Geospatial Industry Trends and Developments that Defined 2024
The geospatial industry continued to evolve rapidly in 2024, driven by technological advancements and the increasing need for accurate and efficient spatial data. From artificial intelligence (AI) to innovations in reality capture solutions and satellite technology, these trends highlight how geospatial technologies are transforming industries across the world.
Below are some of the key trends that shaped the geospatial landscape in 2024.
Advancements in Reality Capture and 3D Technologies
Source: Leica Geosystems
Reality capture technologies, such as 3D scanners and mobile mapping systems, are revolutionizing how geospatial data is collected. These technologies have become more advanced and affordable in 2024, enabling more accurate and efficient data acquisition. Tools like Lidar provide real-time, high-resolution spatial data, essential for projects in construction, infrastructure management, and urban planning. This trend is also driving the adoption of digital twins, virtual models of physical environments that enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.
Advanced 3D scanners and mobile mapping systems are significantly impacting the capabilities of the surveying and mapping industry, resulting in larger data volumes and heightened precision. The integration of mobile scanning technologies, including LiDAR and photogrammetry, is enabling faster and more accurate data collection.
In urban settings, mobile scanning technologies are particularly beneficial, offering a scalable way to monitor and update city maps, plan infrastructure projects, and assess areas for potential growth. They also allow for increased flexibility, as field operators can easily move from one location to another without requiring complex setups or a high level of expertise. As mobile systems become more agile and cost-effective, this technology is also gaining traction in industries like construction, transportation, and utilities, where frequent data updates are necessary to monitor projects and ensure safety and compliance.
Together, these trends are driving the democratization of geospatial data, improving quality, and speeding up information collection.
Integration of AI in Geospatial Workflows
Artificial intelligence is playing a transformative role in geospatial data analysis. The integration of AI with geographic information systems (GIS) is ushering in a new era of geospatial data analysis, opening up exciting possibilities for advanced mapping, 3D modeling, and spatial interpretation. With the power of machine learning, geospatial analysis has evolved beyond traditional methods, allowing for more flexible, detailed, and insightful examination of spatial data. This transformation not only boosts accuracy and productivity but also creates new avenues for applying geospatial information in fields such as urban development, environmental monitoring, disaster management, and national security.
Generative AI, a subset of AI, has emerged as a transformative force in the geospatial industry. By leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, generative AI can generate new insights from geospatial data, enhancing decision-making and accelerating the pace of innovation. Instead of merely organizing or processing data, generative AI synthesizes information, providing fresh insights for environmental monitoring, urban planning, and more.
Model-Based Workflows and Digital Twins
The geospatial industry is transitioning to model-based workflows, focusing on objects like bridge pylons or walls with associated properties rather than traditional point, line, and polygon concepts. This shift aligns with customer language and preferences, facilitating informed decision-making based on comprehensive asset understanding.
Source: Bentley Systems
The trend is driven by the integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and digital twins. Organizations are moving from traditional 2D mapping to more dynamic, 3D model-based systems. Digital twins, which are virtual replicas of physical assets, are being used for urban planning, infrastructure management, and asset monitoring.
This shift to model-based workflows allows stakeholders to interact with geospatial data in more meaningful ways, enhancing collaboration and decision-making. The integration of geospatial data with BIM and digital twin technologies is also improving the accuracy of construction and engineering projects, reducing errors and costs.
User-Friendly Platforms
The industry is moving toward more user-friendly platforms that make advanced geospatial technologies more accessible to a wider audience. Traditionally, geospatial tools were often complex, requiring specialized training and expertise. However, with the rise of intuitive, easy-to-use platforms, these tools are becoming more approachable for a variety of industries, including small businesses, local governments, and even non-technical users.
These user-friendly platforms enable organizations to perform sophisticated spatial analysis, manage geospatial data, and create high-quality maps without needing a deep background in GIS or technical mapping. In turn, this trend is making detailed mapping more affordable and available to a broader range of users, allowing them to perform field data collection, visualization, and analysis in real time, democratizing access to high-quality geospatial data and enabling quicker decision-making.
As these platforms continue to evolve, they will likely drive new applications for geospatial technologies across sectors such as agriculture, transportation, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. This development also supports increased productivity, as companies and municipalities can more easily leverage spatial data for everything from infrastructure management to emergency response.
Growth in Earth Observation Market
The Earth Observation (EO) market is experiencing significant growth, driven by advancements in satellite technology and the increasing demand for high-resolution Earth imagery. Currently valued at $5 billion, the EO market is expected to surpass $8 billion by 2033, as highlighted in the latest Earth Observation Data and Services Market report by Novaspace. This growth is fueled by technological innovations, rising defense expenditures, and a growing need for actionable insights in sustainability and security.
High-resolution imagery enables more detailed and accurate monitoring of land use, water quality, and environmental conditions, providing essential insights for policy decisions and sustainable development. As government space budgets continue to rise globally, EO funding is growing in parallel. This trend underscores the increased focus on using space technologies to address critical challenges like climate change, disaster management, and resource monitoring.
NASA Black Marble Blue/Yellow Composite imagery showing nighttime lights as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, created using NASA/NOAA Suomi-NPP satellite data from Oct. 9, 2024.
In 2024, the heightened urgency of climate change and extreme weather events led to a stronger emphasis on using EO data for sustainability initiatives, such as forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation. The integration of EO data with AI and machine learning tools is empowering governments and organizations to track environmental changes in real time, assess the effectiveness of sustainability programs, and make more informed decisions to mitigate climate impacts.
Geospatial Data Accessibility and Interoperability
There is a growing emphasis on making geospatial data more accessible and interoperable across platforms and systems. Data-sharing initiatives, open data policies, and the development of cloud-based geospatial platforms are helping to improve the flow of geospatial information across different sectors. These efforts are facilitating collaboration between governments, businesses, and academic institutions, enabling more efficient and effective use of geospatial data.
The increased availability of open-source moderate/high-resolution Earth Observation datasets is transforming GIS applications across various sectors, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, disaster management, agriculture, infrastructure development, natural resource management, humanitarian aid, and wildlife conservation.
In addition, there is a continued push to standardize geospatial data formats and protocols, which will help to improve data quality, reduce errors, and ensure that geospatial information is usable across various applications.
Looking Ahead: Future of Geospatial Innovation in 2025 and Beyond
As 2024 draws to a close and we approach 2025, the geospatial industry has seen tremendous growth driven by key advancements in AI, Earth Observation, and mobile scanning technologies. These innovations have transformed how geospatial data is collected, analyzed, and utilized, making it more accessible and impactful across various sectors. From urban planning and environmental monitoring to disaster management, the role of geospatial data in addressing global challenges has never been more crucial.
The global geospatial solutions market size was estimated to be worth USD 626.13 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach around USD 2,155.72 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 13.16% from 2024 to 2034. Governments worldwide are also funding the development of geospatial infrastructure, further promoting the market.
Looking ahead to 2025, the industry is poised for even greater advancements. The demand for real-time, actionable insights is expected to grow, especially as climate change accelerates and urbanization continues. As the industry evolves, geospatial solutions will play a pivotal role in driving sustainability, resilience, and smarter decision-making, making the future of the sector both promising and essential for tackling the world’s most pressing issues.
