With the availability of new information sources such as Earth Observation and drones, the technology focus has shifted from just the commercial sector to crowdsourced communities and others as well.

Geospatial agencies need to take these developments into account and emphasize integration in the context of spatial data infrastructure. There’s also a need for geospatial agencies to view themselves as solution providers, and not just as data providers.

Untapped Potential

The diversity of geospatial applications stems from the linking up and integration of different types of high-quality data, which depends on availability and easy accessibility.

Most mapping agencies use AI/ML for classifying objects, especially with remote sensing data, whereas the potential and benefits are far beyond. It can be used to gather more perspective for the future, from identifying and integrating content of heterogeneous data sources like real-time sensors to updating core geospatial sets with an automatic approach.

It can also be used in the generalization of maps, which is still a challenge for many of the mapping agencies. The potential of AI can be explored in the implementation of existing solutions, and in exploring new fields of use.

The development of Digital Twins will be a game changer for decision-makers, especially for disaster risk management. Geospatial visualization and high-definition maps are used more as an interface for users to make information insight in Digital Twins.

Digital Twins have the potential to bring this data together by using Big Data technology or cloud platforms and bring out dynamic solutions in the future, like in case of flooding or heat mapping, including all the consequences.

“Geospatial agencies need to underline their relevance and help other public bodies to face global challenges.”

Resilient Ecosystem

To foster an innovative geospatial ecosystem, there is a need to know the players in the geospatial habitat. Geospatial agencies and spatial stakeholders are evolving beyond their traditional purpose, still, the definition of a geospatial ecosystem is not clear to everybody.

The government, industry, and academia are working together, developing new technologies and an extensive geospatial workforce.

The establishment of the UN-GGCE in Bonn, Germany, has been a great achievement for the geospatial ecosystem. The idea is that the Centre will assist the member states in making geospatial data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable in line with standards, policies, and conventions.

Informed Decision-Making

We face increasing geopolitical uncertainty, which depends on reliable geo-information for decision-making. Maps and visualizations are still considered as the first source of information for decision-makers during any crisis outbreak.

This is the only way to answer the pressing questions on climate change, and sustainable development. BKG tries to contribute to the exchange of ideas, the collaboration with partners from neighboring countries at the EU level and at the global level. UN-GGIM is a perfect example of this.

In the next five years, we have to identify the important players, and global issues, and need to bring together standards and reliable policy. For example, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which is a reliable organization gets all the meteorological data with well-defined standards, thus everybody knows what they have to do.

Disclaimer: Views Expressed are Author's Own. Geospatial World May or May Not Endorse it