Bryn Fosburgh doesn’t need a long introduction. As a Senior Vice President at Trimble and a globally respected figure in the geomatics community, Fosburgh has a front-row seat to the forces reshaping the industry. Over more than four decades, he has watched the profession evolve — from field notebooks and steel tapes to drones, digital twins, and AI-driven automation.

But for Fosburgh, this isn’t a story of replacement — it’s a story of opportunity. As surveying roles evolve and expand, he believes the profession must grow vertically, claim leadership in new digital ecosystems, and start telling its story more boldly.

In this candid conversation, Fosburgh reflects on the challenges of attracting new talent, the importance of telling the profession’s story, and why outdated registration models must evolve to keep pace with the rise of next-generation digital workflows, vertical specialization, and the underappreciated role of mentorship. He also shares why events like the GoGeomatics Expo are critical to building the next generation of geospatial leaders.

Let’s start with the big one: How would you describe where the surveying profession stands today — in terms of opportunity, challenges, and changes?

If you look at the broader geospatial business — surveying, mapping, geodesy, or really geomatics from an umbrella perspective — it has a great opportunity because location is such a key part of our everyday life. Even earlier in our conversation, we talked about where each of us is today in the world. Precise location and attributes around that location are so key to us from an everyday perspective, both personally and professionally.

I think there’s a great opportunity for us as geomatics professionals. But from a challenge perspective, it’s about getting people excited and interested in our career field. I recently came across one of your interviews discussing the current state of education and opportunity, and I am very concerned about attracting more people to the profession.

In emerging countries, especially Africa, you’re finding more and more young people involved. I’m very active in FIG [International Federation of Surveyors],  especially with young surveyors. We receive a high volume of applications for many of our grants across the continent, particularly Western Africa, which is quite exciting. But you don’t see that same excitement, or at least not in volume, in what I’d call the emerging economies. That definitely concerns me.

You mentioned the interview with Carina. One thing she mentioned was that surveyors often don’t get paid in line with the level of effort and expertise the job demands — especially considering how tough fieldwork can be. Do you think this disconnect, combined with how the role of surveyors is changing, requires us to rethink how we define and recognize the profession — even things like registration?

Absolutely. You’re seeing more and more automation across the industry. In my own career, the amount of automation over the last 40 years has been incredible. Where you used to have five people on a data collection crew, today it’s often just one. You’re also seeing tasks that were traditionally handled by surveyors now being integrated into other roles.

This shift is changing what the surveyor’s role looks like. We’re transitioning from being purely data collectors to becoming more like data managers and process managers within industries. That demands a broader understanding of how technology supports real-world applications.

But one of the challenges we face — and I can’t speak specifically for Canada — is that registration has traditionally been focused on land and boundary work. That’s still a critical part of what we do. But today, geomatics spans so many industries — construction, utilities, infrastructure, water management — and the traditional registration framework doesn’t always align with those sectors.

As an industry, we need to think carefully about what registration should look like in the future. Registration is important, but if it’s solely tied to boundary work, we risk missing out on the wider value that surveyors bring to other sectors that rely on geomatics data.

With the role of surveyors evolving, do you see opportunities for them to take leadership in systems like BIM, digital twins, and autonomous construction workflows?

That’s exactly where I believe the opportunity lies. There’s no reason the surveyor can’t broaden their role and become the BIM coordinator — whether that’s in vertical construction like buildings, or horizontal projects like roads, railways, and airports.

Just as many surveyors have transitioned into GIS coordination roles, they can also do the same with BIM. I actually think surveyors missed the boat on GIS because they dismissed it early on. But BIM and digital construction give us another chance to expand beyond boundary work into industries where our skill sets are incredibly relevant.

Geomatics has traditionally been a horizontal profession — we’ve served all industries. But now, I believe it’s going to become more vertical. Surveyors will specialize in specific industries. That will require different types of education, industry experience, and, possibly, a different registration path.

You’ve often said that automation won’t replace surveyors — it’ll change their role. What does that shift really look like, especially as AI and machine-driven workflows become more common?

It depends on how we define that balance. It’s easy to say “AI isn’t going to replace you,” but the process is absolutely changing.

Take drones, for example. A drone today can collect a significant amount of data with fewer personnel compared to conventional techniques. So yes, automation does replace some jobs. But it also changes your role.

The surveyor’s expertise now lies in understanding the technology and the industry they’re serving, and in interpreting that data. AI is great at analyzing large datasets and flagging patterns, but it doesn’t replace professional oversight. Just like in the medical field, where AI might highlight an anomaly on a scan, a doctor still has to interpret and validate that result. The same applies to us.

Surveyors may not be in the field with large crews anymore, but they’ll be in the office analyzing data, or they’ll be sent to the field to investigate problem areas that the AI flagged. I believe these roles will actually command higher wages because they require both technological proficiency and industry-specific knowledge.

And when we talk about full automation — robots collecting data, AI doing analysis — where does that leave the surveyor? What does their role look like in that future?

Data collection is definitely becoming more automated. You see that today with machine control, precise positioning, drones — both rotor-based and fixed-wing. Automation is coming, and in some cases, it’s already here.

But let me say this: in my 40 years in the profession, people have been saying automation will be the death of the surveyor. It hasn’t happened. The role has evolved, but it hasn’t disappeared.

When I started, we’d record angles and distances on paper. We’d use calculators — sometimes even punch cards — to process the data. Then came mainframes, then PCs, then onboard data collectors, satellite positioning with GPS and GNSS, then scanning, LiDAR, SLAM, and drones. Yet, surveyors are still here.

Our roles evolve. We need to become fluent in new technologies and also gain a deeper understanding of the specific industries we support. Surveying used to be primarily about land information. That’s still significant, but it’s no longer the only focus.

In some industries, end-to-end automation is already happening. I can easily envision a robot collecting data on-site and analyzing it. A robot is essentially a platform for positioning technologies — and there’s no reason that platform can’t be the technology itself.

I often refer to Star Wars — remember R2D2 or C-3PO? They were robots that could do everything from translating languages to creating virtual environments. Today, we have Android platforms approaching that kind of functionality. Would it surprise me if we get there in five years? Not at all.

But even then, the data and processes will still need to be managed. Surveyors will increasingly act as project managers and data managers, overseeing geospatial frameworks and ensuring everything fits into the larger system.

So what would your advice be to the next generation of surveyors? What are the key skills they need to build?

First and foremost, become familiar with the technology — how it works and where its limitations are. When I started, I’d use an EDM and dial in frequencies to calculate distances, but I also knew that if I measured it with a tape, I’d get the same result. I might not have understood every algorithm behind the EDM, but I understood the principle of measurement. That’s important — understanding the fundamentals.

Second, I’d tell surveyors to focus on verticalization. The profession has been horizontal for a long time — we’ve served all industries equally. But growth, income potential, and impact will come from understanding specific industries deeply. That could be agriculture, mining, land administration, construction, utilities — whatever it is, you need to specialize and become an expert in that vertical.

I believe education should support this too. If you graduate as a geomatics engineer, you should have a specialization in a specific sector. The foundational courses should be about the theory of measurement, but advanced coursework should focus on real-world industry applications.

And how do we, as an industry — including government and academia — support that next generation? How do we train and retain surveyors?

There needs to be a much closer collaboration between industry, government, and academia. That intersection is where the next generation of geomatics engineers will come from.

Currently, many universities are operating with outdated equipment. That makes it hard to attract students and doesn’t prepare them for the realities of the industry. The curriculum needs to reflect future demands. And industry — both manufacturers and service providers — needs to be clearer about what we need from graduates.

Another key part is mentorship. Most of my time now is spent mentoring. Conferences like this one play a huge role. Presentations and exhibits are important, but the real value comes from networking and building relationships. Finding mentors. That’s where the profession strengthens itself.

You mentioned Africa earlier. What innovations or trends are emerging from emerging nations that might be overlooked here in North America? Are they getting something right?

They’re getting people into the profession, and they’re becoming more industry-focused. When I speak with young surveyors from Africa or South America, they often have very specific focus areas — some are deeply involved in construction, others in GIS or environmental applications, and some stick with traditional land surveying.

Another big difference is diversity. You see a much higher rate of gender diversity in surveyors coming out of emerging regions compared to North America. That’s a huge positive. It broadens the profession’s talent pool and brings in new perspectives.

In many of these regions, they have universities dedicated to geomatics. What they often lack, however, is access to the latest technologies. That’s why events like GoGeomatics Expo, FIG, Intergeo, or manufacturer events like Hexagon Live or Trimble Dimensions are so important — they give these young professionals exposure to new tools and opportunities for mentorship.

Let’s talk about how the profession is perceived. Do you think surveyors have done a poor job of communicating the importance of what they do?

That’s something we’ve struggled with. In places like Africa and South America, surveyors are still recognized for their contributions. But in North America and Europe, we’ve lost that visibility.

We like to say things like, “Three of the four people on Mount Rushmore were surveyors.” We know that. But does anyone outside the profession? Probably not. Very few people realize George Washington was a surveyor. Or that Gauss, with his network adjustment equations, was on the old Deutsche Mark bill. We in the profession think that’s cool — but the general public has no idea.

Ask someone in an airport what a surveyor does, and they’ll probably mention real estate or property boundaries. They won’t mention that surveyors are the reason their Uber arrives at the correct location, or that planes take off safely because runways are maintained using geospatial technologies. People just don’t see that connection.

Surveyors are a humble group. We haven’t done a good job of advertising the critical role we play in society. We need to fix that.

Looking back over your career, what’s changed the most? What has surprised you?

COVID changed everything — especially how we interact globally. Think about what we’re doing right now — having this conversation virtually, across the world, in real-time. Ten years ago, that would’ve been awkward. Forty years ago, unimaginable.

Today, I can talk to a surveyor in Nigeria, one in India, and another in Thailand — all in the same session. That kind of global dialogue makes us stronger as a profession. The digital connection has brought intimacy and immediacy that didn’t exist before.

Technologically, we’ve gone from observing points to modeling shapes to measuring and replicating reality. Whether you call it the metaverse, digital twins, or something else, we’re now capturing entire environments and making them accessible and analyzable in ways that were science fiction not long ago.

But despite all of this evolution, the need for professional interpretation and management of data hasn’t changed. The tools are better. The workflows are smarter. But you still need people who understand context, limitations, and impact.

You’ve been a strong supporter of GoGeomatics. What makes events like the GoGeomatics Expo important for the profession?

For me, it’s both personal and professional. Personally, Canada has been a great friend to Trimble and to me. Being able to give back is important. And these events allow for genuine reconnections. Last year, I saw Prashant Shukle — someone I hadn’t seen in ten years. We had a 30-40 minute conversation. That was meaningful. Those spontaneous conversations are what I remember most.

From a professional standpoint, it’s about intimacy and mentorship. Big conferences with 10,000 people are great for seeing broad trends, but smaller gatherings like GoGeomatics create space for real conversations. You can walk through the exhibition, stop at a booth, and have a meaningful chat. You can follow up after a session.

These events foster mentorship and peer learning, which is vital for the profession’s growth.

Charlie Trimble is keynoting this year. You’ve known him a long time. What should people expect when they meet him?

Charlie is one of the great innovators of our time. He’s a legend in our industry. Brilliant, but also incredibly approachable. People might feel intimidated by his stature in the industry, but I always encourage them to go talk to him. He’s thoughtful, he listens, and he genuinely enjoys engaging with people who are passionate about geomatics and technology.

He’s one of the very few people who truly shaped the GNSS landscape. He built Trimble during a time when foundational technology still needed to be invented. And he’s still thinking about what’s next. He’s not stuck in the past.

So, if you’re at the conference, spend time with him. It’s a rare opportunity.

And any final message for our readers — especially those attending?

Yes. Go. Show up. Be curious. Take the time to connect with legends like Charlie Trimble. But also, reconnect with your peers. Find your “Prashant” — that person you haven’t seen in years. That’s where you’ll find value.

The surveyor still exists. We’re not going anywhere. The tools will change. The workflows will change. But the need for people who understand measurement, context, and integration — that’s not going away.

So, lean into the evolution. Go vertical in your career. And don’t be afraid to tell the world what you do. Because the world depends on it.