UNIGIS Connect 2019: Trends in Spatial Data Science
Date: Tuesday June 11th 2019
Time: 15:00-18:00
Location: VU Amsterdam, W&N Building, Room WN-M143, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam.

Please find a PDF version of the programme here.

Schedule

15:00-15:10 Welcome
15:10-15:45 “Spatial Knowledge Hub for the management of Archaeological and Heritage Landscapes”, Dr. Maurice de Kleijn and Chris Lucas MSc
15:45-16:30 “Key note: GIScience and the Digital Transformation of Society”, Prof. dr. Henk Scholten
16:30-18:00 Drinks in the Basket, VU Campus Square

Programme

Over the last decades, Spatial Data Science has developed rapidly and produced a range of methods to model, visualize, simulate and analyse the world around us, including the past, present and (potential) futures.

The first session will be devoted to the presentation of an innovative digital platform that has been developed by VU SPINlab within the context of a broader scientific project centred on southern Euboia (Greece), conducted by the Ephorate of Euboea, the Netherlands Institute at Athens and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Combining a 3D map of the region with various remote sensing data and information about archaeological find places known from surveys and excavations, it offers an interactive tool for sharing knowledge with other scholars and monitoring cultural heritage. Later in the week, SPINlab’s Maurice de Kleijn and Chris Lucas will join the official launch of the Knowledge Hub at the Akropolis Museum in Athens, a world class archaeological and anthropological museum. Today, they give us a sneak preview and discuss with us the technological building blocks as well as the potential application areas of platforms like this one, beyond archaeology and heritage management.

This is followed by a key note lecture by Professor Henk Scholten focused on the contribution of GIScience to the Digital Transformation of Society. Digital Twinning of urban (e.g. smart stadiums, inclusive neighbourhoods) and rural (e.g. deltas, dikes, polder landscapes) environments can give tremendous insight into the current dynamics and potential future changes in the world surrounding us. It can be the basis for a dialogue between a wide range of stakeholders about what future we desire and how we can steer the development of our society in the desired direction. Governments, companies and knowledge institutes across the globe are therefore dedicating tremendous creativity and resources to the development of Digital Twins. But there are many scientific, technological and ethical challenges that need to be addressed and overcome, if we want to avoid the Digital Twin becoming yet another buzz word that dies out as quickly as it has come up. Through his participation in the “Digital Transformation of Society” project of the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, Henk has in recent years been involved in several inspirational seminars, workshops and Living Labs about this topic. Today, he will share with us his experiences and challenge us, as GIScience students, scholars and professionals, to make informed contributions ourselves to the Digital Transformation of Society.

Speakers

Henk Scholten
Henk Scholten is professor in Spatial Informatics at the Faculty of Economics of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is also founder and CEO of Geodan Holding, one of the largest European companies specialised in Geo-IT. Further, he is programme director of UNIGIS Amsterdam, distance-learning MSc. in GIS.

Maurice de Kleijn
Maurice de Kleijn is a senior researcher at the Spatial Information Laboratory (SPINlab) at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is interested in geospatial technologies and how these can be of an added value for research on historical and future landscapes. He has participated in several national and international research projects. Within the UNIGIS distance learning programme, he teaches courses on Geodata quality and Geodatabases.

Chris Lucas
Chris Lucas is junior researcher at the Spatial Information laboratory (SPINlab) and developer at Geodan. He is interested in making 3D GIS data accessible to a variety of stakeholders through innovative data modelling and visualization techniques. Within the UNIGIS distance learning programme, he teaches a course on Internet GIS.

Do send us an email when you have questions about this event.

Kind regards,

Loes Derikx
UNIGIS Administrator
unigis.sbe@vu.nl