New Report Urges Immediate Action to Realise the Value of Location Intelligence

The Association for Geographic Information’s Foresight Report 2030 highlights six interconnected forces that challenge every assumption about geospatial intelligence in the 21st century. Data, AI, Interoperability, Skills, Collaboration and Earth Systems, will all, according to the report, impact the most significant transformation in geospatial data since the advent of digital mapping.

“To quote the Foresight Report 2030 ‘we are at an important inflection point for our industry, and it is every leader’s role to take these changes seriously. Without productive adaptation, the geospatial sector risks becoming infrastructure that others control - essential but invisible, powerful yet struggling to articulate its value’,” commented Peter ter Haar, Co-Chair of the AGI. “This is a stark warning, and one that government, industry and professional bodies, like the AGI, need to be acting upon with urgency.”

David Henderson, Chief Geospatial Officer at Ordnance Survey, added, “Geospatial has evolved into a set of multifunctional capabilities and expertise that underpin almost every aspect of modern life. The AGI Foresight Report 2030 is a timely opportunity to pause and reflect on how location data will help shape the UK’s digital economy. As a geospatial community, we must embrace AI, ensure data is trusted and traceable, and accelerate our commitment to future skills to enable better decisions across all sectors."