I
n the introduction of our last Annual Edition — just before the world realized the gravity of the COVID-19 crisis — we had written that “a lot can happen in a year.” A lot did happen in 2020: an “unknown enemy” attacked us unannounced, took away millions of lives and livelihoods, disrupted supply chains, and pushed the global economy into deep recession. The pandemic also exposed some fundamental problems plaguing our global village, such as unsustainable development and a digital divide. It was an unprecedented situation and it called for an extraordinary
REGULAR
response. While governments, law enforcers and healthcare professionals put their best foot forward, they also required assistance with data and technology. As always, the geospatial industry rose to the occasion and played a key role in mitigating the crisis. From infrastructure building and strengthening supply chains, to keeping people safe, geospatial data and technologies were used extensively in all Covid response efforts. Now that we have left the Covid year behind, it’s time to rethink development and rebuild societies and economies. A majority of experts from the geospatial ecosystem are
LEADERS’ OUTLOOK
Editorial Editor's Note
6 7
SPACE OUTLOOK
32
Ola Rollén
10
Alain De Taeye
34
Jack Dangermond
12
Stefan Van Doorslaer
36
Ray O’Connor
14
Srikanth Ramachandran
37
Michael Burger
16
Blair Freebairn
38
Mark Heine
18
Björn Bremer
39
Clinton Crosier
20
Gladys Kong
40
Briana Brown
41
Ross Epstein
41
Shobhit Shukla
42
Alex Storey
43
President & CEO FARO Technologies, Inc CEO, Fugro
Andrew Anagnost
22
Massimo C Comparini
24
President and CEO, Autodesk
AEC INNOVATION AND STIMULUS
30
Thomas Walle
Director of Aerospace and Satellite Solutions Amazon Web Services
78
Bobbie H Kalra 8
CEO, Topcon Positioning Systems
AEC OUTLOOK
Enjoy reading!
Founder & CEO, Magnasoft
President & CEO, Trimble
Founder & President, Esri
SPACE STORY: BEYOND COVID-19
This edition of the Geospatial World Magazine, while highlighting the exemplary leadership and vision exhibited by the geospatial industry, delves into the best paths leading to social, economic and environmental recovery, and the need for sustainable development.
Rob Painter
President & CEO, Hexagon AB
44
of the view that this year will mark the beginning of global economic recovery, and sectors such as infrastructure, retail and agriculture will drive growth. There will be heightened focus on digitalization and innovation, which will transform our everyday lives.
Deputy CEO ESVP Observation Exploration Navigation Thales Alenia Space
Ganesh Pattabiraman
26
Frank Pauli
28
CEO & Co-founder, NextNav CEO, Cyclomedia
4 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Jan-Feb 2021
CEO & Co-founder, Unacast Board Member, TomTom Group CEO, Ahlers
Founder & CEO, Moving Walls CEO, Geolytix
CEO & CCO Ogilvy Group Germany CEO, UberMedia Content Manager SafeGraph Vice-President, New Projects SafeGraph Co-founder & Chief Revenue Officer Near CEO & Co-founder, REOMNIFY