The Survey Association, a UK-based industry body, has changed its name to Geospatial Survey Association and released a new industry plan.

Formerly officially titled the UK Land & Hydrographic Survey Association, but long known simply as The Survey Association or TSA, the name change to the Geospatial Survey Association (GSA) was recently approved by a vote of members.

According to the GSA, the Association brings together professionals across the full breadth of geospatial surveying, with the new name spelling that out clearly.

“Geospatial Survey Association reflects who we are, what we do and the value our members bring to every project with which they are involved,” the GSA said in a statement.

The GSA has begun a national marketing campaign to promote its new Geospatial Accord, which sets out the need, the vision and the ‘why’ behind the change.

The Accord builds on a stakeholder event the organisation held in March and months of discovery work, first developed under the working title of the Unity Charter.

It began with the question: What would happen if geospatial surveyors stopped tomorrow?

Although every building, road, bridge, railway, utility network and major infrastructure or natural world project begins with the certainty that geospatial surveyors bring, too often their expertise stays invisible, comes in too late, or is bought on price rather than value.

The GSA says the Geospatial Accord is a powerful collective commitment to put geospatial surveying at the heart of the UK’s future, bringing organisations together to:

• strengthen standards and specifications;
• secure earlier professional involvement;
• improve procurement practices;
• raise recognition of qualified geospatial professionals; and
• build a stronger future skills pipeline.

The GSA plans to lay out more details and ambitions for the Accord at its conference on 6 November.