Industry-leading spatial expertise will be highlighted this week as part of New Zealand’s Techweek event.

To align with the occasion, the Spatial Industries Business Association (SIBA NZ) is hosting free breakfast events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The breakfast series, called ‘Talk Geospatial’ aims to share the positive impacts of the use of geospatial information and technology to those on the periphery of this industry.

Each event will highlight New Zealand’s top geospatial innovators and follows New Zealand’s strong representation in the 2017 Asia Pacific spatial excellence awards. The nation took out many of the major awards, including professional of the year (Professor Wendy Lawson) and overall industry award (Wellington City Council).

New Zealand’s dominated the 2017 Asia Pacific spatial excellence awards. Overall winners, Wellington City Council, will be featured in this week’s ‘Talk Geopatial’ breakfast series.

SIBA’s breakfast events will be a key opportunity to learn about highlight Wellington’s winning project, Living Labs. The project uses sensor data to keep people safer in the city. in an industry first, living Labs incorporates sensory data such as glass breaking, screaming and anti-social behaviour on a real-time map, and produces real-time alerts for authorities.

Sean Audain, Innovation Officer from Wellington City Council, will be present at each breakfast event to talk about how Living Labs uses community-driven collaboration and smart technology to make Wellington safer and smarter.

Other presenters include Dan Newman, Head of Design at Koordinates, and Dr Sara McBride, GeoNet Information Team Leader, GNS Science.

The Talk Geospatial breakfast series is being held in Auckland on 8 May, Wellington on 10 May and Christchurch on 11 May.