2026 GEO Symposium: EO Capacity Building Key to Earth Intelligence for All
New connections and renewed momentum for global collaboration were among the key outcomes of EOTEC DevNet’s participation in the 2026 Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Symposium and Plenary, held 26–28 May in Geneva, Switzerland.
Hosted at World Meteorological Organization headquarters, the event brought together approximately 350+ Earth observation leaders and practitioners from government, academia, international organizations, and industry.
Throughout the week, discussions highlighted a common theme: collaboration and capacity building are central to making Earth Intelligence for All a reality.
A highlight was EOTEC DevNet’s participation in a GEO Open Knowledge Open Data (ODOK) session on youth engagement and Indigenous Knowledge. EOTEC presented Opening Pathways: Opportunities to Make Earth Observation Data and Tools More Accessible for Youth.
Find the recording: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY-gkyESjX8
The presentation explored how innovation, collaboration, and outreach can help connect young people with the skills, tools, and opportunities needed to meet growing workforce demands while ensuring Earth observation remains accessible, inclusive, and relevant to future users.
Notably, EOTEC DevNet’s contribution to GEO’s user engagement efforts was recognized during the Symposium’s closing plenary session on the GEO Infrastructure Implementation Plan. The intervention highlighted EOTEC’s role in making Earth observation knowledge, resources, and capacity-building opportunities more discoverable and accessible.
The symposium also provided an excellent opportunity to introduce EOTEC and its growing portfolio of resources to new audiences. Several promising speakers and collaborators were identified for future webinars and Community of Practice activities.
Beyond outreach, the event helped strengthen strategic partnerships across the GEO community and advance EOTEC’s flood and drought initiatives, including the Flood and Drought Tools Trackers.
As EOTEC DevNet continues to grow as a global network of networks, the GEO Symposium demonstrated the increasing recognition that capacity development is not a peripheral activity – it is essential to transforming Earth observation data into real-world impact. The connections established in Geneva will help strengthen future collaborations, support emerging communities of users, and expand access to the knowledge and resources needed to address global challenges.
Read more in the team’s LinkedIn post.
Photo: EOTEC Secretariat Member Erin Martin (left) took part in a session on youth and Indigenous knowledge with Richard Yu (center) of Helios and Diana Mastracci Sanchez of GEO Indigenous Alliance.
