FORESIGHT
REPORT 2030

The Association for Geographic Information is proud to publish its third foresight report, providing a visionary view of trends and influences over the next five years and beyond.

This landmark report, developed over 12 months, explores six transformative forces shaping the geospatial sector: the Data Imperative, AI Integration Challenge, Infrastructure Evolution, Collaboration Imperative, Earth Systems Revolution, and Skills Revolution.

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THE 2030 AGI

FORESIGHT THEMES

The AGI Foresight Conference 2025 in London to learn more about the six forces shaping the geospatial sector.

AGI FORESIGHT REPORT 2030

DATA IN THE WORLD OF GEOSPATIAL:

THE NEXT TRANSFORMATION

The geospatial sector stands at an unprecedented inflection point. Data, its collection, processing, accessibility, and application, is undergoing fundamental transformation that will reshape the industry over the next 5-10 years.

Interviewees paint a picture of a sector poised between extraordinary opportunity and significant challenge, facing questions of trust, openness, and relevance at the intersection with rapid technological change.

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN GEOSPATIAL:

PROMISE, PERIL AND THE PATH FORWARD

Artificial intelligence stands as perhaps the most consequential technological force reshaping the geospatial sector today. From roundtable discussions to industry practitioner insights, a complex picture emerges, one of immense promise tempered by significant challenges and fundamental questions about how we build, deploy, and govern intelligent spatial systems.

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INTEROPERABILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN GEOSPATIAL:

EVOLUTION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

The geospatial sector stands at a critical juncture where technical foundations underpinning spatial data exchange and system integration are changing fundamentally.

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THE GREAT SKILLS SHIFT:

HOW GEOSPATIAL EDUCATION MUST EVOLVE FOR AN EMBEDDED FUTURE

The geospatial sector stands at a crossroads where traditional education models collide with rapidly evolving industry demands. As location data becomes woven into the fabric of everyday technology, the question isn’t whether geospatial will remain relevant, it’s whether our education systems and professionals can adapt quickly enough to thrive in a world where geography is everywhere but geospatial expertise isn’t getting any more visible or indeed valuable (to those who have that expertise).

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COLLABORATION IN GEOSPATIAL:

EVOLUTION AND FUTURE TRAJECTORIES

Is the geospatial sector moving from traditional competitive models toward collaborative frameworks that recognise the interconnected nature of spatial challenges? As James Kavanagh frames it: “There are three elements to geospatial: there’s the geography, the GIS, and the engineering side. Geospatial sits across all three areas.” The theme and desire are evident, but reality is perhaps more piecemeal.

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EARTH SYSTEMS EVOLUTION:

THE GEOSPATIAL-DIGITAL TWIN NEXUS TRANSFORMING CLIMATE, FINANCE AND CONSTRUCTION

The convergence of earth systems monitoring, geospatial intelligence, and digital twin technologies is reshaping how we understand and respond to environmental change. We stand at unprecedented integration between physical and digital worlds, where Earth Observation and geospatial data more widely doesn’t just inform decisions—it’s instrumental in how we build, finance, and protect our future.

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AGI FORESIGHT REPORT 2030

STRATEGIC CALLS TO ACTION:

A 5-YEAR ROADMAP
FOR GEOSPATIAL

GOVERNMENT AND POLICY MAKERS:

ENABLING THE INFRASTRUCTURE REVOLUTION

INDUSTRY:

DELIVERING RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION AT SCALE

GEOSPATIAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANISATIONS:

LEADING PROFESSIONAL EVOLUTION REVOLUTION

FOUNDATIONAL FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT

IMPROVE GEOAI LITERACY
ESTABLISH COMPREHENSIVE DATA GOVERNANCE FOR THE AI ERA
REFORM LICENSING AND ACCESS MODELS FOR API-DRIVEN INTEGRATION

Year 1-2

INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

BUILD PROVENANCE-AWARE AI SYSTEMS
DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE ACCESS MODELS
INVEST IN HYBRID COLLABORATION MODELS
SPEAK TO VALUE

Year 1-2

IDENTITY AND COMMUNICATION TRANSFORMATION

CHAMPION GEOGRAPHY OVER GEOSPATIAL SPECIALISATION
BRIDGE THE COMMUNICATION GAP AND SECTORAL DIVIDES

Year 1-2

EDUCATIONAL AND SKILLS INVESTMENT

EMBED SPATIAL REASONING IN NATIONAL CURRICULA
STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

YEAR 2-3

COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

FOSTER CROSS-SECTOR INTEGRATION PLATFORMS
ADDRESS THE CRITICAL SKILLS GAP

YEAR 2-3

STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION MODERNISATION

MODERNISE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY FRAMEWORKS
ACT AS NEUTRAL COLLABORATIVE PLATFORMS

YEAR 2-3

REGULATORY LEADERSHIP AND INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISCLOSURE MANDATES
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS LEADERSHIP

YEAR 3-5

MARKET LEADERSHIP AND ETHICAL INNOVATION

CHAMPION RESPONSIBLE AI DEVELOPMENT
ENABLE THE INVISIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE VISION

YEAR 3-5

SECTOR LEADERSHIP AND FUTURE POSITIONING

ENABLE EVIDENCE-BASED ADVOCACY
FOSTER NEXT-GENERATION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
POSITION FOR THE EMBEDDED FUTURE

YEAR 3-5

AGI FORESIGHT REPORT 2030