Reflections on GeoCom 2024:Advancing GeoSpatial Insights
By Andrew Paul, Managed Service Lead, IMGS and Chair of AGI Northern Ireland
Last week, the geospatial community from across the UK and Ireland gathered in the Royal Geographic Society Buildings in London for AGI GeoCom 2024. The event showcased innovation, collaboration, and future directions in the geospatial industry. This year’s conference celebrated the theme of “Geospatial Empowerment for a Connected Future” and brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and technology experts.
Here are some highlights from the event and key takeaways for the geospatial community:
Opening the Stage for Geospatial Excellence
GeoCom 2024 kicked off by reflecting on AGI’s achievements, including hosting the 2024 AGI Awards during GeoBusiness earlier this year. Plans are already underway for the 2025 Awards, promising to celebrate even more groundbreaking contributions to geospatial science and practice.
Andrew Paul & Dr. Sara Stewart at GeoComm 2024
Government Priorities and Geospatial Strategy
Insights from the UK Government and the Geospatial Commission took centre stage. Alexandra Notay highlighted the importance of geospatial data in connecting places, housing, and planning, with initiatives like the Radix Big Tent focusing on housing delivery and urban development strategies.
Geospatial in Land, Property, and Infrastructure
The property sector stood out as a key beneficiary of geospatial advancements:
- The Data Sharing Gateway and promotion of UPRNs (Unique Property Reference Numbers) aim to enhance property data integration.
- Addressing infrastructure planning challenges, such as flooding impacts, brought the importance of geospatial data into sharper focus.
- Projects like broadband rollout underscore the critical need for streamlined access to land registry data to address issues like wayleaves and bureaucratic hurdles.
Geospatial Technology Transforming the Future
From the macro to the hyper-local, technology and innovation sectors highlighted some of the innovative work being supported by AGI. Highlights included:
- WorldPop showcased satellite-derived small-area population data, including applications like estimating building footprints and monitoring settlement changes with AI models.
- CREDO demonstrated how climate resilience relies on geospatial insights by integrating energy, water, and telecoms data to assess risks to critical infrastructure.
- World Forest ID used genetic testing to trace illegal timber trade, spotlighting the global impact of geospatial data on sustainability and governance.
Looking Ahead: Regional Focus and AGI's Future
GeoCom 2024 concluded with exciting announcements for the AGI’s roadmap:
- Networking events in Bristol (2024) and Greater Manchester (Q1 2025).
- GeoCom 2025 is set to take place in Scotland on February 27th, 2025, hosted by AGI Scotland.
- AGI Northern Ireland’s conference will return again to Belfast (Q2 2025).
- A return to London in November 2025 at the Royal Geographical Society, where the AGI Foresight Report 2030 will continue the tradition of forward-looking geospatial insights.
At IMGS, we are inspired by the vibrant discussions and cutting-edge developments showcased at GeoCom 2024. The future of geospatial technology is brighter than ever, and we look forward to playing our part in shaping this exciting landscape.