The Demand

The U.S. remote sensing and geospatial information industry is undergoing rapid change and rapid growth, according to a recent comprehensive market study undertaken by NASA, NOAA, and the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). A sample of the estimated 170,000 people employed in the industry suggest growth rates of 9 to 14% per year on top of the $2.0 billion in revenues reported 2001 (not including sales of satellite systems and aircraft platforms). Moreover, the study also highlights that traditional academic education will not be enough to meet the growing remote sensing and GIS workforce requirements. This comes at a time when the National Research Council predicts that geospatial information technologies will play an increasingly important role in many sectors. Those who either use or “retail” information are expected to have significantly growing need for geospatial applications as well as better understanding of the underlying technology. Both studies conclude that focused investment in the key nodes where information is both obtained and shared – a process facilitated by a knowledge broker – will be critical to the diffusion process.