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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 » VOLUME 11 » ISSUE 03 | ISSN 2277–3134

www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net

In these uncertain times, the AEC industry has successfully overcome multifaceted challenges through resilient business models, definite execution plans and digitalization. But there is still a long way to go.

GO FURTHER.

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CONTENTS SEPT-OCT 2020 VOLUME: 11, ISSUE: 03

10 / Space Landscape has Dramatically Shifted in Past 10 Years Teresa Carlson

Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector and Regulated Industries, AWS

COVER STORY

14 /

CORNER OFFICE

STANDING TALL

REGULAR FEATURES

04 / Editorial 05 / Out of Turn 06 / Product Watch Resilient business models, definite execution plans and strategic product lineups have enabled geospatial and BIM technology companies in the AEC sector to not only weather the Covid storm, but also do well in terms of numbers in these uncertain times.

INTERVIEW: BUILDING & INFRA

INFOSPHERE

08 / How Data will Drive UK The UKâ€™s National Data Strategy (NDS) is an ambitious, pro-growth plan that will help the country in building a data economy, while ensuring public trust in data use.

22 / The When, Where and How of Construction Automation Ulrich Hermanski

Chief Marketing Officer, Topcon Positioning Systems

25 / Infrastructure Spending, Technology Adoption will Revive AEC Industry Page Tucker

CEO and Founder, ProStar

SPECIAL FEATURE

27 / Taking Journalism to New Orbits EXPERT OPINION

31 / National Data and National Sovereignty John Kedar

Global Geospatial Strategy Advisor

Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Kumar Managing Editor Prof. Arup Dasgupta Editor-At-Large Technology & Innovation Anusuya Datta Consulting Editor Architecture, Engineering & Construction Gavin Schrock Contributing Editor Geospatial Infrastructure John Kedar Contributing Editor Global Defense and Security Keith J. Masback Consulting Editor Nishi Malhotra Associate Editor Policy & Public Affairs Avneep Dhingra Associate Editor Business & Market Analysis Shimonti Paul Sr. Assistant Editor Defense & Intelligence Meenal Dhande Chief Designer Subhash Kumar Visualizer Pradeep Chauhan

INTERVIEW: DEFENSE & SECURITY

33 / Geospatial Information in Every System Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Bier

Geo Information Officer of the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, The Netherlands

POLICY TRACK

Sales & Marketing Manager Vaishali Dixit Disclaimer Geospatial World does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in the publication. All views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. Geospatial World is not responsible for any loss to anyone due to the information provided. Owner, Publisher & Printer: Sanjay Kumar Printed at Virtika Offset Printers, G-14 Sector 3, Noida - 201 301, G.B. Nagar (UP) India Publication Address A - 145, Sector - 63, Noida - 201 301, India Geospatial World: The edition contains 40 pages including cover. Geospatial Media and Communications Pvt. Ltd. A - 145, Sector - 63, Noida, India, Tel + 91-120-4612500, Fax +91-120-4612555/666

35 / GIS to Optimize Land Use Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 3

EDITORIAL

Silver Lining for AEC Industry

n the September 2020 issue of the National Geographic, an article on robotics starts with a description of an autonomous excavator, which is set up to dig a portion of an area and dump the material in preselected sites for human-operated bulldozers to smooth out the area. Welcome to the world of AEC.

Environment-friendly buildings is also an important issue. The ‘greening’ of buildings that ensure low carbon footprint, safe and clean recycling, and/or disposal of waste are the needs of the hour. Add to this easy accessibility through public transport to reduce energy wastage of individual vehicles and optimize the impact on existing buildings, transportation, infrastructure, utilities, and the environment. Finally, the inclusion of facilities for the quick and efficient evacuation at times of disaster should also be addressed.

Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) are three indeProf. Arup Dasgupta arup@geospatialmedia.net pendent industries tied together with a common goal of the aesthetic and environment-friendly design of buildings, their construction, and further operations There are several technologies that play an and maintenance. Traditionally these have been essential role in providing support to these considered to be independent activities with activities — CAD, BIM, GIS, Location, and their processes and procedures. Interfacing AI. BIM provides the glue that ties disparate between these activities happened, but there technologies together through common standwas a lack of common standards between them. ards, procedures, and processes. GEO-BIM The interactions were thus person-oriented, adds the element of geospatial, thus including rather than being standards-based processes the information on the spatial location of the and procedures. building and enables the architects and engineers to analyze the impact of the construcThe National Institute of Standards and Techtion on the existing environment. nology (NIST) has published its report in 2004, declaring that the construction industry loses It is heartening to note that the AEC approximately $15.8 billion a year, or around industry has quickly realized that GEO-BIM is 3-4% of the total industry revenue, due to inadethe way out of the downturn. In every cloud, quate interoperability and data management. there is a silver lining, and the enhanced adoption of GEO-BIM is a good sign that the COVID-19 has made the importance of the AEC industry is on the road to a digital and AEC and BIM (Building Information Manageinteroperable future. The concept of construct ment) very acute. The severe restrictions and forget is being replaced by the paradigm imposed almost brought the industry to a standof lifecycle management for AEC. still. In a situation where an activity cannot have hundreds of workers milling around, A word of caution. While digitalization the importance of programmable automated and automation are the way forward, the machines and task-specific robots is mandatory. industry also needs to re-skill and re-emHowever, there is always the worry of job losses ploy humans replaced. Just as draughtsmen due to automation. The idea is to make robots were re-skilled to use CAD, there is a need to do repetitive and dirty work while humans can create opportunities for others whose jobs concentrate on work that requires intelligence will be on the line. and, perhaps, art. 4 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

OUT OF TURN

Philosophy, Knowledge and Governance

Aristotle advocated even more strongly that the government should be in the hands of the best and the most competent. In fact, he considered “good monarchy” better than democracy. Chanakya, an Indian philosopher, practiced the philosophy of knowledge and welfare. He led a revolution and installed a strong, progressive and welfare state. Knowledge, integrity, and service to the nation were defined Sanjay Kumar sanjay@geospatialmedia.net as the fundamental prerequisites for rulers. And the debate around a knowledge-driven democracy versus a popular republic or aristocracy continued. In fact, even Rousseau, through his philosophy of “The Social Contract”, portrayed the The quest for democracy has been a phenomresponsibility of the sovereign to ensure its enon since 500BC, and its tenets have evolved citizen to be “forced to be free” — so that an over centuries, weathering social, religious, individual enjoys freedom till his/her actions political and institutional challenges. The do not harm others, as society is based on struggle continued through generations and did interdependent individuals. not yield much success until the 17th Century, when the world witnessed several civil wars Today, once again we are standing at the and revolutions across USA, UK, France and crossroads. On the one hand we have pracRussia, driven by the philosophies of John Locke, ticing autocracies flourishing in different Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and forms, and on the other hand we have Karl Marx. popular democracies led by individuals having paucity of knowledge, integrity and Knowledge has been the sole criterion for the the competence to serve the humanity and ruling elite or “philosopher kings”, as described by nature. At a time when the world needed a Plato. Socrates, the father of western philosophy, collective approach to address existential believed in the power of knowledge and advocated problems posed by a host of social, economic that the ruler shall have the greatest knowledge and environmental challenges, there were no and wisdom to understand human desires and statesmen to look up to. On top of that, we offer practical solutions for the well-being of have been witnessing an upsurge of arrosociety. Having watched the government sentence gant Right-Wing leadership both amongst Socrates to death, Plato proposed an “ideal state”, democratic and dictatorial regimes, which wherein philosophers should acquire political is clearly in contrast to the philosophy of power and only people having the knowledge of knowledge-led dispensations. It’s ironphilosophy should be allowed to rule. He further ical that in an age where knowledge rules went on to divide the society in three classes, economy, arrogance is ruling polity. We aren’t wherein the economy shall be the responsibility short of knowledge, but we are definitely of merchants, security of warriors, and political missing a philosopher! governance of “philosopher kings”.

overnance has been at the core of philosophies since times immemorial. And philosophies served as guiding principles for polity, economy and society — the three founding pillars of modern civilization. For years, philosophers worldwide opposed religious institutions and autocratic kingdoms, and propagated the ideas of a democratic society with free thinking. The freedom to think, reason, express and even dissent was probably the early trigger for philosophers; but soon, the establishment of a welfare state through public participation in governance took the center stage.

Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 5

PRODUCT WATCH

EMCORE’s Laser Module to Support Array of Industrial Applications EMCORE Corporation has introduced a laser module for LiDAR and optical sensing. The Model 1790 1550 nm High-Power Laser Module was developed for use as a CW (Continuous Wavelength) coherent optical source for next generation FMCW (Frequency Modulation Continuous Wavelength) LiDAR systems.

Versatile Features

• Supports a broad array of industrial applications including materials characterization, strain measurement, terahertz-spectroscopy, interferometry, position and interference measurement, and other applications • Its vertical integration allows for different wavelengths to be available for custom applications and form factors, including packaged component or micro-optical subassembly • Has a wide operating temperature range from -10 °C to +65 °C and is Telcordia Technologies® GR-468 and RoHS compliant

The 1790 achieves extremely narrow line-widths combined with a high efficiency coupling scheme to enable high optical output power of 18 dBm, creating a compact, robust solution for FMCW sensing. Its monolithic design, combined with optimized coupling optics, makes it highly immune to the mode or optical frequency hopping typically found with single isolator, external cavity designs. EMCORE’s LiDAR laser technology maintains optical frequency stability over temperature, suppressing false readings caused by the mode or frequency hopping which is typical in conventional designs.

Teledyne’s New 3D Sensors Deliver Up to 45K Profiles Per Second

Hesai’s High-performance LiDAR for Autonomous Driving Applications

Teledyne Imaging has recently launched Z-Trak™2, its newest family of 3D profile sensors. Built on 3D image sensor technology, Z-Trak2 ushers in a new era of 5GigE 3D profile sensors for high-speed, in-line 3D applications. The models deliver scan speed of up to 45,000 profiles per second and feature built-in HDR and reflection compensation algorithms to handle surfaces with varying degrees of reflectivity in a single scan. This delivers in-line height measurements for inspection, detection, identification, and guidance in electronics, semiconductor, automotive and factory automation markets segments. Offering 2,000 points per profile, all Z-Trak2 models are factory calibrated and are offered with either blue or red eye safe lasers to suit various surface properties and operating environments.

Hesai Technology has released its next-generation mechanical LiDAR, Pandar128. It offers an ideal solution for autonomous driving applications. Pandar128 retains a little form factor: it’s just 7 mm tall and weighs 1.63 kg only. Its compact design allows for seamless integration into a vehicle’s exterior for a more aesthetic configuration. The new system architecture also reduces power consumption, requiring a maximum of 27 W (10 Hz), despite the enormous data volume. Most notably, Pandar128 is perfectly suitable for automotive volume production.

Major Highlights

• Up to 2K points/profile; scan rate up to 45K profiles/sec • Built-in single frame HDR • 360° inspection and occlusion removal

6 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

Fully Loaded

• Resolution: up to 0.1° (H) * 0.125° (V) at 10 Hz refresh rate • Up to 6,912,000 points/sec • Detection capability: 200 m (10% reflectivity target)

TomTom Launches RoadCheck for Safer Autonomous Driving

TomTom has launched RoadCheck for automated vehicles that allows carmakers to decide where it is safe for drivers to activate their vehicles’ automated driving functions. RoadCheck is pre-integrated with the TomTom HD Map and overthe-air map delivery system, TomTom AutoStream. It will help them define the operational design domain (ODD) of their vehicles’ automated driving functions. This will allow carmakers to manage where these functions can be used safely. Engineers can enter automated driving (AD) rules and restrictions into the intuitive online editor. The Cloud-based RoadCheck service delivers the data directly to the vehicle, for example, through the pre-integrated AutoStream service. TomTom RoadCheck is the latest edition to TomTom’s vehicle automation portfolio, which also includes the TomTom HD Map, the TomTom ADAS Map, a hazard service, TomTom AutoStream and TomTom Vehicle Horizon.

Safe and Sound

• • • •

Unique map insights, safer vehicles One solution fits all Tailor to any vehicle Pre-integrated solution

SkyGrid’s All-in-one Drone App to Automate Every Phase of Flight SkyGrid has launched a new application called SkyGrid Flight Control™ for drone operators and enterprises to automate every phase of flight in one unified solution. The app simplifies mission planning and execution, allowing drone operators to autonomously surveil a bounded area and detect objects in real-time. The solution enables more efficient search and rescue missions, disaster response, perimeter surveillance,

site inspections and more, and is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) computer vision. SkyGrid Flight Control enables drone operators to automate airspace authorization, mission planning, flight execution, and object detection in one end-to-end solution and is powered by SkyGrid’s AerialOS™. The app is now available for free on the iPad App Store.

For a Smooth Flight

• • • •

Airspace intelligence Ground intelligence Advanced weather data Real-time airspace authorization • Automated mission planning • Autonomous flight execution • AI object recognition

Topcon’s Robotic Total Stations for Versatile Surveys and Construction

Topcon Positioning Group has announced new flagship GT Series robotic total stations for survey, construction, and machine control applications. The GT-1200 and GT-600 total stations are available in multiple accuracy levels. The new total stations are part of a full

workflow solution, including a new field computer, a full-version update to Topcon field and office software, as well as GNSS receivers. The system is designed to work in sync for improved performance and better data handling with built-in, fieldto-office connectivity. From a software perspective, MAGNET improves field-based quality reporting and data handling for larger files, graphical processing, and 3D models. MAGNET Field features more visual- and map-based workflows in addition to menu-driven functionality popular with power users.

Key Features

• 10 Hz positioning update rate • New ultrasonic motor control algorithm to maintain superior prism-lock Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 7

INFOSPHERE

WHAT Published on September 9, 2020, the UK’s National Data Strategy (NDS) is an ambitious, pro-growth plan that will help the country in building a data economy, while ensuring public trust in data use.

The strategy will ensure that people, businesses and organizations are sufficiently skilled to operate effectively within the data ecosystem, and get access to data as and when they need it.

The NDS will also provide coherence and impetus to the wide range of data-led works across government, while creating a shared understanding across the economy of how data is used.

WHEN // In June 2019, the UK government opened call for evidence and ran a series of stakeholder engagements. These findings were critical in helping the authorities develop the National Data Strategy framework document. // The COVID-19 crisis caused the UK government to reflect on its priorities and enhanced its understanding about the significance of data use within the economy, society and the public sector, underlining the importance of ensuring that data can be shared in timely and trustworthy ways. // The government realized that it must draw upon the UK’s long-championed values of transparency, accountability and inclusion.

WHY & HOW A number of interconnected issues currently prevent the best use of data in the UK. These are reflected in the core pillars of the strategy. From these pillars, five missions have been defined. Further, five concrete and significant opportunities for data to positively transform the UK are identified.

OPPORTUNITIES Growth

Jobs

Public Services

Research

Society

Mission 1:

Mission 2:

Mission 3:

Mission 4:

Mission 5:

Unlocking the value of data across the economy

Maintaining a pro-growth and trusted data regime

Transforming government's use of data

Ensuring the security and resilience of data infrastructure

Championing the international flow of data

ACTIONS

Other actions aligned to pillars

Pillars of Effective Data Use

Foundation

Skills

KEY INITIATIVES // Training of 500 analysts in data and data science across the public sector by 2021. // Appointing a new Chief Data Officer to lead a whole-government approach to transforming the government's use of data to drive efficiency and improve public services. // Launching an online portal that will support businesses’ access to data skills training, helping signpost SMEs to good quality online training material matched to their technical data science capabilities and ambitions. // Reviewing the use of alternative transfer mechanisms which will ensure that transfers of personal data outside the UK are appropriately protected.

Availability

Responsibility

Our new National Data Strategy will maintain the high watermark of data use set during the pandemic — freeing up businesses, government and organizations to innovate, experiment and drive a new era of growth Oliver Dowden Digital Secretary

Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 9

CORNER OFFICE

Space Landscape has Dramatically Shifted in Past 10 Years The transformation in the Space and Earth Observation industry, from a small number of operators flying one to four satellites, to a continually growing number of Space startups building and launching tens, hundreds, and even thousands of satellites, has created an enormous need for innovation in how the world operates these Space-based missions. Teresa Carlson, Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector and Regulated Industries, AWS, talks about the company’s growing interest in this area. Can you tell us more about AWS’s new aerospace and satellite business segment?

The AWS Aerospace and Satellite (A&S) Solutions business segment is incredibly exciting. We have built a talented team that is dedicated to bringing AWS’s extensive best practices and experience in storage, data analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and more to the global Space enterprise. We welcomed Retired Air Force Major General Clint Crosier, former Director of Space Force Planning at the US Space Force, as the leader of this new business segment. Our team works closely with our customers and partners around the world to reimagine Space system architectures; transform Space enterprises; quickly process Space data on Earth and in orbit; and provide secure, flexible, scalable and cost-efficient Cloud solutions to support the government missions and companies advancing Space around the world. As the world’s most comprehensive Cloud platform, AWS is uniquely positioned to help accelerate innovation in the global aerospace and satellite industry. We are excited to see customers using AWS to redefine what is possible.

Why is now the time to shift this focus toward aerospace and satellite? The world is entering an exciting and daring new age in Space, and we are seeing rapid innovation by both public and private sector organizations. Companies have moved into the Space business and are launching more satellites and human spaceflight missions than ever before.

Take satellite constellations, for example. The Space landscape has dramatically shifted over the past 10 years â€” from a small number of operators flying one to four satellites, to a continually growing number of Space startups building and launching tens, hundreds, and even thousands of satellites. This has created an enormous need for innovation in how the world operates these Space-based missions. Our global infrastructure and extensive portfolio of Cloud services help organizations fly hundreds of satellites, process and transform massive amounts of data collected from Space, quickly analyze the data and turn it into actionable information, and redefine how we research, make decisions, and see our world.

What are you hearing from your customers in terms of the new types of innovation and solutions they need in order to modernize?

We have always been committed to listening to our customers and inventing on their behalf. In our experience, 90% of what we build is driven by what customers tell us matters, and the other 10% are things we hear from customers where they may not articulate exactly what they want, but we try to read between the lines and invent on their behalf. For example, we heard from many customers that they often need rapid access to satellite ground station resources, and that they would prefer to pay only for what they use, when they need it. So we created AWS Ground Station, the first fully managed ground station service. In one customer use case, NASA JPL contacted AWS when their primary support ground station for the Asteria Satellite suffered an anomaly, rendering it unable to communicate, and the Asteria Space Vehicle was at risk of total loss if emergency

action wasnâ€™t taken. Our team worked with JPL to help them configure their satellite operations software to enable uplink and downlink with the Asteria spacecraft using AWS Ground Station. Three days later, AWS Ground Station had assisted JPL in setting up satellite operations software in both Oregon and Ohio, and Asteria began using AWS Ground Station for all contacts. JPL is a good example of the kind of vital support ground station as a service provides customers, especially those who need rapid access, as JPL went from a downlink-only account to commanding their spacecraft with no upfront cost and only our per-minute price.

Cloud computing can best address the traditional barriers facing geospatial and EO customers. It provides the scale necessary to handle massive amounts of data downlinked from Space and rapidly process it to gain insights Why are analytics and data particularly important to geospatial and Earth Observation customers?

Geospatial and Earth Observation (EO) customers face unique challenges. They need to downlink, process, analyze and distribute massive collections of data and information to customers around the world. They need to access secure services anywhere they work â€” at ground stations, operations centers, on satellites, and in Space, and then to quickly turn data into analysis-ready, actionable information. Cloud computing is suited to address the traditional barriers facing geospatial and EO customers. It provides the scale necessary to handle massive amounts of data downlinked from Space and rapidly process that data to gain insights. Once in the Cloud, customers can apply capabilities such as Machine Learning and advanced analytics, and do so with security built-in. These services remove traditional Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 11

CORNER OFFICE

barriers such as security, cost, complexity, and monolithic, isolated and brittle built-for-purpose systems that are holding back the Space industry.

What are some of the mission outcomes that a ‘virtualized ground network’ help companies and government agencies deliver?

First, they provide near-immediate access to satellite data. This is critical in scenarios, such as responding to and coordinating recovery efforts when natural disasters strike, monitoring changes on the planet’s surface, forecasting crop yields to prevent famine, or monitoring maritime activities for illegal shipping activity. Traditional ground segments can take up to 24 hours to mission-plan their tasking, schedule satellite passes, establish uplinks to the satellites, download and process data, and deliver their imagery or geolocations. Not only that, in order to download satellite data when and where they need it, a lot of customers have to invest in multiple grounds stations all over the Earth, which are costly to operate and maintain. Otherwise, they have to wait for the satellite to pass over a desired location. With virtualized ground networks, such as AWS Ground Station, customers can directly uplink and downlink communication between spacecraft in orbit and a ground station that is part of the AWS Cloud. This means their data is downlinked directly into the Cloud and they can move that data quickly and securely around the world in seconds. Governments, businesses, and universities can benefit from this more timely satellite data to make more precise, data-driven decisions.

Low-latency satellite coverage and access to data have been big hurdles for some time. How do virtualized ground networks address these issues?

Virtualized ground networks help customers get their Space data into the Cloud faster, and then process and transport the data around the world with low latency and a high level of security. For example, customers can leverage the seven AWS Ground Station regions built on top of AWS’s worldwide 12 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

network to get low-latency, high-availability connectivity directly to their satellites and reduce the time between contacts for Low-Earth Orbit satellites as they travel between coverage areas. By providing satellite antennas in close proximity to AWS infrastructure regions, AWS Ground Station also gives customers low-latency and low-cost access to AWS services to store and process their data. This allows customers to reduce data processing and analysis time for use cases like weather prediction or natural disaster imagery from hours to minutes, or seconds. One of our customers, Capella Space runs their entire IT infrastructure on AWS to automate and scale its operations, including satellite command and control using AWS Ground Station. Using AWS, Capella Space's Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites provide real-time global coverage that is far faster than traditional satellite data delivery services, which can take up to 24 hours.

Can you tell us about any use cases, especially around advanced EO applications and technologies, such as SAR and IoT?

Capella Space is a great example because, unlike traditional optical satellites, SAR satellites can see through clouds and darkness. When fully deployed, the constellation will capture real-time coverage of every point on Earth. This is significant for use cases such as defense and intelligence monitoring, detection of illegal maritime activities, and mapping natural disaster damage to deliver humanitarian aid. In Capella’s case, it is leveraging virtual ground networks to downlink and analyze data at a scale only possible through Cloud. In terms of particular technologies, one technology that is important to our customers is AWS IoT Greengrass, which extends AWS to edge devices, so they can act locally on the data they generate while still using the Cloud for management, analytics, and durable storage. This has been used in a multitude of terrestrial use cases, including smart cities, smart factories, and vehicle fleet management. We are working to extend this type of capability to Space vehicles. As told to Anusuya Datta

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COVER STORY

Resilient business models, definite execution plans and strategic product lineups have enabled geospatial and BIM technology companies in the AEC sector to not only weather the Covid storm, but also do well in terms of numbers in these uncertain times. By Ananya Narain

he COVID-19 pandemic has created complex challenges for the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, forcing it to look beyond the traditional approaches. While the sector has continued to rely on disparate solutions for design and construction, it has been forced to reinvent, and leverage latest technology for efficient work processes. “The pandemic has enabled construction firms to embrace the powerful potential of digitalization to make a lasting impact on the industry’s overall productivity. Construction firms

14 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

are realizing this potential and accelerating the use of digital tools to remotely manage workflows and create an enabling and productive virtual working environment,” says Bryn Fosburgh, Senior Vice President, Trimble. The benefits of this long due digital transformation can be gauged from the earnings of some of the geospatial and Building Information Modelling (BIM), or GEO-BIM companies. At the onset of Covid, majority of GEO-BIM businesses catering to the AEC industry expected significant market volatility owing to restrictions

on economic activities and country-level lockdowns. However, a few months into the pandemic, as construction companies began adopting datadriven remote solutions, some of the leading companies started revising their conservative revenue estimates. Looking at the quarter-wise revenues of GEO-BIM companies for 2019 and 2020, a stark contrast is visible in the earnings of software businesses and those on the hardware and manufacturing side of the industry. Leading GEO-BIM software providers such as Autodesk, Ansys, Dassault Systemes and Nemetschek Group reported positive results, while hardware companies like 3D Systems, Trimble, FARO Technologies and Topcon Positioning Systems witnessed a decline in revenue from the previous year due to lower customer demand. However, it was a “fall”, and not a “slump”, as was predicted by a section of experts.

Cloud-based solutions in demand

The revenue results of companies such as Autodesk, Ansys, Dassault Systemes and Nemetschek Group for Q1 to Q3, and Bentley Systems’ IPO debut show that these firms did not face major setbacks in terms of earnings and cash flows in these uncertain times. Most of these companies have made significant investments over the last few years to provide Cloud-based construction software, and are now reaping the benefits of their strong position in the market. The value of Cloud is becoming more and more apparent, and Cloud-based software solutions are now being seen as a necessity. In an earnings call with analysts and investors, Andrew Anagnost, President and CEO of Autodesk, reported year-over-year revenue (y-o-y) growth of 20% in Q1 2020, and 15% in Q2. Attributing the growth to Cloud-based solutions, Anagnost said, “Our investments over the last few years combined with our ongoing focus on Cloud-based offerings leave us with a competitive advantage and well-positioned to help our customers. Since early March, cumulative new commercial projects grew over 200% in BIM 360 Design, and over 100% in BIM 360 Docs. This surge in usage has been a great test for our Cloud product infrastructure, which has scaled up seamlessly.”

Transformative Journey This is how GEO-BIM companies in the AEC sector are reinventing themselves Technology Integration Integrating 4IR and geospatial technologies much earlier in the BIM process to improve construction workflow efficiency

Cloud-based Construction Software Substantial investments in Cloud-based construction software as their demand rises

New Business Models Transition from perpetual license models to subscription models

Modern Construction Methods Accelerate investments in modern construction methods such as Design for Manufacture Assembly (DfMA), offsite and modular construction Research and Development Strategic investment in R&D, adding new products and solutions and refurbishing the old ones to stay relevant

Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 15

COVER STORY

Our investments over the last few years combined with our ongoing focus on Cloud-based offerings leave us with a competitive advantage and well-positioned to help our customers ANDREW ANAGNOST

President and CEO of Autodesk

Our Build segment with almost 8% more y-o-y growth shows a very resilient development in the second quarter, with the largest contribution coming again from Bluebeam AXEL KAUFMANN Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Nemetschek Group

Announcing AECOM’s “focused digital transformation” over the last three years and an adjusted EBITDA increase of 21% for the first half of the year (H1), Randall A. Wotring, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, credited Cloud-based software tools for enhanced work-from-home capabilities of all employees, especially the design team. Randall stated that since software companies like Autodesk, Bentley Systems store all their design data and libraries on Cloud, it helps stakeholders to detect design anomalies collaboratively, which makes the design process more accessible and efficient. Similarly, Axel Kaufmann, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Nemetschek 16 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

Group, announced a “better second quarter” than what the company had expected in March. With $165.75 million revenue, the company reported a y-o-y growth of 2.7%. In its half-yearly earnings, the group attributed the strong growth in revenue in both Q1 and Q2 to Bluebeam — a Cloud-based software. “Our Build segment with almost 8% more y-o-y growth shows a very resilient development in the second quarter, with the largest contribution coming again from Bluebeam,” said Kaufmann. On the other hand, while Trimble Inc. posted a quarterly revenue of $733.6 million in Q2, down by 14% as compared to the second quarter of 2019, Robert G. Painter, the company’s President and CEO, reiterated Trimble’s focus to execute the “Connect and Scale 2025” strategy, at the core of which lies the Cloud system. “Our primary sources of recurring revenue, including Viewpoint, e-Builder and Building construction software collectively saw recurring revenue growth of greater than 10% in the second quarter,” said Painter. Besides, Trimble’s SketchUp business and construction had another quarter of over 50% y-o-y growth. “And that, to me, is a tremendous sign of expanding the addressable market,” he added. According to David G. Barnes, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the gross margins for Trimble went up in Q1 to Q2 and up year-over-year, which is seen in the Building and Infrastructure segment, where the hardware segment of the business was weaker in comparison to the software segment. While Bentley Systems’ IPO debut had everyone talking, it is the company’s expansion of its strategic alliance with Microsoft Corporation that caught our attention. It was Greg Bentley who coined the term “constructioneering” and empowered the concept of “Digital Twins”. With an intent to capture a seemingly large AEC market soon, the strategic alliance is going to enhance Bentley Systems’ Digital Twin offerings on the Cloud. Greg Bentley, CEO, Bentley Systems, said, “With Azure as the foundation of our Cloud services, our offerings are more broadly scaled and differentiated by the further integrations of Microsoft technologies. We are excited to extend our partnership to bring new Digital Twin advances

to infrastructure engineering organizations and their constituents.” The company was close to $6 billion before the IPO, and is now worth nearly $9 billion. With its earnings call for Q3 scheduled in November, the impact of Cloud-based revenue for the infrastructure technology giant is yet to be seen.

Regions driving business growth

An overview of growth per region for GEO-BIM companies presents an exciting picture. From a geographical perspective, the results in Q1, Q2 and Q3 are largely related to the impact of Covid on the economy, the shutdowns and the pace of reopening. What ideally stands out from a regional business perspective, particularly in the case of software companies, is how even a slight economic recovery globally can boost the revenue performance of the businesses. “Asia-Pacific led the way in the share of multi-year deals consistent with the region’s relatively strong performance in new business. In China, Korea and Japan, we already see Segment

Hardware & Software

Software

Solutions & System Integration

Services

usage above pre-Covid levels, and we see improvement in some areas of Europe as well. Some of our major markets like the USA, and the UK have stabilized, but are yet to show meaningful improvement. As such, we continue with a wider than normal revenue range for the remainder of the year,” said Anagnost, confident of a quick recovery. In Q2, Autodesk closed three deals of more than $1 million each in the APAC region. Upbeat about the highly profitable second quarter, Ola Rollen, President & CEO, Hexagon AB, said, “China recovered with a bang, 16% organic growth, strong recovery across all segments. We see a sort of go-back-to-work trend, which is very powerful and very strong in China. South Korea and Japan recorded low single-digit growth despite COVID-19-related slowdown.” In Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the company saw substantial growth in the software portfolios despite the lockdowns, though

Company

2019 Q1+Q2 ($ mn)

2020 Q1+Q2 ($ mn)

FARO Technologies

191.139

140.7

Hexagon

2,270.8

2,142.8

Schindler Digital

5,990

5,470

Trimble Inc.

1,659

1,529

Ansys

685.7

690.7

Autodesk

1,532

1,799

Dassault Systemes

2,304.36

2,643.99

Nemetschek

321.1

345.84

PTC

585

712

AECOM

10,020

5730

ARCADIS

2,048.4

2,043.6

Skanska

9,245

8769

WSP

3,398

3348

Cyient

320.8

265.6

Fugro

923.8

848.4

A look at Q1+Q2 revenue results of companies operating in different GEO-BIM segments for 2019 and 2020 Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 17

COVER STORY

restriction on movement severely hit the business in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and parts of Scandinavia. Echoing similar views on China and Japan, Michael Burger, President and CEO of FARO Technologies, said, “I think we saw China and Japan relatively strong at the end of June. Europe, in my opinion, was average and North America was strong. In the construction business, we are seeing signs of life in North America. Europe has actually been surprisingly slow for construction space, even though there is some ongoing construction. I think that there is an apprehension to place capital.” For Trimble too, the geographical results were quite similar to that of Hexagon, with the Asia Pacific doing organically better than the rest of the world. “The Covid-related dynamics in North America and Europe were similar, with business conditions deplorable in April and improving through the quarter. North America was down 17%, and Europe was down 13%; the Asia Pacific was the best performer in the quarter, up by 1%,” said Painter. AECOM too announced that despite all the challenges in Asia, the company managed to achieve its profit target and exceeded its cash flow targets for H1.

Subscription — the preferred business model

Over the past couple of years, the providers of GEO-BIM technology have refurbished their business models, and now offer subscriptions as part

1 3

Source: Geospatial Media Analysis

Consultation

Capability as a Service

Subscription/ Revenue Pay-per-Use Sharing/ Model Partnerships

Platforms

Transformative business models adopted by GEO-BIM companies 18 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

of their core offerings. Bentley Systems, Autodesk, Topcon Positioning, Hexagon and other leaders in this ecosystem have opened up tiered subscription models — for enterprises (group subscription) and single users in a named user access format. In these trying times, these companies have earned significantly more through subscriptions. Trimble’s revenue trends are motivated mainly by the ongoing conversions to subscriptions across their software business. “At Trimble, we are intentionally engaging in a business model transition, moving from perpetual to a subscription offering. And that is emphatically the right thing to do for the business, for the market and the customers,” said Painter. At present, Trimble is offering both models to the consumers; however, more than two-third of the bookings are coming from subscriptions. To keep up with this strategic shift, Trimble has accelerated the move to a subscription-based model in Viewpoint and e-Builder. Nemetschek Group recorded a doubled-up revenue from subscription sales in Q2 — $46.5 million, which represents 14% of their total sales, as compared to just 8% last year. In contrast, perpetual licenses recorded a decline in revenues of 11%. In support of subscription sales, Kaufmann points out that subscriptions are largely customer-driven — the intent of which is to provide the buyer with an alternative and a more flexible bundling of functional features. The subscription business model has also worked for Autodesk, as the product subscription renewal rate improved steadily throughout Q2. In the second quarter, the subscription plan revenue grew by 27% — significantly higher than other business revenue sources — including maintenance. “Digging deeper into our renewal rates, our products subscription renewal rates improved on a sequential basis, which is a strong endorsement of the strategic nature of our products and stickiness of our customer base in this new business model. With our transition to a subscription business model behind us, maintenance is only about 5% of our revenue. Similar to last quarter, more than 40% of the maintenance customers

At the onset of Covid, majority of GEO-BIM businesses catering to the AEC industry expected significant market volatility owing to restrictions on economic activities and lockdowns. However, a few months into the pandemic, as construction companies began adopting data-driven remote solutions, these businesses started revising their conservative revenue estimates who came up for renewal converted to subscription,” said Scott Herren, Chief Financial Officer, Autodesk. Since Q2 2020, Autodesk’s BIM 360 design collaboration tool has doubled its number of subscriptions.

Innovation to drive growth

The next phase of the GEO-BIM business ecosystem will be mostly driven by new strategies, business models and innovations. Even during these uncertain times, the companies operating in the GEOBIM ecosystem continued to innovate, partner and acquire to accelerate digitalization in the AEC sector. Most of the leading public listed companies continue to make strategic investments to ensure steady growth. Autodesk acquired Pype, an AI-based company which is expected to add significant value for Autodesk Construction Cloud users. The company also made strategic investment in Bridgit solutions, which offer workforce optimization solutions for contractors. Further, Autodesk also expanded its relationship with Factory_OS to advance free fabrication, offsite and modular construction practices. “Our AEC business has continued to be resilient. We continue to make investments in construction where we expect technology adoption to keep growing, especially as we exit the pandemic,” added Anagnost. Nemetschek Group has also stepped up on the innovation bandwagon and announced innovative additions to its existing portfolios to improve BIM processes significantly. “One of our key innovations is our SCIA auto converter that substantially enhances the current BIM workflow by integrating structural engineers much earlier in the BIM

process. With our auto converter, any 3D structural model can be converted into high-quality analysis models,” Kaufmann emphasized during the H1 earnings call. Nemetschek is also offering a central Cloud storage and management platform powered by Allplan’s BIM plus product to ensure that there is no data loss and the latest information is available to all. Apart from the business model transformation, Trimble announced taking strategic actions to scale business. IoT solutions-as-a-service offering for remote monitoring of water and wastewater infrastructure and machine-control platform-as-a-service initiative are two key offerings that Trimble is looking forward to for scaling its business. Burger from FARO Technologies announced the launch of the Swift Laser Scanner — a unique portable solution that enables color 3D scans up to 10 times faster than competing devices.

Opportunity in crisis

The year 2020 has reset the clock for the AEC industry. The “technologically closed” sector has been forced to open and increase investments in smart technologies, particularly GEO-BIM solutions. The businesses operating in this ecosystem, especially the software companies, are already seeing a timely recovery, while the hardware providers, hit by the second wave of Covid and the resulting lockdowns, are transforming their business models. The lean, resilient and transformative approach of these companies is what will drive the GEO-BIM business in future. Ananya Narain Deputy Director, AEC and Market & Economy ananya@geospatialmedia.net Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 19

We are proud to be associated with

SVAMITVA Scheme

of Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) Govt of India Large scale mapping on 1:500 scale of the hitherto unmapped rural village Aabadi areas using Professional Survey Grade UAV/Drone for villages across the country is being undertaken by Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), Govt of India under Central Sector scheme “SVAMITVA”. SVAMITVA Scheme was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 24th April 2020. Survey of India is the technology implementing agency in the project. We are carrying out drone survey to generate the largescale maps & property records of village habited areas covering approx 1 lakh villages in phase one and remaining in phase two. This mapping work includes establishment of Continuous Operating Reference System (CORS) network system, Geoid Model Development, Generation of Maps (analogues and digital) and creation of GIS Database.

https://indiamaps.gov.in https://g2g.indiamaps.gov.in/soig2g https://soinakshe.uk.gov.in http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in/pages/display/257-sahyog--mobile-app-by-soi

Project Highlights • Survey of India (SoI) will map rural inhabited lands using drones and latest survey methods. • The pilot phase will cover 1 lakh villages in Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in six months. • The pilot phase (FY 2020-21) has a projected outlay of INR 79.65 crore ($11.97 million).

• The outcome from the project will include updation of the ‘record-of-rights’ in revenue/property registers and issuance of property cards to the owners. • Surveys will be carried out across the country in a phase wise manner over a period of four years (2020-2024). • 6.62 lakh villages will be covered under the project.

Work Components

Data acquisition using Professional Survey Grade Drone

Processing of data captured

Feature Extraction

Attribute linkage to the extracted features

Generation of Land Parcel Maps

Presently SoI is engaged in working with Ministry of Panchayati Raj and state Governments

Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) Government of India

Government of Uttar Pradesh

Government of Haryana

Government of Karnataka

Government of Maharastra

Government of Madhya Pradesh

Government of Uttarakhand

Government of Punjab

Government of Rajasthan

SURVEYOR GENERAL’S OFFICE Hathibarkala Estate, Dehradun, Pin - 248 001 (T) +91-135-2747051-58 Ext 4360 | (F) +91-135-2744064, 2743331 Email- sgo.soi@gov.in | Website- http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in

INTERVIEW: BUILDING & INFRASTRUCTURE

The When, Where and How of Construction Automation Automation in construction has long since moved from experimental to expected. But what progress has been made, and where can benefits be most readily realized moving forward?

he digitalization of construction continues unabated, but not consistently and evenly among global markets, nor through all aspects of the construction industry. But as our interview with Topcon Positioning Systems’ Chief Marketing Officer Ulrich Hermanski reveals, targeting of key construction activities for automation yield rapid and substantial gains. Hermanski has been tracking progress in construction automation from the vantage point of being a force in implementation. This through his decades of sales engineering and management positions, a period where machine control grew from the experimental to the expected. Geospatial World has been seeking an industry insider’s take on the progress of automation in construction, and so got in touch with Hermanski, who has witnessed, and had a hand in this evolution from the front lines.

Construction as an industry has been far behind, say manufacturing, in automation and digitalization. But I see so many great tools and solutions — that is encouraging. How has the adoption been going across the industry globally? 22 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

The adoption in the various regions of the globe is very much driven by different standards for machine technologies — integrated machine control is not sold in the Middle East, Russia, and Africa — here the digitization moves on only with aftermarket installation, as it is not an automatic offering from the machine manufacturers. Governmental influence and initiatives in the industrial economies, like BIM or IT construction in Japan, are forcing the construction industry towards faster adaption of technology. But in the end, the largest push for automation comes from the integrated solutions of the manufacturers. In the past, we have talked about hundreds of machine control systems and today, it’s becoming a standard for new machines, like car navigation systems.

Which elements of Topcon’s construction digitalization and automation portfolio have been seeing gains? Besides the machine control systems for dozers, graders, excavators and the workflow management of earthmoving on sites, the road

Courtesy: Topcon Positioning

resurfacing activities and solutions have become a substantial part of the business. With our SmoothRide (paving automation) system that represents a complete workflow from inspection of the road surface, precise scanning, over planning with the new road parameters to paving with thickness and intelligent compaction, we have made this process easy to control and execute. As almost 50% of the road infrastructure budgets are related to maintenance and road resurfacing in most of the industrial countries with established roads and highways, this new integrated workflow gains high market acceptance.

Do you feel that the 2020 pandemic has been a factor in AEC firms digitalizing more rapidly? The trend looks like that, but we still are affected by the reduction of the machine production in general, and we had a slowdown in the OEM business. But this is more than compensated for by the increase of technology adaption in the aftermarket and rental business. The pandemic has just made the already known problems more visible: lack of skilled experts in construction and now availability on top, safety, and security in production on the site. In general, there is more of an imperative automate processes for faster and more effective execution of construction projects.

The talk of ‘Digital Twins’ has gained interest, but these involve massive data capture. Building the initial 3D models, applying attributes, then continuous asbuilt during construction, and updates during the operations phase. Do you think people are aware of these needs? The principle answer is yes, but there are of course differences in the construction industry: most of the larger building projects are already demanding to control the workflow with BIM technology, so it is not the question if everybody understands it, they have to adapt to these regulations. The projects where it is not part of the tendering process to utilize BIM technologies, it’s more difficult to move forward as you have to convince a couple of involved trades and their project managers. We need to make all these workflows easier to be

With nearly 50% of road infrastructure budgets related to maintenance and road resurfacing, automation in paving has yielded substantial cost and time savings

executed and make clearer what the overall benefit for the industry and the society is. Sure, it’s an education program as well.

I hear from GC’s about the long process of comparing the design to constructed, particularly for tight tolerance elements. But I also see solutions like GTL-1000 and Verity to check the fidelity of structural elements. How is the adoption of such solutions, and are there solutions for horizontal construction, where automation could occur?

There is much more technology focus in the vertical building industry since we can also work 3-dimensional inside of building projects. In the past, the industry and the trades were working mainly with paperwork like maps and plans, but today we are able to work directly in 3D on the site. The adaption speed depends, of course here also, on the size of the projects and companies working on it. The larger construction companies with their Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 23

INTERVIEW: BUILDING & INFRASTRUCTURE

You have a background in geodesy. Folks seem to overlook when it comes to mass data capture (e.g. mobile mapping), is that the Earth is dynamic: data captured years apart has essentially ‘moved’, and reference frameworks are updated. Do you see a hazard in automation, where nearly anyone without a background or training can capture vast amounts of geospatial data, but might overlook the geodetic implications? Thanks for reminding me that my background is surveying. What I remember from my studies is that we learned to judge the quality of data. We know that whatever we are measuring, with what kind of instrument tape, level, total station, GNSS rover, mobile mapping system, etc., it has (potential error). Surveyors have learned to calculate the potential error and to judge the quality of the measurement. This function, or let’s say this quality control, will not disappear, and maybe it

As almost 50% of the road infrastructure budgets are related to maintenance and road resurfacing in most of the industrial countries with established roads and highways, new integrated workflows are gaining high market acceptance 24 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

Courtesy: Topcon Positioning

own engineering or BIM divisions are adapting faster than the smaller ones, but here is the challenge for us as a technology provider to make these products and workflows easier to use. In horizontal construction, we have already made the first move with our SmoothRide (paving automation) system. For sure it’s not only useful for re-surfacing, but it can be used also within new road projects, or like in Reunion, for finishing a concrete bridge with an asphalt surface. Another key function that has benefited from advanced construction automation is verification of constructed elements to the design. In this example, and total station/scanner combination provided the point cloud data to compare the design model in Verity software

can be automated more in the future to minimize the risks. Therefore, technical support functions will continue to exist. Engineers, surveyors, and other experts will take that responsibility.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. Which aspects of AEC and the work you are doing inspire you? My background as a surveyor was almost a short history. I learned in an engineering office the surveying profession before I started my studies at the University of Essen. Immediately after the studies, I moved into the sales business and stayed in there until two years ago, when I moved to California to take the marketing position at Topcon Positioning. My last passion in sales was the market development for our SmoothRide solution and the main challenge there was, and sometimes still is, to convince surveyors that we can scan road surfaces at up to 80km/h and get an accuracy of a couple of mm. Of course, this accuracy is relative only, but more than sufficient for the workflow and a precise re-surfacing. That is, by the way, our challenge in general — we are sticking to roles and regulations. Many such regulations and even specifications were defined 30-50 years ago — sure, right and perfect at that time. But we cannot request adoption to new technologies and still insist to fulfill all history norms and reporting requirements. By the way, to convince my marketing team to go digital was much easier, faster, and very effective. As told to Gavin Schrock

INTERVIEW: BUILDING & INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure Spending, Technology Adoption will Revive AEC Industry

The impact of COVID-19 is being felt in both above and below the surface infrastructure. Budgetary cuts, physical distancing and remote communication are among the biggest challenges faced by the AEC industry. However, the slowdown hasn’t prevented governments from accelerating investments in infrastructure, and the industry has begun to transform digitally to adapt to the new normal, says Page Tucker, CEO and Founder of ProStar. How has COVID-19 impacted the AEC Industry?

In my opinion, COVID-19 has not had a substantial impact on construction job sites, unlike at places where people work together in confined areas. In the current situation, working from home is the new norm, as has been the case in our organization. At ProStar, over 50% of our employees have elected to work from home. It works for us because we are a software company with efficient communication channels, making it possible to monitor performance and easily share information. However, one crucial impact of the pandemic is that there has been a cut across the board in corporate as well as Federal and State budgets. This has resulted in many infrastructure

projects being delayed, but has also created an opportunity for the industry as a whole to move towards adopting innovative technologies that would reduce costs and enhance efficiencies.

Do you think geospatial technologies have an important role to play in the current situation?

Without a doubt. In the present context, the entire world understands the value and impact of geospatial technologies and location services. By using these technologies, it is possible to identify and track the precise location of virtually anything, from people, animals, vehicles to even a virus. Further, by using Artificial Intelligence solutions, particularly Machine Learning solutions, the impact of events like a virus can easily be tracked, assessed ,mitigated and even predicted. By way

of rapidly conducting predictive modeling of the location data and using geospatial-based analytics and simulations, the spread of a virus can be predicted, and the required precautions can be taken accordingly. For instance, by using geospatial technologies, many healthcare organizations can run analytics and determine the dynamics and impact of the virus spread. Another relevant example is that of the forest fires — a problem we have seen most recently in California, Oregon and right here in Colorado. By capturing data on the density of forests, distance from habituated populations, temperature, rainfall and wind trends, analysis can be drawn. By quickly running geospatial modeling using AI and Machine Learning-based predictive analysis, it is possible to Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 25

INTERVIEW: BUILDING & INFRASTRUCTURE

determine how quickly the fire is going to spread, in which direction, its speed and what would be its likely reach and impact. So, I believe geospatial technologies could play a very prevalent role in all things related to science in the future.

Has there been a significant impact of Covid on the subsurface utility mapping business? Yes, there has been an impact. When the construction of surface infrastructure such as roads, bridges and highways is cut back or delayed, it impacts all the businesses that provide services to protect the subsurface utilities, which are often adversely impacted by surface construction. Anytime you break ground, there is a high probability that you are going to damage something that lies below, and that is especially dangerous if you don’t know precisely what it is or where it is. Because budgets are being cut at the Federal, State and Provincial levels on surface infrastructure projects, the businesses associated to the subsurface infrastructure are also impacted. However, I think these infrastructure budget cuts are only temporary — leading primarily to simply a short-term delay in timelines. So, whenever we recover from the pandemic, these stalled projects will start again, and will

be added to new projects that will be planned. So, we could see a rapid increase in the amount of projects that are realized. In addition, the best way to stimulate and promote economic recovery is to spend heavily in the repair and expansion of infrastructure. This will not only jump-start the economy, but will also ensure that the transportation network that we so heavily rely on to move and deliver the products we require on a daily basis is functioning properly. Today, it is in very poor health and is in serious need of repair and replacement. I think a significant spend by the Federal government to fix this problem is inevitable.

pandemic. Across North America, Europe and throughout Asian countries, I am sure we are going to see massive investments from governments in infrastructure, as it is one of the most critical sectors to jump start and support an economy. In North America, all our roads, bridges and highways either need repair, replacement or expansion. I believe there is going to be trillions of dollars spent over the next five to ten years in infrastructure investments, which means we are going to see a significant increase in business practices associated with the development and protection of subsurface utility infrastructure.

So, while there is a slight decrease in business revenues in the short-term, in future, the industry is going to witness a significant increase in both business and revenue. Not only because there won’t be budget constraints, but because of a significant increase in spending, and the new and innovative technologies being developed that will become the new normal in the digital transformation of the AEC industry.

New technology solutions can improve workflows and reduce risks, and the AEC industry understands that. The industry is going to see a more extensive and rapid adoption of modern technologies, making the use of innovative technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and geospatial technologies the new norm. At ProStar, we are going to flourish because we have established ourselves as an organization offering modern and innovative technology that significantly enhance current practices, reduce risks and cut costs. We have government agencies, engineering and surveying firms, municipalities, and large construction companies that are now adopting our technology. I can confidently say that we are leading the way and that our future looks bright. As told to Pulkit Chaudhary

How do you view the future of AEC industry?

Infrastructure spending and technology adoption is going to revive the entire AEC industry after the

By using geospatial technologies, it is possible to identify and track the precise location of virtually anything, from people, vehicles to even a virus 26 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

SPECIAL FEATURE

Dabancheng, April 2015

Dabancheng, April 2018

Dabancheng, Oct 2018

A set of imagery from 2015 to 2018 shows how China's re-education camps in Xinjiang have grown over the years Courtesy: BBC/Google Earth/ESA

Taking Journalism to New Orbits

Be it for fact-finding or gauging the impact of significant developments, reporting on climate events or conflict zones, because of the unbiased and continuous insights provided by satellite imagery, it is being extensively used in newsrooms today. By Anusuya Datta

ince 2017, there were media reports that China has been sending Muslims in large numbers to re-education camps in Xinjiang. These were largely based on interviews with former inmates. As international pressure began to build, China went about deleting related documents and electronic traces such as social media posts. In a country as closely guarded as China, the story would have been easily suppressed, if it were not for satellite imagery. Two investigative stories broke simultaneously in the end of October 2018 — by BBC and ABC — giving not only the exact location of the camps, but also satellite images detailing their physical existence. In both cases, the investigative teams painstakingly worked with citizen rights activists and imagery analysts to pour through years of images to tell the world about the horror unfolding in Xinjiang.

from the satellite images, they calculated that at an absolute minimum, the facility could provide space for about 11,000 detainees. Even that minimum estimate would place it alongside some of the biggest prisons in the world. And that was just one site. There was a very high probability of 44 sites being prison camps. That was in late 2018. This year, Xinjiang Data Project by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a Canberra-based think tank, again used satellite imagery as evidence to show detention facility construction across 2019 and 2020. The researchers identified and mapped over 380 sites across Xinjiang that were newly built or expanded since 2017, with at least 61 sites seeing construction activity between July 2019 and July 2020. This includes at least 14 facilities still under construction, according to latest imagery available.

Let’s take the BBC investigation. BBC sought help of GMV — a company specializing in Earth Observation data — to look into a list of 101 suspected facilities in Xinjiang. They measured the growth of new sites and the expansion of the existing ones, and identified and compared common features such as watchtowers and security fencing. GMV placed 44 of them in high or very high likelihood category of being prisons. BBC took one of GMV’s findings — the increase in building size at the facility in Dabancheng — and consulted an Australian company with long experience in prison design. Using the measurements

Xinjiang Data Project presents satellite imagery evidence to show newly built detention facilities occurring between 2019 and 2020 Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 27

Courtesy: Planet/NYT

Left: September 14, 2019 image almost immediately after the coordinated drone attacks on multiple oil facilities in Saudi Arabia Center and Right: The Planet images also pinpoint exact damage to the storage facilities

ASPI also used the imagery to reconstruct 3D models of each tier of detention facilities — from lowest security (tier 1) to highest security (tier 4) — showing the key structural features.

Grabbing headlines

Satellite imagery is certainly grabbing headlines as it becomes an indispensable tool for journalists. Be it for fact-finding or gauging the impact of a significant development, reporting on climate events or conflict zones, because of the unbiased and continuous insights it provides, satellite imagery is being extensively used in newsrooms today. For instance, Planet came out with an image almost immediately after the coordinated drone attacks on multiple oil facilities in Saudi Arabia on September 14 last year. This is possibly the first time a satellite photo was used as the lead image on Page 1 of The New York Times. But then the imagery is not just for stunning visual effects, it is also for giving great insights. In the Saudi attack case, they provided immediate and exact details of the damages caused to the oil facilities. Likewise, it can provide insights into almost all spheres of life on Earth, especially the things that the human eye can’t see.

historic proportions. Wildfires this year have left at least 40 people dead, destroyed thousands of structures and scorched millions of acres, causing extreme air pollution that has threatened the health of millions of residents and sparking fears of lasting damage on species and ecosystems. Satellite imagery dated September 9 shows the damages caused by the wildfire around Medford and Oregon. Change detection: In the past three decades, several of Iraq’s largest lakes have experienced fluctuating water levels due to droughts, dam management, and continuing unrest and civil wars. Two lakes in particular — Milh and Habbaniyah — experienced substantial declines in water levels. Now, satellite imagery shows the two lakes are refilling. Breaking news: On June 22, 2019, a volcano on one of the uninhabited islands that connects Japan to Russia suddenly sprang to life. It was dormant and inactive for nearly a century. The unexpected volcanic activity was first discovered by astronauts on the International Space Station.

Access to the inaccessible

Monitoring disasters: California, Oregon and Washington in US are enduring a fire season of

In disaster zones where immediate human visit is impossible, satellite imagery can give insight into the damages or warn for worse to come. Multiple satellite imagery showed the immediate aftermath of August 4 deadly explosion at the port of Beirut which reportedly left around 300,000 people homeless.

Close-up of neighborhoods in Phoenix, Oregon, US shows widespread devastation from the wildfires

Steam bellows out of Fukushima reactor complex Unit 3, roughly three minutes after the explosion on March 11, 2011

Courtesy: Maxar Technologies

Courtesy: DigitalGlobe (Maxar Technologies)

In one best case example of access to the inaccessible, Maxar (then DigitalGlobe) took the picture of Fukushima nuclear plant complex, three minutes after the explosion at the third reactor, on March 11, 2011. This is a classic example of how fast satellites can give information from inaccessible places.

Conflict zone reporting

Satellite imagery has become an effective tool for reporting in conflict zones. A recent investigation by The Guardian combined imagery with flight data to discover that Turkey and the UAE are using largescale military cargo planes to funnel in goods and fighters to forces inside Libya, in blatant violation of the UN arms embargo, fueling a proxy war and making political solutions difficult. In addition to broad investigations, one can focus on particular incidents for daily reporting. For instance, India and China were engaged in a violent conflict on the Himalayan border in June. Satellite images by Planet taken less than 24 hours after the face-off on the night of June 15 show a massive build-up by the Chinese side despite a de-escalation agreement on June 6.

Planet imagery shows cluster of North Korean ships in Taean with some vessels loading coal, October 3, 2019 Courtesy: RUSI/Planett

SkySat imagery, HawkEye 360 was able to reveal Chinese build-up, including trucks, tents, and equipment along the valley. A set of images dated June 22 from Maxar further shows freshly built structures — not visible in earlier photographs — by China overlooking the Galwan.

Crime and smuggling

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) — UK’s leading defense and security think tank — exposed North Korean illicit shipping networks using satellite data, open source data-mining and data-fusion techniques. In its latest report, published on March 5, 2020, RUSI used imagery collected over North Korean ports and islands around Zhoushan to confirm that the vessels were all DPRK flagged and were loading coal and other resources, before sailing into Chinese waters, in violation of the UN resolutions. Interestingly, in March 2020, RUSI reported an unprecedented number of vessels at North Korea’s main ports, in what could be interpreted as Pyongyang ordering its ships back home in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Tracking COVID-19 Courtesy: HawkEye 360/Planet

As COVID-19 brought the entire world to a standstill early this year, the role of satellite data in assessing the industrial and environmental impacts of the pandemic has been paramount. It has come particularly handy for journalists in the past few months, as travel restrictions and safety issues are making on-ground reporting difficult. HawkEye 360 shows major build-up of Chinese military in the Galwan Valley on May 29, 2020 on the Indo-China border

While these were the first visual details of the spot, a few days later, a unique technology from HawkEye 360 of combining Space-based radio frequency analytics on top of optical imagery substantiated the Indian claim of Chinese build-up on May 22. By overlaying its analysis on Planet’s

Pollution: Satellite data of multiple imagery providers across geographies showed significant reduction in pollution during the lockdown period in March-April this year compared to the same period last year. Supply chain and manufacturing: A set of imagery from Planet shows the difference in production Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 29

SPECIAL FEATURE

data analysis by MarineTraffic in April, red dots represent fully loaded oil tanker ships stranded at sea on April 22 due to no global demand. With ports out of operation, ships were stranded on the high seas. And with production plants shut across the world, there were no takers for oil. On April 20, 2020, prices of US crude oil futures turned negative for the first time ever, at one point plunging roughly 300%. Courtesy: Planet/PwC

At Volkswagen plant in Tianjin, China, manufactured cars fill up the space on the left on May 1, 2019, it is only half full in the March 3, 2020 image

capacity at the Volkswagen plant in Tianjin, China. Manufactured cars fill up the space on the left in May 2019, while the March 2020 image is only half full, as production was stopped. The pandemic impacted manufacturing worldwide, given the globalized state of modern supply chains. One can get into visual comparison of imagery taken over different time periods to get an indication of the level of the impact expected in terms of the drop in production. Air and marine traffic: Aviation has been one of the most impacted industries due to border restrictions and stringent lockdown measures imposed at the onset of the pandemic. Marine traffic too took a major beating as operations at most major ports around the world came to standstill. With both business and leisure travels impacted, satellite data showed the busiest ports and airports around the world looking like ghost townships at the height of the lockdowns. As more than 80% of global trade by volume is transported by sea, one can imagine the impact on the global supply chains. Impact on economy: Data from satellites can support in quantifying the impact this could have not only on the shipping industry, but also by extension the global economy as a whole. In this satellite Red are fully loaded oil tankers stranded at sea in April due to no global demand for oil Courtesy: MarineTraffic

Free sources of satellite data

Despite the humongous costs associated with putting each satellite in place and operating them, there are several sources of data which comes absolutely free. • NASA’s Landsat imagery is freely available on USGS website, and has the longest continuous global record of the Earth's surface. • ESA’s Copernicus Data and Information Services are available through the DIAS or the Conventional Data Hubs. It is currently the largest space data provider in the world on a free, full and open access basis. • Google Earth gives seamless availability of data, but not all of it great resolution and there could be stitching errors. • Commercial satellite providers like Maxar, Planet, Airbus etc give some data for free, especially at the times of disasters or for humanitarian causes. However, many journalists still think that imagery is for just visualization — the last stage while presenting a story — when it could actually be the primary data. But then, it is always prudent to remember that imagery is just one form of data, and not the story in itself. Every imagery needs to be backed up with traditional reporting methods and extensive research. Reporting on disasters or change detection stories is simpler. Investigative stories may take weeks or months to develop, and not all investigations are fruitful. Anusuya Datta Editor-At-Large, Technology & Innovation anusuya@geospatialmedia.net

EXPERT OPINION

National Data and National Sovereignty Data is capital and trusted national data has national value. Data is an element of today’s complex geopolitics, both as an instrument of power and in giving governments the knowledge to navigate uncharted waters and retain their national sovereignty. By John Kedar

he world is always entering uncharted waters, but never have the winds blown so unpredictably, or the tidal rips been as strong. Seismic economic shifts, unprecedented Climate Change and population growth, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution are changing the very dynamics of the global system. No nation is immune. Climate Change and population growth have greatest impact on poorer nations and the associated drive towards renewable energy places

stress on oil producing nations. The current economic shift from West to East is leading to national responses aiming to maintain citizen wealth, and thence cementing political power, but leading to resurgent nationalism in nations like the UK and USA that is more akin to the 1930s.

waters. Geopolitics can be global, particularly in respect of resource supplies, investment and trade. It can be regional, for example in considering the water resources of the Nile. It can be internal, particularly where there are diverse ethnic, religious or voter groupings.

This is the playing field upon which countries seek to achieve national objectives on the world stage. Geopolitics links political power and diplomacy with geographic space, traditionally land and territorial

Data driving 4IR

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) introduces a new dynamic atop of all this. Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous machines and Augmented Reality (AR) bring new opportunities, new industries, new precious mineral resource needs and a new capital — data. The explosion in data from Space, business, social media and the IoT is leading to the realization that data is not “the new oil” but capital with measurable value. According to the European Commission, the value of personalized data is almost 8% of the EU’s GDP, and according to the McKinsey Global Institute, cross-border flows of data Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 31

EXPERT OPINION

grew 45 times from 2005 to 2014, accounting for 3.3% of global GDP in 2014. By these outdated figures alone, data becomes a tool within geopolitics, just like any other capital asset. The 4IR is driven by data, much of it with associated geolocation. The value of data is realized through the derivation of knowledge by combining user need, data, partners and applications, including AI. This has led to recent calls for a geospatial knowledge infrastructure as part of national digital approaches.

Data access essential to geopolitics

The instruments of geopolitics can extend from conventional diplomacy, trade and investment to war, through a “grey zone” where wider levers of power are employed to project power at home and overseas. For example, Russia employs military threat and proxy wars, cyber-attacks, industrial spying, assassinations and social media disinformation campaigns. Some argue that this grey zone is a “new era”; it is not. What is new is the widespread application of data to the instruments of geopolitics. Geopolitics requires knowledge — knowledge that enables the right decisions and the application of geopolitical instruments to implement the desired change. Today’s geopolitical problems are too complex to navigate with conventional information gathering. Access to data and the means to analyze effectively are now essential in geopolitics. 32 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

According to the European Commission, the value of personalized data is almost 8% of the EU’s GDP, and according to the McKinsey Global Institute, cross-border flows of data grew 45 times from 2005 to 2014, accounting for 3.3% of global GDP in 2014. By these outdated figures alone, data becomes a tool within geopolitics, just like any other capital asset The 4IR opens knowledge to everyone through the Internet and social media, although in some States, such as China, access controls are in place as a lever of power. Equally, manipulation of data through AI techniques enables external geopolitical influence as we are seeing in some national elections. This creates a challenge: how do governments and citizens find the truth? Accessible trusted national foundational data is one such route.

New players in geopolitics

Another significant trend is the growth of a few global companies with turnover far bigger than the GDP of most nations; Amazon and Tencent are two examples. Their balance sheets are lifted by their data holdings, and hence they have interests in protecting and growing that capital value. Whether for shareholders or State benefit, these companies can engage in geopolitics on an unprecedented scale, dwarfing previous examples such as the East India Company and some oil companies. How then do governments ensure they know enough to counter the data-fed AI analyzed

geopolitics of globally aspiring nations and global businesses? Put simply, by investing in better data and knowledge. Whilst understanding geopolitical adversaries through analytics is part of this, it is equally important to know about the people, resources, finances, assets and value of your nation. Only then can nations counter the moves of others. In deriving that knowledge, good data such as statistics, foundation geospatial information and asset data should become part of the critical national infrastructure. Data needs investment, protection and to be accessible. Data is capital and trusted national data has national value. Data is an element of today’s complex geopolitics, both as an instrument of power and in giving governments the knowledge to navigate these uncharted waters and retain their national sovereignty. John Kedar served in the UK armed forces, including leading its geospatial capabilities. He also worked with the Ordnance Survey. John now works as an independent Global Geospatial Strategy Advisor.

INTERVIEW: DEFENSE & SECURITY

Geospatial Information in Every System The Ministry of Defence in The Netherlands has made huge progress in terms of geospatial technology adoption. About 10-15 years ago, everybody was using paper/printed maps. Now, everything has become digital, and we are able to use verified geospatial information in every system, says Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Bier, Geo Information Officer of the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, The Netherlands. Over the last few years, there has been a growing trend around the use of geospatial, particularly location technology, in defense and internal security. How does the Ministry of Defence in The Netherlands use this technology?

All the things that happen around us are based on location. So, I would say that location is the starting point, or the point where all information comes together. Looking from the Ministry of Defence’s perspective, it is very important that the location is verified — we need to be sure that something has happened on that location. For example, like all defense ministries, we are using weapons and strike fighters. Be it a bullet or a bomb, the most important thing is that it should hit the target, and so, the target should be very precise and verified. We are part of NATO and ArcGIS is the common standard within the organization. In the Ministry of Defence, we have been using ArcGIS, as we have to work together with other units and nations, for which sharing of geo-information is a must. We have also been using the ERDAS Imagine and Apollo software from Hexagon Geospatial which has added value for us. I am not talking about geo-intelligence because that has to do with analysis interpretation, which is mainly used by our intelligence community.

You have worked with the ministry of Defence in different capacities. How has the ministry evolved in terms of technology adoption, especially when it comes geospatial technology? If you look at the past decade, we have made huge progress. Currently, we are able to use and share geo-information within the entire ministry. About 10-15 years ago, everybody was using paper/printed maps. Now, everything has become digital and we are able to use verified geospatial information in every system — command control, navigation, simulation and weapon systems. Like most nations, we have a geoportal in the ministry, and our geo-information producers put all the content on it. For every person in the ministry, it is possible to go on the Intranet and to see what information is available. The users can also take geo-information from the portal to their systems and use it. That’s been a big step forward.

Can you tell us about the ministry’s contribution in supporting the fight against COVID-19, and does the action plan include use of geospatial data and technology?

In The Netherlands, the fight against the pandemic is led by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health. However, these ministries do not have enough capacity to deal with the huge number Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 33

INTERVIEW: DEFENSE & SECURITY

of affected people. So, the Ministry of Defence is supporting them by sending additional medical personnel and helping in coordinating, for example, transportation efforts. Yes, we are using geo-information for that work, because as military people, we are professionals and are good at organizing things — we can easily set up a network and coordinate things anywhere.

In January this year, the Defence Geographic Agency (DGeo) of the ministry signed a multi-milliondollar, multi-year subscription to SecureWatch, Maxar’s Cloud-based geospatial intelligence platform. How has been the experience of using the platform, and how has it helped?

We are very happy with the agreement as it provides us an entry into actual satellite information, which is important for us. If we are on a mission somewhere in the world and are retasked, we need additional satellite information. For example, in September 2019, our navy ships were having an exercise in the Caribbean. The region was suddenly hit by a hurricane, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked us to deliver some humanitarian assistance on two islands. However, the ships that were cruising did not have the information of those islands. Of course the Navy was prepared for the exercise, but it did not have actual information about other areas in the Caribbean. Since they were retasked, they needed other geo-information that was verified. They could find old satellite imagery on the Internet, but they needed imagery captured after the hurricane to plan humanitarian assistance. By using satellite imagery from Maxar, we are able to do that in a

The Ministry of Defence is supporting other ministries in the fight against pandemic. We are using geo-information for that work, because as military people, we are professionals and are good at organizing things 34 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

very quick way, to plan our assistance adequately. We are using this imagery also to plan military missions and operations.

As far as data is concerned, does the ministry collect data on its own, or does it depend on the national mapping agencies for base data? If you talk about geodata of The Netherlands, then we source it out to the Dutch Cadastre. We have an agreement with them, and they provide us with geo-information. Until 2001, the ministry had its own topographical service. We were tasked to get all the geo-information of the country. In 2001, we sourced it out completely to the Dutch Cadastre.

Can you tell us about the state of adoption of 4IR technologies such as AI, Big Data and IoT? We are looking into these technologies. We are holding discussions and trying to find out what can be done with Artificial Intelligence. Within the ministry, we have experiments. We are aware of the fact that we should use AI in the near future. But we are at the discussion stage and are trying it case-by-case. It’s quite difficult because you need highly trained people with specific knowledge in that field. Such people are scarce, and it’s hard to get them. The Ministry of Defence does not employ people at the pace as it wants; sometimes the benefits offered by other (private) companies is more attractive.

The quality checks for geospatial data have to be more rigorous in defense. Can you tell us how this works: does the Cadastre run a quality check at the time of collection, or does the ministry carry out quality check on its own?

Yes, we do, because we are responsible for all the geodata that is being used within the ministry. We have a hydrographic office and the Defence Geographic Agency. These units produce geo-information and provide it to the entire ministry. So, it’s their responsibility to look at the quality and to run a check. As Told to Meenal Dhande & Ruban Jacob

POLICY TRACK

Optimizing Land Use To tide over the current economic crisis, the Government of India has taken a slew of policy decisions, including using GIS to streamline land management and dealings, an initiative that can yield handsome returns. By Avneep Dhingra

he COVID-19 global pandemic has created a severe economic crisis alongside a health catastrophe. This year’s Trade and Development Report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) suggests that the world economy is experiencing a deep recession amid a “still-unchecked” pandemic. The report says that the global economy will contract by 4.3% in 2020. The picture isn’t too different in India. According to the World Bank, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to further contract by 9.6% this fiscal as a reflection of the economic slump it has suffered due to lockdowns induced by the pandemic. Further, global rating

and research houses, such as Fitch and Goldman Sachs have cut their estimates for growth in India’s GDP, and the government has said that it needs foreign investments worth around Rs 60 trillion ($806 billion) to bolster the Covid-hit economy. To tide over the current crisis, the government has taken a slew of policy decisions ranging from introducing reforms in some sectors to encouraging technology adoption in the others. One such measure involves the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) to streamline land management and dealings. Towards the end of August, Piyush Goyal, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, launched the national GIS-enabled Land

Bank System, which is being developed by integration of Industrial Information System (IIS) with State GIS Systems. The project, which was launched for six states, is expected to cover other states and Union Territories (UTs) by the year end, and develop an effective and transparent mechanism of land identification and procurement. The project endeavors to enhance industrial activity in the country, attract investment and provide better standard of living to the local populations. “This is a forward-looking initiative towards the transparent mechanism of land identification and procurement. Over the years, India has undertaken multiple reforms to move ahead in the ease of doing business Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 35

POLICY TRACK

rankings, by enabling transparency and single-window interface for all clearances for foreign investments. The use of GIS as an enabling technology is one of the most critical pillars towards realizing this goal,” says Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India.

Better records mean better management

Under the Land Bank System project, records of more than 3,300 industrial parks across 31 states and UTs covering about 475,000-hectare land have been mapped on the system. The information includes forest, drainage, raw material heat maps (agricultural, horticulture, mineral layers) and multiple layers of connectivity. “Land is always a scares commodity in highly populated countries like India. GIS-based technology intervention has a key role to play in land reforms. The creation of geo-enabled digital land records centrally at state level along with systemic intervention to update the change in revenue records in real-time will bring in the much needed efficiency in land allotments for various development and investment projects,” says Deven Laheru, President, Business Development at Scanpoint Geomatics Ltd. Dheeraj Sharma, CEO, GIS Consortium India Pvt Ltd, explains that cadastre, or land parcel, is the basis of all the information pertaining to a piece of land. It covers details about the ownership, area and 36 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

Info Integration

• Recently, the Indian Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the e-Dharti geo portal • The portal will integrate legacy drawings such as maps and lease plans in the management information system and make it GIS-enabled • The land & development office has devised a property certificate incorporating details and the outline map of the properties listed on the portal land use. “A clear land record title is therefore important not just to establish ownership, but to ensure the optimal usage of the land resources available. GIS brings together all the information pertaining to any land parcel which results in valuable spatial analytics.” GIS technology can inherently connect the information and database at multiple levels of governance and decision-making, which can bring coherence and seamless exchange of information between micro and macro levels of planning. “Further, one is able to connect between the different types and levels of planning, maintenance and management,” says Sharma.

Increasing scope for investments

Earlier this year, the Indian government said that it will start a GIS-based land buying

service on a pilot basis to attract foreign companies. The announcement came during the USIBC’s India Ideas Summit, and was aimed at enticing US investors to come to India. Speaking at the event, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that India will identify land for setting up industries through a GIS-based tool. He added that the GIS system will have Google Earth view, and “a person sitting in Iceland will be able to locate land in India and buy it.” “This is a great opportunity to promote the economic growth of India and generate employment opportunities. Foreign investment into various industrial corridors and manufacturing hubs will boost the local economy, local skills, trade opportunities and overall economic development for India,” says Kumar. The digital transformation of the land administration and management process relies heavily on GIS technology. So far, the use of GIS has been limited to a system of records — filing, recording and storing of information, though it needs to be further extended as a system of insight and engagement. “As a system of insight, agencies can get a better view of the land banks, their possible land use and in identifying areas for economic development. With a system of engagement, agencies can drive citizens as well as inter-department engagement,” adds Kumar. In India,

Foundation for Efficient Land Management System The use of GIS technology can deliver several benefits, such as: Improving transparency in the process of determining, recording and disseminating information about ownership, mutation, lease, value, use of land and more, making it easier to track land transactions, while reducing civil disputes.

Preventing encroachment of full-tank level (FTL) and buffer zone areas of water bodies, forest land and more.

Enabling clear bifurcation of government and non-government land, and central and state government land, leading to optimal utilization of the scarce resource.

Streamlining operations for improved efficiency and creation of land banks for different purposes, including government, private, welfare schemes and infrastructure development.

GLOBAL SCENARIO There are several countries that are effectively using GIS for land management. The example of Dutch Cadastre is cited at several places. Here’s a look at what’s happening where.

AUSTRALIA In Australia, land use mapping is carried out at two scales: national scale and catchment scale. Both land use mapping methods use the Australian Land Use and Management (ALUM) Classification system, which is a nationally consistent method to collect and present land use information for a wide range of users across the country. The latest version (version 8) of the classification conforms to the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI) standard for land use datasets and is also available as an environmental vocabulary service.

CANADA The Canada Geographic Information System (CGIS) was developed for the Government of Canada in 1960s. Since then, CGIS has been used to store geospatial data for the Canada Land Inventory and assist in the development of regulatory procedures for land-use management and resource monitoring in the country.

QATAR Qatar’s GIS-based Real Estate Information System (REIS) fully automates the land registration process. It addresses problems such as duplicate/similar owner names, ad-hoc inquiries, non-standard office procedures, redundant pieces of information and many other issues. It also addresses concerns related to the Real Estate Registration Department (RERD) as well as other agencies dealing with RERD data.

SINGAPORE Geospatial data and infrastructure have been the core foundation for land management and economic development in Singapore. Over the years, various GIS driven initiatives such as Digital Planning Hub, Land Data Hub, Land Net, and SG-SPACE have played a critical role in transforming Singapore into an economic powerhouse. Singapore Land Authority’s OneMap system combines all geographical datasets into a singlewindow interface. OneMap is available for everyone, including the government, citizens and businesses.

Sept-Oct 2020 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | 37

POLICY TRACK

the capital in land is currently locked due to non-availability of accurate and digital information about the cadastre which has resulted in most of the land capital being unused. “The introduction of GIS for land buying and selling will unlock all the information pertaining to the cadastre and the authenticity of the same can also be verified. This will result in transparent, fair and seamless land transactions, and

Overcoming hurdles in adoption

Absence of a comprehensive policy and a nodal organization responsible and accountable for GIS use is often cited to be one of the main reasons for poor adoption. “Currently, different government departments call for tenders for their requirement, and the information is not shared with other departments, resulting in ineffective use of public funds. Then there are problems like poor technical

Although the Indian government had launched an ambitious scheme for modernization and digitization of land records in 2008, the results on ground are nowhere to be seen. That’s because land ownership in India is presumptive and not conclusive, resulting in ownership disputes in title and ownership. Over 65% of all civil cases are basically land related disputes will boost infrastructure development,” says Sharma. The use of GIS in land management can further improve land valuation through transparent information on land parcels.

understanding of the scope of work and unavailability of adequate investment,” says Kalyan Chakravarthy, Senior Sales Manager-Geospatial (India and APAC) at Cyient.

Laheru feels that the GIS view of land parcels on a portal would help buyers take informed decision keeping in view multiple parameters. Apart from helping the overall GIS industry ecosystem in the country, it would help the entire economy by unlocking the value of the scare land resource.

Echoing similar sentiments, Laheru says that a technology intervention of this scale needs shared vision right from the top till the last mile. Land being a socio-politically sensitive subject needs proactive approach in terms of right planning, awareness and concerted efforts. “Hence, a separate cell within

38 | www.gwprime.geospatialworld.net | Sept-Oct 2020

state revenue departments covering officials at each level (state, district and block) should be formed to implement geo-enabled digital land records within specified timelines.” Laheru adds that the complexities involved in GIS data creation through any one or a hybrid approach among ariel, satellite imagery or ETS/DGPS survey is another area of concern. The incredibly old land records are another hurdle in adoption — the last survey and settlement of land records took place decades ago. “Land records in India is a state subject. Although the Indian government had launched an ambitious scheme for modernization and digitization of land records in 2008, the results on ground are nowhere to be seen. That’s because land ownership in India is presumptive and not conclusive, resulting in ownership disputes in title and ownership. Over 65% of all civil cases are basically land related disputes,” highlights Sharma. Considering the vast geographic spread of India, mapping and planning land management becomes difficult, feels Kumar. In his view, rapid urbanization and land use changes on the ground lead to several challenges, such as discrepancies in existing cadastral and historical records, loss of ground survey reference points, undocumented land mutations and ownership changes. Avneep Dhingra Associate Editor Policy & Public Affairs avneep@geospatialmedia.net

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