Three Days of Information and Discussion - INTERGEO 2016

With over 500 exhibitors and over 17,000 visitors this year’s Intergeo included a conference attracting 1300 delegates.

After notching up 531 exhibitors from 37 countries, more than 17,000 visitors from over 100 countries and an international conference attended by 1,300 delegates, the 2016 Intergeo (Hamburg from 1113 October) drew to a close. The sector’s exceptional momentum was evident in packed exhibition halls and conference rooms, a mainly young, international audience and three days full of information and discussion.

Prof Hansjörg Kutterer, the newly elected president of Intergeo’s host organisation DVW, described the event as “being where the geoIT sector meets its users. Intergeo is cross-industry dialogue at its very best” adding, “it focuses on the resource of the future: smart geoinformation.”

Intergeo is the highlight event of the year for manufacturers and service providers of GNSS, mobile mapping, laser scanning and surveying equipment including UAVs as well as inspection, monitoring and other geospatial services. Dr.Ing. Christoph Fröhlich from Zoller+Fröhlich spoke for many exhibitors with his verdict that Intergeo is “the world’s absolute top event for our customers. They fly in from all over the world in order to meet us and check out the latest developments in the sector.”

OSGB Chief’s Keynote

At the heart of the exhibition’s themes and conference programme stand cities – for most of us, our habitat and working environment. Keynote speaker Nigel Clifford, CEO of Ordnance Survey GB, used the case study of Manchester to show how geoinformation embedded in the Internet of Things (IoT) will shape our urban surroundings. Ron Bisio, vice president geospatial at Trimble, presented smart city scenarios in his keynote. Environmental pollution, energy consumption, effective transportation and traffic processes, civic dialogue and transparency, digital transformation in the health sector and culture – there is no sphere of life that will remain cordoned off from digitalisation, he argued. “The seeds for our digital future are being sown right here and now”.

The setting this year could not have been better. Hamburg’s strategy for digital development as a smart city is backed by the highest political ranks, confirmed by the attendance of the city’s senator, Dr Dorothee Stapelfeldt, who spoke on scrutinising the wealth of resources of smart city providers.

BIM Gains Ground

The topic of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is also gaining considerable ground. BIM transfers the processes involved in planning, constructing and operating structures and infrastructure into the digital world. The same clear message rings out – BIM enjoys solid political support. The German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) has set the schedule for introducing BIM as the standard method for infrastructure projects with its multitiered Digital Planning and Building plan.

Correct and sustainable decisions depend on impeccably prepared information. The DVW’s President Kutterer emphasises that standardisation, licensing and pricing issues now need resolving in order to promote geoinformation as a lynchpin in business and administration. Dr Jürgen Dold, CEO of Leica Geosystems, is clear that the online environment is steadily becoming a reality. On big data, he adds: “Whatever the volume of data, the key lies in using it smartly.”

Aerial Solutions

The UAV sector is looking exceptionally dynamic despite remaining legal uncertainties. Interaerial SOLUTIONS was introduced as a freestanding platform within the exhibition this year, bringing together over 130 exhibitors – from startups to global corporations. Kay Wackwitz from market researchers Droneii.com believes Intergeo is the ideal platform for the fledgling UAV sector: “The market is absolutely exploding. More and more startups are jostling to find their own niche, adding “Fields of application and upcoming trends were examined in forum presentations and panel discussions. Sector newcomer Intel chose the event to unveil its first ever drone – the Intel Falcon 8+.

Berlin 2017

As one Intergeo closes, the next looms. The organisers are already gearing up for Berlin 2017. In the words of DVW President Kutterer: “The dynamic momentum calls upon us to make next year’s event the ultimate stage once again for the geo IT sector to showcase itself to its users.” The next Intergeo will be held at Messe Berlin from 26 to 28 September 2017. More at http://www.hintemarketing.de

This article was published in Geomatics World November/December 2016