The newly launched Geo Connect Asia - Southeast Asia’s first geospatial technologies and location intelligence solutions event - will be held from 18 to 19 March 2020 at the Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore. Organised by Montgomery Asia, the event aims to support and bring together the rapidly growing ASEAN geospatial industry.
Geo Connect Asia 2020 is set to draw over 2,000 professional visitors from the region and beyond. It will comprise an exhibition as well as a conference and technical seminars.
Geospatial data expert Ng Siau Yong, chief data officer at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), will be a moderator at the conference, bringing valuable expertise on geospatial information governance, infrastructure and technology development, capacity building, and the use of geospatial systems in data analytics.
The conference will feature various industry verticals such as asset management, building & construction, precision agriculture, forestry, mining, transportation & mobility, distribution & logistics, and smart cities. Themed ‘Mapping the Data-driven Future Economy’, the content will be thought leadership-focused with data, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest technologies at the forefront of discussions.
As for the exhibition, more than 60 international exhibitors from Australia, Asia, Europe and North America are expected to be in attendance. Themed ‘Global Solutions for Asia’s Geospatial and Location Intelligence Markets’, the exhibition will provide a global stage for the industry’s pioneers to demonstrate the potential of these technologies.
“The accelerating growth of the geospatial industry has mirrored the rising prominence and adoption of big data, augmented reality, machine learning, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D technologies,” said Rupert Owen, event director at Montgomery Asia. “Amid growing investment in these technologies, the geospatial industry has emerged as a new space with immense potential, especially in the developing ASEAN market.”
The global geospatial market is estimated to be worth US$134 billion by 2025, with the Asia Pacific region in particular expected to post the highest growth rates. This growth will be driven by the anticipated high demand for geospatial technologies as governments in the ASEAN region continue to invest in new infrastructure and other ‘smart’ initiatives, such as the ASEAN Smart Cities Initiative.
In Singapore alone, the nascent geospatial industry is currently valued at about S$500 million and geospatial adoption has become an important and critical component in the development and evolution of ASEAN’s infrastructure and industry. Indeed, geospatial investment will be essential to achieve the promises of the 4th industrial revolution (Industry 4.0).
Geo Connect Asia 2020 is supported by GeoWorks, an industry centre set up by SLA, under the Singapore Geospatial Master Plan to bring together geospatial businesses, sectoral users, research institutions and the government to foster a vibrant geospatial ecosystem in Singapore.
Exhibitors
Geo Connect Asia 2020 will boast some of the world’s biggest players in geospatial technology and location intelligence solutions. According to the organiser, industry leaders already confirmed for the event include Trimble (platinum sponsor), Vexcel Imaging GmbH and Orbital Insight. Some of the novel technologies on show will include AR/VR, digital terrain analysis, earth observation & satellite, instrumentation & automation, LiDAR, photogrammetry & remote surveys, remote sensing, topographic surveys, and many more.
“Geo Connect Asia 2020 is coming at the right moment for the fast developing Southeast Asia region and there is a tremendous need for the benefits Asia’s geospatial and location intelligence industry can bring. Governments and companies are recognising this and we are delighted to be a part of this event,” said John Whitehead, APAC director of sales and distribution at Trimble.
Conference
Speaking at the conference, seminars and plenary sessions will be a number of government officials and business leaders from the geospatial industry, including keynote speaker Dr James Crawford, CEO of California-based geospatial analytics giant Orbital Insight.
Offering his insight on the growing importance of geospatial technology across business and government, Dr Crawford said, “Today it is ever more imperative to help the world understand what is happening on and to the earth, with the increase in natural disasters, supply chain and manufacturing disruptions, national security threats and shifts in populations and construction demands. All industries and government can improve their decision-making process using real-time and multi-source geospatial data.”
Community
To help bring together the growing industry and build bridges between ASEAN’s diverse markets, GeoConnect Asia 2020 has also appointed a group of captains of industry as its distinguished ambassadors. Among these experts are Ng Siau Yong, director of Geospatial and Data Division and chief data officer at SLA; Lanita Idrus, publisher of Asia Miner; Dan Schirren, head of business development at Ordnance Survey; John Whitehead, director of sales and distribution APAC at Trimble’s Geospatial Division; and Jan Schoderer, sales director APAC at Vexcel Imaging GmbH.
“As we usher in the second decade of the millennium, decision-making in government and industry will involve increasing levels of sophistication in order to address the challenges of a growing population amid resource scarcity and other environmental challenges,” said Mr Owen. “Geo Connect Asia 2020 aims to provide a platform and springboard for government and industry leaders to come together to address the increasingly salient issues of tomorrow.”
Exhibitors may register their interest to exhibit here, and visitors may register here.
