News in 2024
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GISTC-2024 Opening count-down pictured Senior Directors from organisers, led by Geographic Information System Technology Innovation centre (MNR of China)
At the invitation of FIG Corporate member Mr. Prof. Song Guanfu, SuperMap President & CEO, FIG President Diane Dumashie attended the 2024 Geospatial Intelligence Software Technology Conference (GISTC-2024). The 2024 conference with the overall theme theme: Geospatial Development, Driving Quality Development was held at the Beijing International Convention Centre, China 25-26th June 2024.
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Left Photo: GISTC-2024 conference |
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An insightful symposium providing possibilities to meet with fellow professionals and the Chinese software industry, and a good opportunity to reconnect with many FIG colleagues. There are a total of seven FIG members in China including: CSGPC, CIREA, CLSS, Affiliate, Academic and Corporate members (* Full names listed below). And it was greatly appreciated to meet with Dr Song, President of Chinese Society for Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography (CSGPC) along with Professor Yan Qin, Vice President of CSGPC & President of the Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping (CSAM) (and incoming FIG Vice President).
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Meeting with Dr Song, President CSGPC (centre), Professor Yan Qin, Vice President CSGPC & President CSAM (second right). |
 CSGPC offices |
 Professor Yan Qin, Vice President CSGPC & President CSAM indicating CSGPC listed as the first name plate |
The GISTC-2024 lead host is the Geographic Information System Technology Innovation centre in the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Peoples Republic of China, with important support from the UN Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre located and recently opened in Deqing county, Huzhou, China. The GISTC-2024 is a GIS event that has been running since 2017 and is increasing its exposure not just in the continent of China but across the wider Asia region and internationally.
The two conference days were formatted as Day 1 Plenary conference, and Day 2 Parallel sessions (including international forum) with an exhibition across both days, (see program)
FIG was very pleased to support the event with the attendance by FIG President presenting in both the opening and international session.
The conference focus on geospatial development was highlighted in the opening speeches. These included: Li Weisen, President of China Association for Geospatial Industry and Sciences, Diane Dumashie FIG President (speech), Li Pengde, Director UN Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre.
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The plenary speakers highlighted the theme to ‘drive quality development’. With specific focus on data promoting development (Director of National Electronic Government Expert Committee), digital governance (Director of the Information Centre of the Ministry of Natural Resources), and accelerating survey, mapping and geographic information upgrades (Director of Survey and Mapping Development Research Centre, Min of Natural Resources)
Mr Wang Roger Haitao VP SuperMap, & President of SuperMap International opened the international forum. Reflecting SuperMap’s outreach to the international community, the international participants attended from countries that are well known to the FIG community, including: Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Serbia, South Korea and Thailand amongst others.
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FIG President D Dumashie, presented ‘FIG Vision Toward 2030: Partnership in Geospatial Working’. (see ppt). Prof Yan Qin in her role as President of CSAM provided a keynote with a ‘China perspective on the SDG’s and natural resources’.
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The conference facilitated discussion, sharing, and learning about GIS platform software technologies and GIS applications across all land and built environment sectors. Further, demonstrating that geospatial technologies and products integrate GIS with RS, GPS and cutting edge IT technologies.
To use geospatial intelligence to drive quality development through innovation it is clear that we must continue to work to strengthen the use, and further development, of geospatial information in all its forms in the wider geospatial ecosystem. We must do this work by joining up the dots of our expertise across the FIG Commission disciplines, and also across survey community and software GIS developer communities to better articulate how the overlap in land management and administration. Ultimately for societal benefit.
FIG’s dedicated Task Force on Future Geospatial Information Ecosystem is looking at this wider ecosystem, and many of FIG commissions are also deliberating on how to articulate this in their commission domains.
The organisers are thanked for including FIG, as the global representative of all survey disciplines in the bult and natural environment. In particular FIG thanks Mr Wang Roger Haito President of SuperMap International and Mr Gordon Yu SuperMap Head of European & African Centre who not only worked tirelessly for the international attendees, but also for their invaluable help to make my own visit a success.
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The GISTC-2024 was a very good opportunity to see the extent of GIS technology interwoven into the Chinese profession along with enjoyable times with FIG friends and colleagues.
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* FIG China members:
Links to:
FIG President D Dumashie
July 2024
Excellent Chinese meal with FIG friends