By Don Weigel, General Manager of Government and Commercial, Nearmap

Don Weigel

Technological Innovations

Technology continues to rapidly evolve, and 2025 will be no different. Three specific use cases that I think will see technological innovation this year are:

• Urban Development:

Many different industries are leveraging location intelligence and embedding those solutions within systems to allow for deeper insights and learnings, empowering industries to respond to their surroundings in a more meaningful way. One of those ways is when planning and designing future-ready cities. Location intelligence data can help users better visualize what a city should look like—ensuring special care is made to consider growth patterns, traffic flow and accuracy. Generative AI combined with location intelligence for city planning and real estate development will lead to more alternatives that drive better decisions and ultimately better environments for citizens and developers alike.

• Disaster Response:It is no secret that natural disasters continue to rise in frequency as well as severity from year to year. As our climate and planet evolve and change, so should the technology we utilize to address the fallout of these incidents. Location intelligence data from Betterview by Nearmap delivers real-time insights pre and post event that help ensure faster, more effective action—all while getting ahead of resource stretched teams and departments. In short, pre and post-catastrophe data capture and AI will drive more effective and equitable disaster preparedness and response.

By Shay Har-Noy, Chief Executive Officer, Edgybees 

Shay Har-Noy

The geospatial sector has been experiencing a significant transformation, driven by rapid technological advancements, new business models, and growing global challenges that demand more sophisticated spatial analysis and decision-making tools. While no one can predict the future, we have seen some trends in commercial usage as well as during the armed conflicts around the world that suggest what 2025 may bring. In 2025, we can expect the integration of geospatial technologies in traditional workflows, enhanced data availability, and smarter tools to reshape the industry. These changes will impact everything from agriculture and urban planning to climate monitoring and disaster management.

Brian Kingery

Chaz Mateer

Pioneering the Future of GIS: Predicting GIS Industry Patterns in 2025

The frontier for transformative change may be upon the GIS world, driven by rapid change in artificial intelligence, generative technologies, and integrated geospatial intelligence. As 2025 begins, the world will see the landscape of how GIS can expand in ways that unlock unprecedented capability for efficiency, decision making, and innovation. We are not only adapting to these changes but actively driving them, ensuring our clients remain at the cutting edge of geospatial technology.

The State of GIS Today
For decades, GIS technology has provided unparalleled capabilities for mapping, spatial analysis, and data visualization. These tools have powered industries ranging from urban planning and resource management to emergency response and environmental conservation. Traditional GIS tools, such as Esri’s ArcGIS, have set the stage for the integration of AI by offering robust environments for analyzing spatial data. Yet, the complexity and sheer volume of modern datasets call for solutions that go beyond traditional methodologies.