Intergeo 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for geodesy and geoinformation, is being billed as more than a showcase of technology. For educators and researchers, it is a “real place of learning,” says Dr Jens Brauneck of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.
This year’s event takes on added significance, as Frankfurt is not only hosting but will become a regular venue from 2027. The city, a hub for transportation, finance, and digital innovation, reflects the themes Intergeo promotes: the convergence of science, business, and public authorities to address real-world challenges.
For students, the fair offers direct contact with employers, technology demonstrations and networking opportunities. “When former students return as professionals to exchange ideas with their lecturers, you see how valuable good education and networks are,” Dr Brauneck said. Exhibitors demonstrate UAVs, LiDAR, GNSS, AI-driven GIS systems, and digital twins — technologies that link classroom learning to practical applications.
At Frankfurt University, geodata management courses integrate such innovations with urgent social issues, from climate adaptation to housing and digitalisation. Research projects range from mapping dry forests in Brazil with UAV-Lidar to modelling climate strategies in Frankfurt. “It is not just about measurement accuracy,” said Dr Brauneck. “It is about combining technological precision with an understanding of social and ecological contexts.”
However, the discipline faces challenges. Universities, he warns, are under pressure to deliver with fewer resources, even as geodesy’s role in infrastructure, urban planning and climate monitoring grows. Sustained political and financial backing, he argues, is essential.
For now, Intergeo remains a rare space where academia, industry and policymakers converge. As Dr Brauneck put it, “Geodesy provides the tools to make complex change visible and assessable — but only strong partnerships will ensure those tools shape the future.”
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