The fourth edition of Geo Connect Asia (GCA), the region’s flagship trade event and conference for the geospatial, positioning and remote sensing industries, has attracted 2,785 visitors, delegates and speakers from 52 countries and territories.
Held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore on 6-7 March 2024, this year’s GCA was co-located alongside Drones & Uncrewed Asia, Digital Construction Asia and the inaugural Marine & Hydro Asia.
With the theme ‘Geospatial Driven Impacts: Underground, Land and Sea to Sky’, GCA 2024 drew experts from Singapore-based and international companies, institutions, start-ups, and government agencies. Tech Talks spanning the entire geospatial spectrum, as well as presentations and panel discussions with 102 speakers, enabled pivotal discussions on the economic and societal impact of geospatial technologies.
“The mainstreaming of geospatial technologies has been a major theme of the 2024 event and is one that will accelerate as industry and governments successfully apply proven solutions,” said Rupert Owen, co-founder of Geo Connect Asia. “The growing international positioning of Geo Connect Asia assists in exchanging experiences across regions. The additional focus on digital construction, marine & hydro and the UAV marketplaces also drives focus on the value of data acquisition and sharing to enhance accuracy and the on-time scheduling and delivery of key projects.”
At the combined co-located shows, visitors were able to interact with different products and prototypes, including drones, remote sensing-based laser scanners, mapping systems and ground-penetrating radars, plus the technologies that make the development of these tools possible. A wide variety of spatial analysis, UAV traffic management and visualisation software, and satellite communications services were also exhibited.
The Tech Talks, UAV Innovation Theatre and Digital Underground Connect featured a line-up of fireside chats and keynote speeches, where industry professionals had robust conversations on topics such as how geospatial technology can be harnessed to improve life quality; the use of AI in construction technology; geospatial drivers in speeding up the decarbonisation agenda; and mainstreaming geospatial technology for healthcare, community and sustainable development.
Business matching was a key driver of success at GCA 2024, with exhibitors, speakers and visitors given abundant opportunities to connect, network and explore potential synergies. This allowed visitors to identify complementary strengths and lay the groundwork for future business collaborations.
“We are witnessing the exponential growth and transformative impact of geospatial technology across economies, infrastructure and everyday lives,” said Scott Simmons, chief standards officer of Open Geospatial Consortium. “Geo Connect Asia serves as an excellent platform for industry leaders and stakeholders to build cross-border networks, explore innovative solutions, and propel the geospatial industry forward for a more sustainable and connected future.”
The next edition of GCA is scheduled to take place on 9-10 April 2025 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
