On 25th June, more than 140 delegates from over 50 organisations gathered at Riddel Hall, Queen’s University Belfast, for the AGI Northern Ireland Annual Conference. Under this year’s theme, Connected Intelligence: The Future of Place, the day explored how geospatial, artificial intelligence and data science are increasingly converging to solve real world problems.
The programme was built around four threads that shaped the conversations throughout the day: The power of convergence between geospatial and AI, the technologies defining the future of our sector, the skills gap facing many of our member organisations, and practical innovations from across the industry. Delegates heard case studies and project work from colleagues in Northern Ireland and further afield. We were also delighted to announce that AGI’s flagship event, GeoCom, will be coming to Northern Ireland for the first time in 2027. A real milestone for our community and one we look forward to welcoming members from across the UK.
The keynote presentations were a clear highlight. Professor Jing Yao of the University of Glasgow opened up the theme of GeoAI for society, examining how spatial intelligence can support responsible and sustainable geographic futures, while Steve Birdsall of Gaist shared how connected intelligence can be built quite literally from the kerb up through the National Road Survey of Northern Ireland. Across the day, speakers from NI Water, Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, Esri Ireland, KOREC, IMGS, 1Spatial by VertiGIS, Mallon Technology, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast, Laser Focused, Translink and Final Draft Mapping demonstrated the sheer breadth of geospatial work under way from NUAR safe-digging workflows, to peatland monitoring, precision forestry, machine-learning surface mapping and the latest GIS skills and salary insights for Ireland.
Our poster presenters were another standout of the conference, drawing consistent interest during the breaks. The posters showcased work ranging from the POINTER address-data mandate and road traffic collision analysis, to post-mining landscape transformation, hyperspectral riparian forest mapping, the OREO NI earth observation platform, the living value of the OSNI historical archive, and the Civgraph civic data project. The quality and variety on display was a credit to the researchers and practitioners who took part, and reflected the genuine depth of talent within our network.
The verbal feedback throughout the day was overwhelmingly positive. Many of you told us that this year’s conference material was among the strongest we have delivered, and that the pacing struck the right balance, with plenty of time built in for networking and conversation. It helped, too, that Belfast turned on a warm and sunny day, allowing delegates to make the most of the grounds at Riddel Hall over lunch.
Our sincere thanks go to our gold and silver sponsors, our speakers and poster presenters, and every delegate who joined us and made the day what it was. AGI NI is shaped by its members, and we would love to hear your ideas for future sessions, webinars and events. If you would like to get involved or suggest a topic, please get in touch with the board and we look forward to seeing you again, along with the wider AGI community, when GeoCom comes to Belfast in 2027 for AGI Northern Ireland’s 25th Anniversary.
AGI Members can login and view the event presentation and photographs.