Dear visitors,

As the patron of INTERGEO, it is my pleasure to cordially welcome you to Essen this year for the world’s leading convention and trade fair for geodesy, spatial data and land management.

INTERGEO 2022 will focus in part on the use of spatial data for internal security and for civil protection and disaster prevention. The flooding in the Ahr Valley and other parts of Germany last year made it starkly apparent to us just how important it is to have a reliable and rapidly accessible foundation of spatial information. We also need a solid base of expertise so we can use this information to develop prevention strategies for the future.

The horrendous war in Ukraine has shown us all the tremendous value of spatial information – it helps us, for example, to respond to refugee flows and to determine the extent of war damage. Spatial information is also becoming ever more important in the fields of housing, mobility, sustainability and climate policy. The Federal Government’s open data strategy and access to spatial data play a key role in these areas, as does the potential of digital twins to speed up planning and approval processes.

I wish INTERGEO 2022 every success and I hope that all who attend will be inspired by new insights and engaging discussions!