair of the Personnel Committee, and the Board Liaison to the Operations Working Group. He is also pursuing a Ph.D. studying how companies collaborate in the OpenStreetMap Ecosystem as part of the ODECO research project.

Len Kne brings extensive experience with GIS and Information Technologies in higher education, construction, government, and non-profit organizations to his work at the University of Minnesota. He is looking forward to the day when everyone is thinking spatially.

Erik Holmlund is the Executive Director of Alberta Data Partnerships (ADP), a not-for-profit, public-private-partnership that focuses on data governance and access. Formed in 1996, ADP is responsible for geospatial mapping and data distribution within the Province of Alberta through partnerships with the private sector firms: Altalis, MNC and AbaData. ADP is a stakeholder-driven company with a Board of Directors consisting of Government, Municipalities and Industry. Erik is also the program manager for the Open Data Areas Alberta initiative that was established to provide consistent, accessible, no cost geospatial datasets in defined locations to support innovation and commercialization in areas such as land use planning and environmental monitoring.

Prior to his work at ADP, Erik held various roles with geomatics and technology firms with projects in Canada, Africa and Papua New Guinea. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Environment and Conservation Sciences from the U of A and a Master's Degree in Geomatics Engineering from UNB.

Michal Bylicki is Sales Director at CloudFerro, Europe's leading provider of sovereign, secure cloud computing and digital data services for Space and Defence, where he leads sales activities related to complex, institutional tenders and strategic customer relationships. He works with technology partners and public-sector stakeholders, involved in the large-scale, data-driven projects, geospatial and Earth-observation ecosystems based on secure cloud platforms.

Dean leads the Strategic Solutions team and serves as the Product Manager for Open Standards/XML at FME. He designs and prototypes data architectures and applications leveraging FME's spatial data transformation platform. As the product manager for open standards, Dean oversees FME's alignment with standards from organizations like OGC, INSPIRE, Building Smart, and NENA NG911. His work primarily focuses on sectors such as disaster response, environmental management, climate change, and various geospatial applications including GeoBIM, digital twins, and mapping of indoor and underground environments. Dean's expertise extends to building complex data integration and automation systems, and he actively contributes to pilots, working groups, and industry conferences.

Dr. John P. Wilson is the Founding Director of the Spatial Sciences Institute and a Professor of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Population and Public Health Sciences, and Sociology at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on the modeling of human and natural systems and makes extensive use of GIS, spatial analysis, and various forms of environmental modeling. Much of this work is collaborative with the goal of improving our understanding of the factors connecting people, the environment, and their health.

Andy Shaw is Director at Assimila Ltd, specializing in Earth Observation (EO) for environmental monitoring, modelling, and prediction. Formerly with the National Centre for EO and advisor to Defra, he has led initiatives linking space technology to Net Zero, including Space for Green(ing) Finance. He focuses on climate risk, adaptation, and nature-based solutions using satellite data, and serves as Space Director at Resilience Constellation Management Limited.

Soufiane el Khinifri is founder of Spatialise, developing satellite-driven MRV solutions for soil carbon and regenerative land management. With experience at VanderSat (Planet) and UNHCR missions, he applies EO data to scale climate-smart, carbon-positive agriculture globally.

Harsh is the Founder and CEO of AgroCast Analytics Pvt Ltd in India, leading innovations at the intersection of agriculture, water, and climate change. He specializes in geospatial analytics, climate risk assessment, and precision farming, developing tools and apps that provide real-time insights on crop growth, soil moisture, and crop health. His work empowers farmers, guides government and private-sector projects, and promotes climate-resilient practices. Recognized for innovation with accolades such as the Srujan Grant, Dr. Shah combines technical expertise with strategic leadership to drive sustainable agriculture and water management solutions.

Astrid Scheffer is a advisor to the KLIC service (Cables Pipelines Information Center) at the Dutch Land Registry, for the prevention of excavation damage to underground cables and pipelines. Her focus is to improve and make our services and supplies for providing digital cable and pipeline information accessible to identified users for limited excavation areas (WCAG proof).

Alexey Anatskiy is an EMEA Lead for Google Maps Enterprise based in London, UK. For the last twelve years at Google he has worked across Partnerships and Cloud Platform teams and is now focusing on business development and new use cases for Google Maps Platform in the region with particular interest in transportation, logistics and business analytics. Alexey has more than 25 years of experience in technology, industry and consulting. In his spare time he is a mentor at Google for Startups program and an angel investor. Alexey holds an MBA from INSEAD and an MSc in Computer Science from BMSTU.

Rosalie van der Maas MSc is co-founder and CEO of Ellipsis Drive. Ellipsis Drive is a cloud-native data management solution that gives users seamless access to any type of geodata from all relevant workflows. She has a background in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, International Politics, International Development, and Innovation. Before starting her company in 2019, Rosalie worked as a program maker on the theme of Big Data, Technology, and Society at Pakhuis de Zwijger and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consulate in Chicago.

Rebecca is a Data Scientist at Ordnance Survey, with experience prototyping new geospatial data products and providing cross government technical consultancy and support. Rebecca specialises in network analysis and routing, and is interested in making travel time analysis more accessible.

Daria "Dasha" Filichkina is Chief Operations Officer at AstroAgency. She oversees the company's internal processes and client delivery strategies to support a wide range of communications and market information tasks across more than 50 private space companies and several government space agency clients globally.

Before joining AstroAgency, Dasha held various roles in the space sector, including Business Development Manager and Delivery Manager within the European launch sector. Before entering the space industry, Daria worked in the IT sector setting up brands, processes and concepts for start-ups.

In October 2023 Dasha was presented with a special Sir Arthur Clarke space individual award from the British Interplanetary Society in recognition of her contribution to the UK space industry despite the Russian invasion of her home, Ukraine. The award was previously won by astronauts, leading scientists and communicators, including Tim Peake CMG and Sir Patrick Moore CBE. In 2022, she was a Diversity Hero of the Year finalist at the national UK Diversity Awards and her efforts in overcoming the personal challenges caused by the invasion also led to her being recognised in the Women's Enterprise Scotland Awards. In early 2023, Dasha established the not-for-profit Ukrainian Businesswomen in Scotland initiative, bringing together more than 40 female entrepreneurs who resettled in the UK for knowledge sharing and networking events in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Dasha is a frequent speaker on the importance of diversity in the space industry and in 2020 helped form the New Voices in Space organisation. She is a mentor for multiple programmes, including STEMaspire by Dell and the Prospero Space Fellowship charity, set up by Joanne Wheeler MBE.

Mukti R Dewi is a PhD researcher in the Business School at the University of Edinburgh, focusing on property valuation and spatial data analytics. Her research explores the application of automated valuation models (AVMs) and spatial econometric approaches to improve land and property valuation practices, particularly in data-constrained environments. Her work aims to bridge methodological developments in spatial modelling and their practical applications in property valuation and land administration.

Joe is an Account Executive at CARTO, working with financial services and insurance organisations to unlock value from geospatial data, analytics and AI. Joe has a Masters in Geography & GIS from Durham University.

Archita Shaktawat is Director - Consulting at Geospatial World, with expertise in the space and geospatial industry. She holds an M.Tech in Remote Sensing, bringing a strong technical foundation to her work in market intelligence and strategic advisory.

Her expertise spans market intelligence, market sizing and forecasting, socio-economic impact assessment, industry and investment strategy, and geospatial ecosystem development, with experience working across the geospatial ecosystem, including government, industry, and institutional stakeholders.. Her work focuses on analysing market structures, growth trajectories, and the evolving role of geospatial technologies across sectors and economies.

Coco is the Director of Space Applications at the Netherlands Space Agency (NLSA). With a background in geoscience and remote sensing, she has extensive experience in the satellite applications domain. Coco focuses on stimulating the development and uptake of satellite-based solutions, and on improving the alignment between supply and demand for space-based data and services across sectors.

Dr. Chandra Prakash Singh, has more than 24 years of experience in the area of Earth Observation (EO) and Geospatial Applications in various capacities at ISRO and geospatial industry. He is M.Tech. Remote-Sensing from BIT, Mesra, Ranchi. Presently he is working as Deputy Director in Technical Directorate of IN-SPACe. Before his deputation to IN-SPACe, he was associated with Earth & Planetary Sciences and Applications Area (EPSA) of SAC-ISRO, Ahmedabad as Scientist/Engineer-SG. He has contributed to various prestigious projects related to satellite remote sensing applications in the field of environment, forestry, biodiversity, alpine ecosystem, forest fire, forest phenology, horticulture and DSS. He has guided many STC & RESPOND projects of ISRO to academia as focal point and >40 students for their academic pursuits. He has to his credit >180 publications. He has strong ties with academia and industries through his working experience and engagements with professional societies (ISG, ISRS, INCA, IMS, ILS, ASI, ISCA, ISSE, IPSA, OSI). He has represented India in various international forums including Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (2019-20). He is recipient of prestigious P. R. Pisharoty Memorial Award from ISRS and President's appreciation medal from ISG. He is specialized in working with all types of EO systems and geospatial applications for the benefit of People and Planet.

Javier Santos is an Aerospace Engineer by the Technical University of Madrid, Spain and Institut National Polytechnique of Grenoble, France. Javier has developed his career in technical roles in the aerospace and satellite operations domains, as well as in business development, sales and marketing roles in technical contexts. He is the Director of Business Development for GEOSAT, currently leading the commercial area through the provision of innovative Earth Observation solutions and data to customers worldwide.

Alvaro Nunez Martiez is the Technical Manager of the LEONSEGS project at GMV, where he leads the definition and implementation of federated ground segment architectures for multi-mission Earth observation operations. He previously worked in satellite operations at GEOSAT and Deimos Imaging, supporting mission planning, flight dynamics, and anomaly resolution across LEO missions. At Indra, he contributed to space surveillance and tracking programmes, covering system-level design and sensor operations. Alvaro holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master's in Space Science and Technology, currently focusing on bridging technical systems and operational needs within the project framework.

Javier Marin is a Geospatial AI Director at Space42, specializing in computer vision, remote sensing, and multimodal AI. With a PhD in Computer Vision from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, he has led AI transformation initiatives at Satellogic and conducted research at MIT CSAIL. His work focuses on geospatial intelligence, especially on object detection, semantic segmentation, and the use of foundation and vision-language models for Earth observation.

Ren, the CEO of Solafune, Inc., is a tech entrepreneur from Okinawa, Japan. He holds a degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, and has worked as a software engineer and data engineer in various startups. Uechi founded Solafune in 2020 with the mission "Hack The Planet" and has since developed satellite data analysis technologies. He has been recognized for his contributions in the healthcare and science category by Forbes, and his company has raised significant funding and achieved notable awards.

Hasna AlBlooshi is an engineer in the Payload Team for Arab Satellite 813 at the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC). She is involved in payload operations, testing, and calibration, as well as data processing and analysis. Her work focuses on hyperspectral data and its applications in geospatial fields, including environmental monitoring, land analysis, and resource assessment.

Ori Lefkovitz is a Boulder, Colorado based Senior Product Manager at Google Maps, focused on Applied Imagery and Safe Usage. In this role, he is responsible for advancing high-value, new imagery applications across Google and to developers while maintaining strict safety and privacy standards. This includes Google consumer 3D mapping apps like Google Earth and Google Maps satellite mode. Outside the office, Ori is a stereotypical Boulderite, spending his free time mountain biking, snowboarding, running trails in the Rockies, and hanging in the yard with his family.

Jesus Maria Garrido Saenz de Tejad is a geospatial Programme Manager specializing in nationwide airborne LiDAR and imagery. He leads the Geospatial Acquisition Department at the Spanish National Geographic Institute, overseeing multimillion-euro national datasets and a multidisciplinary technical team. Previously, he managed the Spanish National LiDAR Program (2018-2025), and earlier worked at Fugro delivering airborne LiDAR projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Samuel Alter is a Geospatial Data Scientist at Reveal Global Consulting, where he applies his expertise in geospatial data science to support the testing of the latest technologies in the Reveal Labs. His work includes training a change-detection model in PyTorch using Sentinel-2 imagery from Google Earth Engine and developing PyMAAP, a benchmarking and analysis toolkit available on PyPI.

Samuel holds a master's degree in geology from Arizona State University and has prior experience in environmental remediation. His combined background in geology and data science enables him to bridge applied research with practical solutions in geospatial analytics.

Borja Munoz is a Solution Architect and Sales Engineer with a technical background focused on geospatial and location intelligence products and solutions. Borja is an experienced architect specializing in cloud data warehouses and data platforms (Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, Snowflake, Databricks).

Prof. Dr. Zaffar Mohamed-Ghouse, Vice President and Director-Advisory and Innivation at Woolpert, is a globally recognized leader in the Spatial and Space sector, with over 28 years of experience spanning government, research, and private industry. He has led multi-million-dollar national mapping programs and advises on spatial strategy, policy and geospatial ecosystems in Asia, Middle East, Oceania and North America.

He currently serves as Chair of the UN-GGIM Geospatial Societies, Chair of the UN-GGIM Asia Pacific Private Sector Network, Vice Chair of the OGC Board of Directors, Program Board Member, Group of Earth Observation, and Senior Advisor to the SmartSat CRC, Industry Advisory Committtee Member to Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network among many other roles.

Prof Dr Zaffar is also one of the founding members of the Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) and has been recognized internationally for his leadership, innovation, and contributions to digital earth, geospatial policy, strategy, spatial data infrastructures and standards. He serves as Professor in Australia and India's reputed Universities and Research Institutions and holds Fellow status with several international and national peak professional bodies.

I'm the founder of several bootstrapped startups working mostly in the areas of Natural Language Processing and Computational Geometry. With over two decades in geospatial technology, I specialize in developing high-performance geocoding and location intelligence solutions. As the founder of Geolytica Inc., Geocoder.ca, Geocode.xyz, 3geonames.org and Poidata.xyz, I've built APIs that process billions of geocoding requests monthly, aiding businesses in optimizing logistics, mapping, and data analysis. My work integrates open-source tools and AI to enhance global geospatial data accuracy.

Marianne Slamich is CMO at Pointr, the leader in AI mapping and indoor location. Trusted by 15 Fortune 100 companies, Pointr powers spatial experiences across corporate campuses, airports, hospitals, retail spaces, and convention centers. Pointr's technology transforms floor plans into interactive 3D maps, enables highly accurate blue-dot navigation, and provides real-time geospatial context for AI agents.

With 20 years across enterprise tech and startups, Marianne is helping define the next frontier of AI: bringing intelligence into the built world.

Dr. Gennadii Donchyts is a Staff Engineer at Google. He helps public and private sector customers use Google's geospatial technology across multiple industries in the EMEA region and beyond. Gennadii holds a PhD in remote sensing from Delft University of Technology and is passionate about software engineering and machine learning for geospatial applications.

With two decades of experience, Patrick has a passion for driving innovation and scaling global software. He's currently the Chief Product Officer at Blue Marble Geographics, leading the charge on their digital evolution. Patrick's background includes ten years at Trimble, where he most recently served as VP of Product Management, and at Salesforce, where he led service products through a period of significant growth. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (GMP24) and holds a degree in Human Geography and GIS from Northern Michigan University. Patrick lives in Colorado where he enjoys everything the mountains