Full of Potential

Welcome to our thickest issue of the year. Intergeo 2011 is just around the corner and we are pleased to provide you with a small preview of what will be on display there. More than a hundred companies sent us details of the new products and latest developments that they are keen to share, not only with visitors to the show, but also with those of our readers who are not able to travel to Nuremberg, Germany. It is heartening to see so many companies – many of them are familiar names, but there are some new ones too – taking part, both in this edition of GIM International and at the event itself; I believe it underlines once again the strength and vitality of our industry. While new names may mean new competition, and hence be perceived as threatening by some, I believe we should welcome new companies with open arms; they are a great demonstration that the market continues to offer opportunities for development, that entrepreneurs fully expect their start-ups to evolve into feasible businesses, and hence that the field has a promising future. Can you imagine an industry with no new entrants? That industry would be doomed – which is one thing the geomatics industry for sure is not! You can find the preview of the Intergeo in this edition of GIM International.

The interview with German professor Rainer Reuter, who also presides over the European Association of Remote Sensing Laboratories (EARSeL) should not be missed. He shares his views on the future of remote sensing, an area of geomatics that is continuing to grow in relevance. He sees a wealth of untapped potential in terms of combining existing techniques, sensors and satellites and data mining, and extracting new features and information from older data. He expects the increasing levels of interest in environmental issues, global warming and climate change to place even more importance on the role of geomatics in general, and remote sensing in particular, in relation to the future of humankind.

At GIM International, we are proud to announce a new service for our readers: the online edition. All our readers will shortly be receiving an e-mail informing them of the possibility to opt for our new, environmentally friendly – and thus ‘green’ – copy of GIM International! If you are keen to sign up for the online version straight away, simply send us an e-mail at info@geomares.nl and we will add your name to the list.

I am delighted to observe all this potential in our business as we make our final preparations for the Intergeo 2011. The GIM International team will be out in force at the show, so please stop by and meet us at our stand, 6.A10. Since we will be spending most of our time walking the floor, learning about the very latest developments, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, it might be a good idea to schedule a meeting beforehand by sending an e-mail to durk.haarsma@geomares.nl. I hope to see you in Nuremberg!