Governments are facing a $93 trillion infrastructure question—and geospatial tech might be the most powerful answer.
At this year’s Geospatial World Forum in Madrid, a clear message echoed through the halls: It’s time to stop building blindly. Seng Chuan Tan, president of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), laid it out plainly. Smart, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure isn’t some utopian dream anymore—it’s a necessity. And geospatial technology, backed by AI, digital twins, and real-time analytics, is quietly becoming the bedrock of that transformation.
Global Infrastructure Is Due for an Overhaul—and Fast
Tan didn’t sugarcoat the numbers. The world will need to invest nearly $93 trillion in infrastructure by 2040 just to meet basic demand, according to estimates by the Global Infrastructure Hub. That figure includes everything from power grids and transportation to water systems and telecom towers.
But here’s the kicker: a huge chunk of that spending risks being inefficient—or worse, wasteful—if decision-makers don’t lean into geospatial technology.
It’s not just about throwing sensors on bridges or building models of cities. The real game is about context—geographic, environmental, and social.
“Geospatial data gives us that context,” Tan said. “Without it, we’re just building structures. With it, we’re building systems that think.”
And these systems don’t just think. They react.
Digital Twins Are More Than Just Fancy Simulations
Walk into any tech-heavy engineering expo these days and you’ll hear the buzz around digital twins. But at GWF 2025, speakers emphasized that this isn’t just another tech trend being sold on stage.
Digital twins—virtual replicas of physical infrastructure—are now fed by real-time geospatial data from satellites, ground sensors, and mobile platforms. The result? A living, breathing digital mirror of the real world.
One speaker from Spain’s Ministry of Transport explained how the country used digital twins to monitor wear and tear on rural roads, adjusting maintenance schedules based on real-time traffic and weather patterns. That’s more than smart. That’s money saved—and lives too.
Here’s how digital twins are already improving infrastructure efficiency across sectors:
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In Japan, rail operators use digital twins to simulate seismic responses on high-speed train tracks.
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In Canada, digital replicas of power grids help monitor wildfire risk zones.
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In Singapore, water authorities track pipe pressure and flow anomalies to detect leaks early.
And the magic lies in real-time response. Not just simulations, but adjustments on the fly.
How AI, GIS, and Edge Computing Are Finally Playing Nice
Let’s face it—GIS used to be the nerd in the corner. Useful, sure, but never quite in the spotlight. That’s changed.
At the Forum, Tan and others pointed to how AI and GIS are now working hand in hand. GIS lays the foundation—terrain, population, land use. AI brings the predictive muscle.
A real-world example came from Indonesia, where flood-prone regions are now mapped using machine learning layered onto topographical GIS data. Add in real-time rainfall inputs from edge devices, and local municipalities are warned before flash floods hit. That’s not theory. That’s happening.
A single paragraph, one sentence: It’s not just data; it’s decisions—faster, better, and grounded in reality.
And edge computing? That’s the unsung hero. Processing that used to take hours now happens right where the sensor is—on a lamppost, a bridge, or a remote village monitoring station.
Collaboration Can’t Be an Afterthought Anymore
You can’t build sustainable systems in a vacuum.
Tan’s keynote wasn’t just a tech showcase—it was a plea. “We need engineers, data scientists, governments, and academics working together from the start,” he said.
One session even mapped out how siloed systems have cost billions.
| Region | Project Type | Failure Cause | Estimated Cost Overrun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin America | Urban Transit Project | Delayed GIS integration | $1.2 billion |
| Africa | Rural Water Systems | Lack of real-time analytics | $600 million |
| EU | Energy Grids | Poor interagency collaboration | $900 million |
When people and platforms don’t talk, infrastructure breaks—sometimes literally.
This is why countries like Norway and the Netherlands have launched public-private academic consortia. Students co-design infrastructure models with urban planners. Engineers partner with climate scientists. Policy folks sit next to software devs.
One sentence: It’s messy, but it works.
A Huge Talent Shortage Could Be the Next Big Bottleneck
Here’s the thing—none of this works without people. Smart, local, trained people.
Tan pointed to a looming gap: Asia alone could see a shortfall of 5 million AI-savvy professionals by 2030. But it’s not just about AI wizards. It’s about engineers who understand data. Urban planners who can interpret a digital twin. Finance experts who know what a predictive model actually means.
The numbers tell the story.
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Only 15% of surveyed AI professionals in Asia had formal training in infrastructure systems.
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Less than 10% of civil engineering programs globally teach GIS integration as a core skill.
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Meanwhile, 68% of government infrastructure projects now require at least one AI-competent staffer.
So yes, the tech is cool—but without the people to run it, it’s just code on a server somewhere.
From Talk to Tarmac: GWF 2025 Sends a Wake-Up Call
In the end, what GWF 2025 revealed wasn’t just about dashboards and satellite feeds. It was about shifting mindsets.
Infrastructure isn’t just about roads and pipes anymore. It’s about making those assets adaptive, climate-conscious, and deeply intertwined with digital context.
Madrid may have hosted the Forum—but the message was global: The clock is ticking. We’ve got the tools. Now we need the will.
