A panel of data and industry experts will examine changes to IP and copyright and the disruption of current business models that current and future technologies are creating, with an open discussion about governance considerations that may affect surveying businesses now and in the coming years. This will be an insightful, interesting and challenging discussion around how technology and big data are redefining business opportunities.

The speakers will be:

• Professor Kevin McDougall, Head of School, Civil Engineering and Surveying University of Queensland
• Rachel Sciascia, Partner, Gadens
• Nicole Stephensen, Principal Consultant, Ground Up Consulting Pty Ltd
• Adam Beck , Executive Director, Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand Secretariat, Centre for Data Leadership

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/boreala

The Australasian Hydrographic Society’s HydroSpatial2021 Conference will focus on how hydrography will develop in the future, noting the development of ‘digital twinning’ and the emerging name variants for hydrography such as ‘hydrospatial’ or ‘hydrogeomatics’.

The conference theme, Hydrography of the Future, morphs two modern yet wide-ranging aspects of the hydrographic surveying profession, and should draw papers from relevant scientific, technological, operational and environmental communities. The aim is to provide delegates with valuable insights, creative ideas and inspiration on how to harness current and future technologies, systems and processes so that they can deal with present challenges and prepare for a more sustainable future.

During GEO Week 2021, the Group on Earth Observations will present the multidisciplinary activities of the GEO Work Programme that address policy agendas involved in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

The online event will include the GEO-17 plenary, plus anchor and side events. Time will be scheduled each day for virtual networking. On Monday, November 22, the 56th Executive Committee will be held as a closed meeting.

Of particular importance will be the anchor events: These are the main events designed by GEO week 2021 organisers to explain the multidisciplinary nature of GEO through the concept of nexus thinking. Working on multiple topics simultaneously is essential in today’s rapidly changing environmental and social conditions. For example, work in one area will have a knock-on effect or impact in another area, such as the water, energy and food nexus. These events are linked to the global policy agendas that underpin most of GEO’s work.

Image credit: NASA