INDOOR MAPPING AT GEO CONNECT ASIA 2026
Big things happened on 31 March 2026 — PLG's Information Technology & Geomatics (ITG) Department made history by hosting the very first Indoor Mapping Forum at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, and it did not disappoint. The forum served as a key platform for discussing indoor mapping standards, methodologies, and industry best practices to support the future development of essential daily applications.
A WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT EFFORT
Leading a Whole-of-Government (WOG) initiative alongside the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and JTC Corporation, HDB spearheaded discussions on the initiatives, challenges, and diverse use cases involved in mapping complex indoor environments.
The event attracted over 100 attendees, bringing together representatives from government agencies (including HDB, SLA, HTX, LTA, and BCA), academia, and the private sector. The forum wasn't just another meeting, but a genuine coming-together of minds to foster collaboration and steer conversations around the real challenges and exciting possibilities of mapping complex indoor environments.
The goal? To get everyone on the same page about indoor mapping standards, methodologies, and best practices — because when it comes to mapping the insides of our buildings, there's a lot more to it than you might think.
HIGHLIGHTS
The forum kicked off with an opening address by Director (Information Technology & Geomatics) RS Loh Suat Yen, who set the stage by highlighting just how strategically important indoor mapping is for Singapore's urban future. From there, Geomatics Manager Dayanithy Rajagopalan took attendees on a deep dive into the project — covering technical milestones and the collaborative heavy-lifting that goes into building a robust indoor mapping ecosystem.
The energy really picked up during the panel discussions, moderated by Deputy Director (Geomatics & Land Survey) RS Sherwin Tan and Deputy Director (Geoanalytics & Data Intelligence) Dr Benjamin Lim, where ideas flew freely across government, industry, and academia stakeholders. And the team was especially honoured to have the support of DCEO(E) and GDPL in attendance — underscoring HDB's commitment to geomatics engineering and geospatial excellence.
WHY IT MATTERS
This forum marks a meaningful step towards creating a seamless digital representation of HDB's indoor spaces within our built environment — think better navigation, smarter services, and richer data integration for the everyday applications that Singaporeans rely on. The groundwork laid here will help turn indoor mapping from a technical ambition into a lived reality.
DID YOU KNOW?
The forum was held alongside the 6th edition of Geo Connect Asia (GCA), which ran from 31 March to 1 April 2026. As one of the region's flagship geospatial events, GCA brought together agencies and companies from across ASEAN to exchange knowledge and push the boundaries of geomatics innovation. The event was opened by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Law Eric Chua — a fitting nod to the significance of geospatial work at the national level.
“Geospatial technologies and services are not just tools – ultimately they are enablers of better decisions, better policies and ultimately, better lives for everyone. The next frontier for Singapore is to harness geospatial intelligence to understand our world better, and to shape it more intentionally to support ageing, inclusion, as well as community wellbeing.”
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Law Eric ChuaAll in all, well done to our PLG colleagues for putting up a fantastic showcase of what HDB and its partners are building —
not just above ground, but within it!