Geo Connect Asia & Drones Asia 2023 confirm their status as the leading international event for the region's geospatial, intelligence and UAV markets

Strong international attendance confirms Singapore’s status as the ideal location for industry partnerships, business and knowledge sharing

Singapore – The third edition of Southeast Asia's flagship geospatial and location intelligence technology trade event, Geo Connect Asia (GCA), successfully concluded its two-day run on the 16^th March 2023 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore. GCA 2023, co-located with the first edition of Drones Asia and held in conjunction with Digital Construction Asia 2023, hosted in-person 2,494 visitors from 53 countries; 24.5% of the visitors attended from outside Singapore.

“We were delighted to welcome geospatial and location intelligence industry experts from the region and beyond, assisting in the creation of a regional community for the industry, with a Singapore base. Securing the continued support of our sponsors, partners and exhibitors is testament to the exciting event format we are developing; the addition of Drones Asia for the UAV industry has been very well received,” said Rupert Owen, Co-founder of GCA and Drones Asia.

“Geo Connect Asia is the meeting point for the Asian region, offering the opportunity to collaborate and build partnerships across the fast-expanding geospatial industry. We look forward to supporting future events,” said Nadine Alameh, Chief Executive Officer of Open Geospatial Consortium. Ms Alameh opened the conference, which comprised 81 prominent speakers, moderators and delegates from across the world.

The event was graced by Guest of Honour Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Ministry of Transport, who delivered the opening address at the opening ceremony. SMS Khor also toured the exhibition showground, including the Singapore Pavilion led by SGTech, and an exciting drone soccer display led by Wong Fong Academy.

SMS Khor, in her opening address, said, “Achieving sustainable development in an interconnected world requires us to strike a balance between economic growth, social development, and environmental protection. Geospatial technology has proven to be a key enabler in supporting these sustainability goals, and Geo Connect Asia provides us with an excellent platform to explore ideas and solutions. I am heartened that such conversations and sharing will take place over the next two days amongst academics, researchers and professionals in various fields across engineering, artificial intelligence and governace.”

At the opening ceremony, SMS Khor witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Container Depot and Logistics Association (Singapore) to use geospatial data to route heavy vehicles more efficiently and safely. An Intent of Collaboration was also signed between SLA and the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for both countries to exchange knowledge and experiences regarding the use of geospatial technology. In addition, SLA announced a pilot project with SG Enable and Gardens by the Bay to map barrier-free routes for wheelchair users.