The Canadian Geomatics & Geospatial Advisory Forum will take place on November 3, 2025, during GoGeomatics Expo 2025 in Calgary. This free, open forum will bring together leaders and participants from government, private industry, academia, non-profits, and the broader geomatics community to engage in practical, forward-looking conversations about the future of the sector.

The Advisory Forum made its debut earlier this year at GeoIgnite 2025 in Ottawa, where it provided a vendor-neutral platform for open conversation on workforce development, policy gaps, and industry collaboration. The success of that initial session made it clear that Canada needs a standing national forum where these conversations can continue—across regions and across sectors.

Building on that momentum, the Forum returns at GoGeomatics Expo 2025 in Calgary, with a sharper focus on three foundational themes:

1. Workforce Development and Education
2. Procurement and Partnerships

There will be no formal presentations, keynotes, or panels – only open, moderated roundtable discussions where every voice counts. Insights from this session will be captured in a post-Expo report to help inform future initiatives across the country.

Workforce Development and Education: Building a Future-Ready Geospatial Workforce

Canada’s geomatics and geospatial workforce is changing rapidly, driven by new technologies like AI, digital twins, and remote sensing, along with expanding applications in infrastructure, climate, and smart cities. Yet, education systems and workforce structures have failed to keep pace.

Outdated post-secondary curricula, rigid certification models, and a National Occupation Classification (NOC) system that no longer reflects the reality of the sector are creating barriers across the ecosystem. This misalignment affects how employers hire, how students are trained, how immigration pathways are designed, and how Canada plans for its future talent needs.

The Forum will explore:

• What changes are needed in education and training programs to align with evolving workforce demands?
• How can Canada update its NOC codes to ensure emerging geospatial roles—like spatial data scientists, UAV specialists, and geospatial AI developers—are accurately recognized?
• What new incentives, supports, or partnerships can help attract and retain a diverse, resilient geospatial talent pool?

RELATED READ:

• Canada’s Blind Spot: The Government Can’t See Its Own Geospatial Sector
• Canada’s Surveying Workforce Crisis: SAIT’s Carina Butterworth on Fixing the Pipeline
• “We’re Cutting the Pipeline”: Dr. Tim Webster on Canada’s Geospatial Education Crisis

Procurement and Partnerships: Clearing a Path for Innovation

Procurement is often cited as one of the biggest barriers to innovation in Canada’s geomatics sector. Strict evaluation criteria, risk-averse contracting processes, and rigid procurement frameworks make it difficult for small and mid-sized firms to compete—even when they bring forward the most innovative solutions.

This not only limits access to market for Canadian companies but also weakens Canada’s ability to build and sustain its own geospatial capacity. Meanwhile, partnership models that could foster collaboration between industry, academia, and government are inconsistently applied or not leveraged to their full potential.

The Forum will address:

• How can procurement reform foster innovation while ensuring accountability and fairness?
• In what ways can procurement be used strategically to build Canadian digital self-reliance, ensuring national capabilities are developed and retained?
• What successful partnership models exist—whether public-private, industry-academic, or consortium-based—that could be scaled or replicated nationally?

RELATED READ:

• “If You’re Not an Incumbent, You Can’t Even Get in the Door”: Will Cadell on Canada’s Procurement Paralysis
• “We’re Ready, But Timelines Will Be the Real Test”: GeoVerra’s Mitch Ettinger on Canada’s Infra  Ambitions
• “The Culture Has to Change”: Terry Aucoin on Trust, Risk, and Rebuilding Procurement for Public Good
• Built for Big Players: Nick Kellett on Making Procurement Work for Small Tech

A National Conversation, Open to All

The Canadian Geomatics & Geospatial Advisory Forum is designed to be an inclusive, participatory event where every attendee has a voice. There will be no formal presentations, no keynote speeches, and no panels — just open, moderated discussions in a roundtable format.

The insights and priorities identified during the forum will be compiled into a post-Expo report, ensuring that the discussions translate into actionable takeaways and inform future sector-wide initiatives.

Join us at GoGeomatics Expo 2025 and be part of the conversation that will shape Canada’s geospatial future.

RELATED READ:

• Geospatial Infrastructure: Canada’s Defense Strategy Ignores a Critical Layer
• Canada’s Fragmented Approach to Geospatial Data
• Sovereign Data Infrastructure: What It Is and Why It’s Critical for Canada

Get Involved

We’re actively looking for:

• Sponsors who want to support open, independent sector dialogue
• Participants who bring grounded insight and fresh perspectives
• Organizations interested in submitting discussion topics or ideas

At the end of the session, a summary report will capture the key takeaways and insights to help inform future programming and conversations across the country.

To participate, sponsor, or submit a topic idea, contact: Jonathan Murphy at [email protected]

Learn more at: GoGeomaticsExpo.com

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