Geomatics Industry Optimistic at Intergeo 2015

Intergeo, the largest geomatics event of the year, is always a good indicator of the status of the geomatics industry and its future prospects. As the growth seen at Intergeo 2015 demonstrates, the outlook is more than promising. With a 15 percent increase in exhibitors and floorspace alike and its broad international scope, Intergeo well reflected the full dynamism of this innovation-focused industry.

There's no need for a crystal ball to predict geoinformation's continuing growth. Cutting-edge applications to meet society’s needs for mobility, intelligent cities, digital construction, a sustainable energy supply, climate protection and disaster relief management all rely quite heavily on geoinformation. Prof Karl-Friedrich Thöne, president of host organisation DVW (German Society for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management), stated that geoinformation is the 'servant of society' – an indispensable motor for its sustainability and for a future-proof business sector. What's more, the end-to-end integration of geoinformation into diverse business processes lends the sector further force thanks to its ability to accelerate and simplify processes and reduce costs. Process optimisation and input into decision-making processes were the key tasks the geoinformation sector proudly presented at Intergeo in Stuttgart.

Growth

The facts and figures for this year's Intergeo speak entirely for themselves. As it drew to a close, the 21st Intergeo had scored 15 percent growth in exhibitors and floorspace and attracted a very impressive 16,500 visitors. Many of the exhibitors remarked upon the senior executive status of the contacts they made at Intergeo. The fact that half of the exhibitors travelled from abroad reflects Intergeo's top calibre as the leading international trade fair for geoinformation technology. One of the zones where foreign exhibitors really made their mark was the UK Pavilion, which joined the trade fair for the second time this year.

Customised results

The sector makes a concerted effort to integrate and implement developments in mainstream IT. The result is simple, user-friendly, intuitive solutions that seek to deliver customised responses to customers' requirements and those of Geospatial 4.0. The technology must respond to the needs of an expanding global population, and industry suppliers are very optimistic that they can do just that. Intergeo, the key event where international users gather under one roof, gave suppliers the chance to demonstrate how they optimise workflows and simplify processes for customers' benefit, commented Eduardo Falcón, executive vice president and general manager of the GeoPositioning Solutions Group at Topcon Positioning Group.

Interaerial SOLUTIONS

With the launch of the special exhibition zone called 'interaerial SOLUTIONS', Intergeo cemented its status as the international communications hub for applications devoted to unmanned aerial systems. Cina Molawi, a first-time exhibitor at Intergeo with his start-up company Sitebots, reported that Intergeo is just the right platform for young, innovative companies involved in UAS. Intergeo covers a broad spectrum of the industry – they welcomed a high proportion of decision-makers to their stand and succeeded in firmly positioning their products, Molawi said.

Young talent

Once again, one of the key concerns of many of the businesses at this year's Intergeo was the shortage of specialists – and the trade fair is becoming an increasingly important recruitment forum. The geomatics sector has to actively combat the shortage of specialists and join forces with universities and companies to attract young talent, said DVW President Thöne.

Intergeo 2016

Although one Intergeo has drawn to a close, the next Intergeo already beckons. With its future-oriented focus on digital construction and smart cities, Intergeo 2016 is moving to Hamburg. The city is renowned for its international flair and as a key centre of trade, architecture and innovation. The organisers have already received plenty of advance bookings for exhibition space, said Christoph Hinte, Intergeo's organiser and managing director of Hinte.

The next edition of Intergeo will be held in Hamburg from 11 to 13 October 2016.