Speakers Bio & Abstract

Biography
Ed Kennedy is a Senior Associate with Hickling Arthurs Low, a management consulting firm headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and Director of Business Development with Polar View Earth Observation, a satellite-based information and data services company headquartered in the United Kingdom. Ed has more than 25 years? consulting experience covering a broad range of subjects, including geospatial data infrastructure, earth observation, space science, global navigation satellite systems, automated identification systems (AIS), digital cadastre, international trade, research and innovation, agriculture, environment, and critical infrastructure. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree.Abstract
Location, Location, Location ? How Geospatial Information is Benefitting Canada?s Economy?Location, Location, Location? is a mantra used by real estate professionals since the early 1950s to emphasize the critical role that geographical location plays in the value of a property. While location continues to be an important attribute in the real property sector in Canada, a recent study provides clear evidence that location has significant value across the entire Canadian economy. The most comprehensive assessment of the geomatics sector and the value of geospatial/location information undertaken to date in the country, the Canadian Geomatics Environmental Scan and Value Study produced a portrait of a sector undergoing rapid change and an economy in which geospatial information (GI) is deeply embedded. Hickling Arthurs Low partnered with ACIL Allen Consulting, ConsultingWhere and Fujitsu Canada to conduct this study, which was completed in March 2015. Over the last decade the manner in which location information is created, managed and especially used has changed both rapidly and radically. New technologies, business models, the rise of citizen data providers, and social media have all contributed to these changes. This presentation will provide highlights of this ground-breaking study, including the details of the value of geospatial information to the Canadian economy and society.