EAASI Summit 2025 Concludes as the Most Successful Edition in the Association's History

The European Association of Aerial Surveying Industries (EAASI) has concluded the EAASI Summit 2025 in Dubrovnik (18-21 November), marking its most successful edition since the Association's creation in 2019. This year's event gathered 106 participants representing 63 organizations from 24 countries.

The Summit once again confirmed its position as the leading annual meeting point for Europe's crewed aerial surveying community, combining strategic discussions, technical insights, and opportunities for cooperation across the sector.

A Robust Programme Featuring Leading Voices in European Geospatial Innovation

The Summit delivered a comprehensive agenda featuring high-level speakers from national mapping agencies, industry leaders, and academic institutions. Tomaž Petek, President of EuroGeographics and General Manager of the Surveying and Mapping Authority of Slovenia, delivered a keynote on European geospatial collaboration and the evolving role of national mapping authorities. Fabio Remondino, world-renowned researcher and Head of the 3DOM unit at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), presented "How AI is Reshaping the Aerial Mapping Sector," offering insights into emerging trends and research shaping the future of photogrammetry and aerial mapping.

Marijan Marjanović, Head of Sector at the State Geodetic Administration of Croatia, provided a timely overview of current and future cartographic projects in Croatia, particularly relevant given the Summit's location in Dubrovnik.

Tomaž Petek, Marijan Marjanović and Florian Romanoswki speak at the panel Working Together for Europe's Geospatial Future: Public–Private and Association Partnerships, moderated by Simon Musaeus.

The programme included three focused panel discussions addressing critical industry challenges. "Working Together for Europe's Geospatial Future: Public–Private and Association Partnerships," moderated by Simon Musaeus, brought together Tomaž Petek, Marijan Marjanović, and Florian Romanowski to explore collaborative frameworks.

Additional panels examined innovative responses to GPS jamming and spoofing, moderated by Jakub Krawczyk, and sustainable aviation practices for the next generation of aerial operations, moderated by Erik Admiraal.

Sponsor presentations continued the successful format of recent editions, with companies presenting real use cases rather than commercial pitches—an approach consistently well received by participants.

Connecting with Academia and the Next Generation

In line with EAASI's commitment to future talent, the Summit showcased the work of the Outstanding Thesis Award winner, Dr. Weixiao Gao, who presented research findings and received the 2025 prize. The Association welcomed representatives of the International Geospatial Student Meeting (IGSM), whose next gathering will take place in Zagreb in 2026, along with two EAASI Young Ambassadors, Martin Sadílek and Robbe van Wichelen, who contributed actively to the discussions.

Dr. Weixiao Gao receives the EAASI Outstanding Thesis Award

A Growing Community Rooted in Collaboration

EAASI's history traces back to discussions initiated in 2018 in Elsinore/Helsingør, when European aerial surveying companies convened to address shared challenges and opportunities. These early conversations led to the official incorporation of EAASI in June 2019.

Since then, major milestones have included the creation of EAASI's Code of Ethics, the establishment of working groups and technical committees, and annual EAASI Partner Summits held every year—including remotely during the pandemic—to anchor collaboration and shape industry priorities.

The EAASI Summit has grown into the central annual forum for open discussion, joint planning, and collective action across Europe's aerial surveying community.

See more photos of the EAASI Summit 2025