The US Department of Labor has identified geospatial technologies, along with nanotechnology and biotechnology, as one of the three most important high-growth industries in the 21st century.

Examples of geospatial research, technologies and applications include

• Internet mapping
• In-vehicle navigation systems and the Global Positioning System
• Geographic Information Systems
• Aerial and satellite imagery
• Spatial analysis and modeling of social and natural processes
• Visualization and data mining of complex information
• Understanding relationships between society and geospatial technologies

U of M students and faculty create and study these technologies, their underlying principles, and their societal ramifications. U of M has long been home to geospatial research and learning

• Many departments develop and teach geospatial technologies, see our people page for the range of expertise
• U of M has many centers that research and use GIS and other geospatial techniques, see our research page for details
  
  

Minnesota Futures: Exploring Spatio-temporal Futures of Geoinformatics: A symposium to identify challenges, knowledge-gaps, and transformational opportunities

The University of Minnesota Geospatial Futures Symposium was held on January 30th and 31st, 2009.

U of M participants together with distinguished guests met to discuss geospatial research, challenges, knowledge gaps as we exchange perspectives on how to transform geospatial sciences at the University for the coming generation of opportunities.

Go to the MN futures site