International future trends report calls for contributions

This is an opportunity for geospatial experts and users to inform and contribute to the third edition of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) report on 'Future trends in geospatial information management: the five to ten-year vision'.

The United Kingdom, through Ordnance Survey and supported by the UN-GGIM Europe Regional Committee, has agreed to lead this review in close collaboration with the UN-GGIM Secretariat.

The future trends reports provide expert opinion on the mid to long-term developments in geospatial information and are used as a strategic insight document by governments, industry and global institutions to inform their organisational development and investment decisions.

The first edition of the report ‘Future trends in geospatial information management: the five to ten-year vision’ was published in July 2013, with a second edition released in 2015. Both editions of the report can be viewed and downloaded from http://ggim.un.org/future-trends.

Since the last report the industry has witnessed further change in emerging geospatial information technology, policy, applications, skills and training, the role of private and non-governmental sectors, and the role of government. In August 2018, the UNGGIM Committee of Experts requested that a third review be undertaken to enable people to understand the future trends that will impact the industry over the coming five to ten years.

Director of International Engagement at Ordnance Survey, John Kedar, said: “With ‘geospatial’ being an increasingly important component to future society, we are delighted to be leading the third revision of the Future Trends report. This is a unique opportunity for experts from across government, industry and academia to shape our combined global understanding of our rapidly changing future. We welcome your contribution.”

To contribute to the next edition of the Future Trends report, please follow the guidelines on http://ggim.un.org/future-trends and send your views to [email protected]. The closing date for contributions is Friday 12 July 2019.

The report will be produced during 2019 and released for discussion at the UN-GGIM Sixth High Level Forum in April 2020. The forum will take place over three days (20 to 22 April 2020). The third day will be a joined with Ordnance Survey's Cambridge Conference, the quadrennial meeting of national mapping, geospatial and cadastral agency leaders. The Cambridge Conference will take place between 22 and 24 April 2020.