Geospatial industry leaders have announced the formation of the World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) at the 8th session of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) on August 1.
Co-founded by a group of 21 companies, the WGIC aims to be a collaborative platform for advancing the role of the geospatial industry and strengthening its contribution in the world economy and society.
According to a WGIC spokesperson, the council intends to facilitate knowledge exchange, and co-create larger business opportunities for the geospatial industry. Hinting at a lobbying function, the spokesperson described an intention to ‘to raise awareness among policymakers and advocate for better environment and investments in the geospatial sector.’
Stefan Schweinfest,Director of the United Nations Statistics Division, welcomed the WGIC’s inauguration.
“The World Geospatial Industry Council is a cooperation between leading private sector companies and we are very honored that they chose the United Nations to launch this important initiative. This new and improved cooperation between the industry leadership will also help them to focus and improve their contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda,” he said.
