The Association for Geographic Information has launched a new project exploring the opportunities and challenges for the sector over the next five years.
Referencing previous Foresight Projects, the current work is starting with a wide-reaching survey aimed at identifying biggest themes, influences and developments, that will impact geospatial to 2030. Additional input will be sourced from stakeholders working in government, commerce, academia, and research, in the form of one-to-one interviews, and the results of these will be published in an independent report later in the year. This report will be formally launched at a dedicated event at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) on the 13th November 2025.
“Foresight projects take big, cross-cutting issues, summarise the evidence, and explore future opportunities,” commented Peter ter Haar, Co-Chair of the Association for Geographic Information. “We have undertaken similar projects back in 2010 and 2015, so, as we sit on the verge of both an exciting technological future and an uncertain political and environmental landscape, this year seemed a logical time to revisit this activity.
“We want to engage with the geospatial community, and wider spheres of influence, to garner as much feedback as possible with as many opinions and experiences as feasible and we hope the final report will be a valuable resource for those working within, and alongside, geospatial to inform strategic decision making and understand potential opportunities.”
The AGI Foresight Project 2030 survey is currently live on the AGI website (https://www.agi.org.uk/foresight-report/). Open to any interested individual or organisation, opinions are being sought on the themes raised in the previous Foresight report and the opportunities for the geographic information industry over the next five years. Thoughts are also being sought on how the sector can maximise these opportunities whilst also identifying and responding to challenges.
Peter ter Haar concluded. “As a membership organisation run by volunteers for the good of the sector it is only with this support that we can undertake ambitious projects like this.”