Today’s global society is facing considerable challenges, but geomatics holds the answers! That may sound a little immodest, but the inaugural edition of the GIM International Summit, which is being held from 10-12 February in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, will set out to demonstrate that this innovative sector is the key to a brighter future for the world. For the event organisers, one of their top priorities is to highlight to policymakers the huge range of opportunities the geomatics industry offers.
To underline the relevance of geomatics in solving the world’s problems, the organisers have secured a number of high-profile international speakers at the event – each of them heavyweights in their particular sphere. Just some of the experts visiting the Dutch capital to speak at the GIM International Summit include Swedish academic and statistician Hans Rosling, Norwegian economist and author Morten Jerven, South African professor of urban planning Vanessa Watson, and leading climatologist Pier Vellinga. In their keynotes, they will each suggest how geomatics can play a role in their respective areas of expertise. Delegates will then discuss and explore the topics further from a practical perspective in a series of interactive workshops.
These sessions are designed to encourage attendees to examine various challenges facing our world today and devise new and innovative ways of tackling them using geomatics techniques and technology. Under the capable guidance of organisations such as Kadaster, the European Space Agency (ESA), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the University of Twente and the University of Wageningen, there will be workshops on climate change, migration, property rights, food security, social justice, urban planning, water and integration for geo-IT. Thanks to such a diverse programme, there will be plenty of opportunities for inspiration, stimulation and cross-pollination of ideas, resulting in a very rewarding experience for delegates and – hopefully – some truly game-changing solutions for global society as a whole.
The venue for the event, which is an initiative of GIM International, the global trade magazine for geomatics, is Hotel Krasnapolsky in the very heart of Amsterdam. For more information or to register for one of the last remaining places, go to www.gimsummit.com.