11-07, 10:00–10:30 (Australia/Hobart), Main Auditorium
Where Are My Keys? Unlocking Together What We Can't Alone
Data don't solve problems, people do. But even the most insightful minds can't unlock doors without the right keys. In a world overflowing with diverse data—from public and commercial satellite imagery, deep learning algorithms, to cultural and traditional knowledge—we often find ourselves standing before doors we can't open alone, limiting the scale of our collective wisdom. Just because something is available, does not make it accessible or usable. The keys to impactful solutions are scattered across different sectors and disciplines, each holding a piece but none possessing the whole.
So, how can we collectively find and use these keys to move from data access and usability, to data analysis, and finally to scalable, insight-driven decision-making? We need to explore the barriers that keep these doors locked—silos of data, complex technologies, and fragmented, competitive efforts—and present a roadmap for breaking them down. By embracing openness in all its forms—open data, open communication, open collaboration—government, academia, industry, and non-profit organizations can come together to integrate new data types, technologies, algorithms, and analyses as they continue to grow exponentially. Earth observation and GIS data and technology can no longer be individual fields, they must become tools for all to use.
By uniting our individual keys and merging our GIS and Earth observation communities, we can create a master key—one that unlocks access and usability towards innovative and multifaceted solutions to our planet’s biggest challenges, grounded in collaboration, communication, and community. Let’s explore how, together, we can open doors to impactful change that none of us can unlock alone.
Dr. Kate Fickas is the Esri Director of Imagery and Remote Sensing Solutions. With background as both a remote sensing data product producer and end user, she employs her interdisciplinary expertise in satellite, drone, and lidar remote sensing with GIS, statistical modeling, and machine learning, to develop user and solution driven approaches to cross-industry applications. With her dynamic industry experience ranging from academic research to commercial and government work, Kate is passionate about storytelling and creating authentic, inclusive communities of practice who employ imagery and remote sensing technology to solve the world’s most complex challenges. Her goal is always to break down barriers to entry into the world of remote sensing and help the community derive meaningful insight with powerful tools.