A global ‘geo-awakening’ is underway in which spatial technologies will prove critical to solving the world’s problems, according to Brett Bundock, managing director of the Boustead Geospatial Group of companies. As managing director of Boustead, Bundock is head of Asia Pacific’s largest geospatial services group, which includes Esri Australia. Making his statement today on International GIS Day 2015, Bundock says that spatial technology will become an increasingly critical tool for identifying and addressing key societal challenges such as transportation, environment and economy.
“Globally, there is an evolving understanding that everything is connected by place and location,” Mr Bundock said.“Geospatial capabilities are no longer contained within GIS departments – they are being switched-on across organisations, enlightening a broader user group about the value of a geographic perspective.
“This geo-awakening is something we refer to colloquially as ‘lighting up the building with geography’. Similarly, there is an expanding appreciation of GIS technology as an evidence-based tool that removes the need for speculative decision-making. As a consequence, we are seeing a real hunger for information products created with GIS technology – those that can help us analyse the past, understand the present and model the future.”
As a result, Mr Bundock sees that GIS technology would profoundly change the way our society functions: “From managing mergers and acquisitions to electricity networks that efficiently direct energy where it is needed most – GIS technology is already playing a critical role in solving some of the world’s biggest challenges,” Mr Bundock said.
“Ports will become hotbeds of productivity, with the technology directing movement with perfect precision and eliminating bottlenecks. It will help us reduce congestion, pollution and fossil fuel consumption.”
Mr Bundock used South Asia as an example of such a ‘hotbed’: “there is a sense of urgency in ensuring the [South Asia] region is well equipped to meet the growing and inevitable demands for GIS professionals,” he said.
