Geospatial intelligence drives the future of GIS in China

With the theme of ‘Geospatial Intelligence, Elevated by Integration’, the 2023 Geospatial Information Software Technology Conference commenced at the China National Convention Center in Beijing on 27 June. Government leaders and academics from China, along with experts and business representatives from both China and abroad, attended the conference to exchange ideas relating to geospatial intelligence technology and give insights into its broad application prospects

At the plenary conference on 28 June, SuperMap Software Group, a leading GIS platform manufacturer in Asia and the second globally, officially released the latest version of its series of GIS products: SuperMap GIS 2023. Apart from having updated the current products, SuperMap also released a number of new products in SuperMap GIS 2023, including cross-platform remote sensing image processing desktop software (SuperMap ImageX Pro [Beta]), cross-platform nautical chart production desktop software (SuperMap iMaritimeEditor), web-side 3D geographic design application (SuperMap iDesigner3D) and 3D WebGPU client (SuperMap iClient3D for WebGPU [Beta]). 

This series of products will help to realize the processing and application of remote sensing data throughout the whole process, achieving the integration of remote sensing and GIS. The products also meet the needs of nautical chart production and support online geographic design based on the real geographic environment. The rendering performance and effect of 3D web client have been improved through WebGPU technology, which will bring an unprecedented user experience and add value for users.

Dr Song Guanfu, chairman of the SuperMap Software Group board, introduced the concepts of geospatial intelligence and the geospatial intelligence pyramid in his presentation on ‘Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS, Accelerating from Spatial Data to Geospatial Intelligence’. He also introduced the new generation of remote sensing processing software released by SuperMap, which features integration, cross-platform, intelligent processing and high computing performance. 

On 28 June, the GIS International Forum welcomed around 150 international representatives of governments, businesses and universities from 28 countries, highlighting the latest developments and application cases from their own countries. Topics discussed include remote sensing, multi-source data, smart schools, smart cities, artificial intelligence (AI), cadastre and minerals. 

Mr Philipp Grimm, CEO of IGI mbH, introduced several camera systems from IGI in his presentation, as well as the application of the company’s multi-source 3D data in the SuperMap GIS platform. In an impressive demo, he showed the audience how the data was used in SuperMap iDesktop to assist with urban planning.

Ms Diane Dumashie, president of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), delivered her closing speech via video call. She praised the international forum as an attractive event, stating that it provided a platform for speakers and the audience to talk about a wide range of interesting topics in the GIS domain to help them leverage geospatial technology. “Because the power of geospatial technology continues to be realized across a growing number of industries and applications, the role of the geospatial as well as the surveying professional has never been so important as it is now,” she said. 

The two-day conference also featured three thematic exhibition areas. Attendees could see the latest technological achievements and practices of suppliers of geographic information and IT digitization, as well as the latest progress in the integration of SuperMap GIS and remote sensing.