GI_Salzburg22: Designing Future with Geoinformatics
– a recap
Thank you for being part of GI_Salzburg22. We had exciting days with lots of intersting talks and memorable moments. Browse through the photogallery for some impressions and in the online journal for the published papers . We very much hope to see you again in Salzburg in July 2023!
From July 5 – 7, 2022, we welcomed 605 participants from 29 countries to the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Salzburg. GI_Salzburg sees itself as an annual meeting point for innovation, networking and continuing education from all areas of Geoinformatics. Interdisciplinary discussions, forward-looking ideas and a personal atmosphere accompany and shape the exchange of science and research, business and application.
In a total of 50 German & English language paper sessions, forums & workshops, the professional audience was able to exchange information about the latest trends in the field of Geoinformatics. In the poster session, a total of 33 posters & storymaps were presented.
All participants of GI_Salzburg22 had the opportunity to vote for the best poster. The 2022 winners are:
1st place: C. Zorenböhmer et al, „Development of an ArcGIS Pro Toolbox for integrating big EO Data Cubes into GIS Environments”
2nd place: A. Droin, “Using isochronous zones to describe the permeability of urban space”
3rd place: G. Paulus et al, “Geoinformation meets Art in the Forest at the Football Stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria”
> Click here to access the 2022 poster gallery. <
What we as organizers are particularly pleased about is that the proportion of young participants has increased significantly compared to the previous year, from 18 participants in 2021 to 97 participants in 2022 (number of student tickets in comparison). This is a very positive trend that we definitely want to continue in the coming years. The “meet & match” format, a kind of job fair where EXPO exhibitors meet young scientists, is a particularly strong draw.
The “Best Student Paper Award” went to Sandra Roth, for her contribution “Konnektivität der Radwegenetze und Radverkehrsanteil in deutschen Mittelstädten”. The winner was delighted to receive prize money of EUR 500.
2022 program – more focus and dialogue
The 2022 program was focused on a few parallel tracks. The German- and English-language sessions covered topics such as mobility, long-term ecological research (LTER), hybrid A.I., geosimulation and recording soil sealing using remote sensing methods. The scientific presentations were rounded out by hands-on workshops and product innovations from our exhibitors and sponsors.
The schedule of the individual sessions offered more variety than before: classic “paper sessions” were combined with more open formats. The possibility of being able to design a session completely freely through forums was very well received by the submitters in advance as well as by the participants on site. In the future, we look forward to the creativity on the part of the submitters to try out different ideas and are happy to support them as organizers.
EXPO and companies – even better integrated
After a successful start on Tuesday, Wednesday was dedicated to our EXPO: On the one hand by the official start of the EXPO, where participants could inform themselves about the latest trends and applications, on the other hand programmatically, where exhibitors presented their projects and products. As an innovation this year we introduced the “Industry Innovation Keynotes”: Peter Remesch from SynerGIS Informationssysteme GmbH and Keith Peterson from Trimble Austria gave two well-received presentations, which were further discussed at the booths afterwards.
With a total of 27 exhibitors, this year’s EXPO was somewhat smaller than we were used to in the years before COVID, but the feedback from these exhibitors was largely positive.
Feedback of the participants to the GI_Salzburg22
After the conference, the organizers sent a questionnaire to all participants about the process and organization. The 23 questions were answered by about 1/6 of the visitors.
When asked how participants would rate the conference as a whole, 42.9% answered with the top mark (1), and 36.7% with the mark 2. Our new orientation was well received overall: We made a conscious decision to balance technical input with informal networking opportunities.
As the main reason for visiting GI_Salzburg, visitors answered as follows:
Over 90% answered the question about recommending the event to their colleagues positively (grade 1: 65%, grade 2: 26%).
Looking forward to 2023: See you again from July 4 to 6 in Salzburg!
Strengthened by the positive feedback we have already received, we are starting the planning for 2023! Much of what we have tried out this year for the first time, we will keep and expand further. We are, as always, happy to receive your feedback!
In conclusion, the GI_Salzburg has returned with a strong sign of life after its reorientation and we are already looking forward to the GI_Salzburg 2023 from July 4-6 as a fixed date in the next GI event year!