Navigating the future of surveying

From demographic changes and skills shortages to climate-driven land pressures, AI ethics and hydrography, the surveying profession is undergoing rapid transformation. GIM International spoke with Nick Maclean, president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for 2026, about how the organization plans to strengthen the role of surveyors and geomatics professionals this year and beyond.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how your career has led to the role of RICS president?

I was acting president of RICS from March 2025, and have now just formally begun my presidential year this year. I have been with CBRE for almost my entire career, much of it international, including 21 years in the Middle East. Before entering surveying, I served with the Royal Navy, which gave me a deep appreciation for hydrography and the resources that underpin it. These experiences have shaped the priorities I want to drive through RICS: education reform, and strengthening our influence across the broad spectrum of surveying disciplines.

As part of those priorities, you’ve said you want to increase the influence of the surveying profession among lawmakers and regulators. Why now?

RICS represents 140,000 professionals working at the frontline of the built and natural environment. Our members have expertise that governments increasingly need – whether the subject is housing shortages, infrastructure planning, climate-driven environmental challenges or land-use policy. Many governments simply don’t have this technical depth in-house. It’s not just an opportunity for RICS to support policymakers; it’s essential that we help them understand what our profession can offer.

How has your experience in the Middle East influenced your way of thinking about Europe?

The Middle East is creating infrastructure from scratch and doing so at speed, which offers valuable lessons. There’s strong inbound investment, proactive housing provision and a far more positive view of immigration, when newcomers contribute economically. These countries have moved from underdeveloped economies to competitive global players. Europe could learn from that boldness, although it may not be an easy message to convey. We can’t continue on our current trajectory without addressing major structural issues.

Climate change is reshaping the built environment. What responsibility do surveyors hold?

Surveyors must show that sustainability and large-scale development are not mutually exclusive. Policymakers often think they must choose one or the other. Our role is to highlight unintended consequences: how policy changes impact development feasibility, stall housing delivery or distort affordability. Advising on these market interactions is one of our most important contributions.

You mentioned affordable housing, which is a global challenge. How can surveyors and geospatial professionals help in this context?

Their role is critical, though sometimes indirect. Ensuring we don’t build in the wrong locations – such as on floodplains – can save enormous long-term cost and risk. Sustainability and resilience must be integral to housing strategies. Location intelligence, environmental modelling and land-suitability analysis are areas where geospatial professionals excel. Housing also shapes future migration patterns, making geospatial expertise indispensable as governments plan for demographic shifts.

Technology is transforming the profession. How do we balance AI and digital tools with professional judgement?

‘Artificial intelligence’ often means different things to different people, but let’s call it ‘sophisticated data analytics’. We must embrace these tools while ensuring surveyors can recognize when the technology is wrong. Technology accelerates the work, but it cannot replace judgement. Education must evolve to include drones, autonomous underwater vehicles, advanced analytics and modern software. And we must help lawmakers understand both the power and limitations of new technologies.

RICS recently introduced a global standard for AI conduct. Why is this important?

Technology evolves too quickly for traditional regulation. Instead of trying to regulate the technology, RICS has focused on ethical behaviour – requiring transparency when AI tools are used, and making sure professionals take responsibility for outcomes. No other professional body has taken this angle. It has already been well received internationally.

Beyond AI, which emerging technologies will impact the profession most?

Autonomous survey vehicles, drones, robotic sonar and laser-based inspection and infrastructure assessments, enhanced imaging technologies, and access to previously unreachable environments. These tools vastly increase speed, safety and data richness, but they also reinforce the need for professionals with strong interpretive skills.

There’s a worrying skills gap in the surveying profession. What concerns you most?

We face two issues: not enough young people are entering the profession, and the demographic profile of current members is aging rapidly. Many highly experienced professionals are retiring, taking decades of knowledge with them. If we don’t address this, we risk losing embedded expertise that technology alone cannot replace. Attracting new talent and retaining retiring expertise through mentorship or structured transitional roles are critical priorities.

What is the role of institutions like RICS in helping the profession remain attractive to future generations?

We must demonstrate that surveying is not just valuable, but a rewarding career path. That includes clearer communication of financial benefits, stronger outreach to students, and closer collaboration between industry, academia, and the institution. Apprenticeship models and vocational training are especially promising, connecting companies directly with talent pipelines.

How can you encourage more young professionals to join RICS?

In emerging markets, membership of RICS is seen as essential and the numbers are growing. In Europe, there’s cynicism, with numbers flat, so we must communicate the commercial value of membership more clearly. We need to show that being a chartered surveyor improves career prospects, income and professional credibility. Clients also need to see that RICS members commit to ethical standards and continuing professional development. That distinction matters.

RICS encompasses more than 20 specializations. How do you promote cross-disciplinary cooperation?

The diversity of disciplines is our strength, but it can create silos. To address this, we established Professional Group Panels to feed market insights back to the Governing Council. We’ve already seen strong multidisciplinary outputs, such as our flooding guidance, which combined six different professional groups. We need to continue improving international representation and ensure that natural-resources and land-management voices are heard alongside dominant commercial sectors.

What do you hope to have achieved by the end of your presidency?

A year is short, but I want RICS firmly set on a path toward modernized education and renewed influence. We’ve lost some impact compared with ten years ago, and that must change. My earlier time as chair allowed me to start this work; I returned as president to finish it. RICS has a unique ‘public interest’ mandate – we serve both our members and the users of their services. I intend for us to communicate that far more strongly.

Do you have a message for the global geomatics community?

Although relatively small, the Land & Natural Resources community within RICS will grow dramatically in importance as humanity demands more resources, explores harsher environments, and faces much tighter land constraints. Efficient and responsible land management is becoming central to global sustainability.

Moreover, commercial priorities have overshadowed hydrography, but geopolitical realities are bringing hydrographic capability back into focus and it deserves more attention. We don’t need thousands of experts, but we do need enough specialists across domains to maintain national resilience. Additionally, hydrography is increasingly merging with GIS, environmental science and marine resource management, which strengthens its strategic role.

About Nick Maclean

Nick Maclean OBE RD FRICS became the 144^th president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) on 1 January 2026. He brings more than 30 years of experience at CBRE, including serving as chair for the Middle East and North Africa region, alongside seven years as a Scottish Trade Envoy. A long-standing RICS member, he has over two decades of involvement in its governance, including as former chair of the Governing Council, and now provides leadership focused on strengthening the profession’s influence, skills development and professional value.