| Welcome to the OSGeo:UK Newsletter |
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Welcome to this special FOSS4G:UK edition of the OSGeo:UK newsletter. Please share the information in this newsletter widely so that interested friends and colleagues can sign up to the regular newsletter (back next month) and to FOSS4G:UK. |
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Find out more about OSGeo:UK and how you can be part of our community on our website. |
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TICKETS! FOSS4G:UK 2025 in Leeds is fast approaching! This "once in a 2025" event is to be held on the 1st & 2nd of October 2025, and tickets are limited, so get yours now!
Some Standard tickets remain for those who are still thinking of coming (or are trying to secure funding). At £110 these are great value, or you could get day tickets at £60 each if you can only attend one day. The deadline for ticket sales is 17th September. Across the two days we have 10 workshops, covering everything from earth observation, QGIS model designer, field surveys, live vector tiles, open source routing services, sustainable dashboards and more. There are also 40 talks, covering everything you could want to know about free and open source geospatial stuff - they aren't all technical either!
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SOCIAL There’s also an organised social event to be held at the end of the first day. The cost for this is £20 and it will be held at the Canal Club. According to their website, the Canal Club is "the latest all-day bar and restaurant to hit Leeds. Located in the heart of the city, we offer bottomless brunches, all-day dining, and ... our outdoor terrace is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail or two whilst taking in the stunning views of Leeds’ canal". So there you have it - come along and continue the conference chat or just enjoy those stunning views! Don't forget that for £15 you can also order a unique conference t-shirt.
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KEYNOTES We have three fantastic keynote speakers: Kathryn Berger Lead Data Scientist at DSIT
Kathryn Berger is a Lead Data Scientist within the UK government's Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT). She joined the civil service earlier this year, after spending over 15 years working across academia and the private sector, building and leading projects that use geospatial models to better understand disease risk and turn complex data into something people can actually use. She is passionate about harnessing geospatial data to solve the challenges of global health and food security. Kathryn believes in making machine learning tools, data, and resources more accessible for social good through open data and open science.
Mariam Crichton INSPIRE Lead (Women+ in Geospatial) and CEO (7 Satya)
With a dynamic entrepreneurial spirit spanning 17 years, Mariam has been the driving force behind the growth of numerous tech startups. Mariam’s roles as CEO, Board Member, and Strategist have consistently led to the transformation of innovative technology companies from startup to scaleup. Her career has been dedicated to delivering global technology solutions that make a positive Environmental and Social Impact, particularly in the realms of Geospatial and International Development. At 7 Satya, she brings invaluable locational insights, emphasising Environmental and Socioeconomic (ESG) factors, to businesses worldwide.
Alasdair Rae Head of Data and Spatial Analysis at Lanpro
Alasdair has worked in geographic data analysis for more than 20 years and loves thinking about how to analyse and map things. In 2019 he founded Automatic Knowledge – a spatial data, analysis and training company. Prior to this he worked in academia as a Professor in Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield. He has worked with clients of all sizes, from Google and the BBC, to national, regional and local governments – as well as small non-profits and charities. He has long been an advocate for open data in the GIS world and has co-authored three books and more than 20 academic papers on topics such as spatial planning, housing, deprivation, urban policy and transport. |
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SPONSORS OSGeo:UK is entirely funded from donations and sponsorship. To maximise attendance and to keep the cost to attendees as low as possible the conference relies on sponsorship. We want to thank all of our sponsors in 2025 that have enabled us to provide the national conference and to allow OSGeo:UK to continue to provide financial support to open source projects. All our sponsors are helping us deliver the event in its entirety, enabling OSGeo:UK to continue its work in showcasing open source geospatial software in the UK. |
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VENUE The conference is being held at Horizon Leeds, an award winning, leading-edge conference learning and meeting space which champions new technology, superb locally sourced catering and vibrant, creative spaces full of natural daylight. It is modern and fully-accessible and is part of the NHS Confederation means that any profit generated by the venue will support vital health services. We want to support impactful causes with our conferences!
The venue is less than ten minutes walk from Leeds railway station and we hope that many of you will be able to travel by train. As part of the registration you can get a 25% discount for LNER bookings.
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We hope that you found this edition of the newsletter interesting and informative. If you have any feedback or comments then let us know! |
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