Geo Connect Asia 2023 Brings Global Geospatial Leaders Together in Singapore

The third edition of Geo Connect Asia 2023 officially opened at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, marking Southeast Asia’s flagship gathering for geospatial and location intelligence professionals. Organized by Montgomery Asia, the two-day event welcomes more than 2,500 delegates from over 25 countries and features participation from 75 leading technology providers across the geospatial, digital construction, and drone sectors.

This year’s edition places sustainability and resilience at the forefront, aligning industry innovation with global challenges such as climate change adaptation, infrastructure modernization, and operational efficiency.

Co-Located Events Expand the Technology Ecosystem

GCA 2023 runs alongside the inaugural Drones Asia, launched in partnership with the Association of Aerospace Industries of Singapore and supported by Inmarsat as Gold Sponsor. The dedicated UAV showcase responds to growing regional demand for aerial, unmanned, and ground-based solutions, reflecting the rapid expansion of the drone ecosystem across commercial and government applications.

Simultaneously, Digital Construction Asia 2023 highlights emerging tools for the built environment, including artificial intelligence, Building Information Modelling (BIM), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, and advanced visualization technologies. Together, the three co-located events create an integrated marketplace covering land, sea, building, and air-based technologies.

High-Level Participation and Strategic Agreements

The opening ceremony was officiated by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment. Distinguished attendees included Rupert Owen, Co-Founder of Geo Connect Asia; Yeoh Oon Jin, Chairman of the Singapore Land Authority (SLA); and Dr Nadine Alameh, CEO of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC).

During the event, SLA formalized a Memorandum of Understanding with the Container Depot and Logistics Association to enhance heavy vehicle routing optimization. Additionally, SLA signed an Intent of Collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information to promote knowledge exchange on geospatial adoption. A pilot initiative involving SG Enable and Gardens by the Bay was also announced to map barrier-free routes, improving accessibility for wheelchair users.

A Rapidly Expanding Global Geospatial Market

The global geospatial market is currently valued at approximately US$510.84 billion and is projected to reach US$895.88 billion by 2027, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 15.1%. Governments and enterprises increasingly recognize the strategic importance of geospatial technologies in tackling sustainability challenges, infrastructure development, and operational optimization.

Under the theme “Advancing sustainable & resilient geospatial solutions for an interconnected world,” GCA 2023 aims to accelerate capability development while fostering collaboration among public, private, and academic stakeholders. Advances in AI and drone technology are opening practical applications that address workforce shortages, safety concerns, and environmental sustainability across multiple industries.

Industry Leadership Perspectives

Rupert Owen emphasized the importance of re-establishing in-person engagement to strengthen regional industry networks and investment opportunities. Continued sponsor and partner support reflects confidence in the event’s format and its growing role as a regional innovation platform.

From a public sector perspective, the Singapore Land Authority underscored the increasing importance of sustainability within national and corporate agendas. As Singapore’s national geospatial agency, SLA views Geo Connect Asia as a critical venue for mainstreaming geospatial capabilities and accelerating sustainability initiatives domestically and internationally.

Dr Nadine Alameh highlighted the central role of interoperability in advancing geospatial decision-making across enterprise, government, and non-profit organizations. Asia’s complex interaction between land, maritime, and aerial domains presents unique challenges, which open standards and emerging technologies—including space-based systems, autonomous vehicles, and AI—are well positioned to address.

The Geo Market Place and Conference Programme

The exhibition floor, branded as the Geo Market Place, has doubled in size to accommodate increased participation. Leading technology providers including Trimble, ST Engineering Geo-Insights, Teledyne FLIR, Wingtra, Leica Geosystems, and others are presenting advanced solutions in surveying, remote sensing, drone systems, and spatial analytics. A Singapore Pavilion led by SGTech features more than ten local companies showcasing domestic innovation.

The Geo Connect Asia Conference serves as the intellectual core of the event, structured around 11 panel-led sessions featuring 65 industry experts. Themes include sustainable analytics for the built environment, open standards and open data frameworks, intelligent infrastructure solutions, AI and robotics applications, and strategies for developing future geospatial talent.

Complementary Expert Stage programmes address subsurface utility mapping and digitalization in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Meanwhile, 34 free Tech Talks on the exhibition floor and more than 30 sessions at the UAV Innovation Theatre expand dialogue on drone technologies and advanced geospatial applications.

Strong Industry and Institutional Support

GCA 2023 benefits from extensive backing across the ecosystem. Platinum Sponsor Trimble returns for the third consecutive year, joined by Gold Sponsor Inmarsat and additional sponsors including Gamuda Singapore, Topcon Singapore Positioning, and AECOM. Nearly 60 trade associations, government agencies, and professional bodies support the event, reinforcing its regional and international significance.

Strategic partners include the Singapore Land Authority and its GeoWorks initiative, alongside SGTech. Additional institutional backing comes from agencies such as the Infocomm Media Development Authority and the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau, as well as numerous professional engineering, surveying, and construction organizations.

As Geo Connect Asia continues to evolve, it reflects the broader trajectory of the geospatial industry—rapid growth, deeper integration with adjacent technologies, and an expanding role in shaping sustainable and resilient development worldwide.