Participants of the 3rd Youth Innovation Forum on Digital Earth pose for a group photo at KCA University in Nairobi, Kenya, on December 2, 2025.

 
The 3rd Youth Innovation Forum on Digital Earth, also known as the Joint ISPRS-ISDE Conference on Geo-Digitalization for Sustainable Development Goals, was held in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a historic milestone as the forum convened on the African continent for the first time.

Held from December 2 to 4, the forum, themed "Innovation and Future Trends in Geo-digitalization for Sustainable Development," served as a pivotal platform for deepening South-South cooperation. Co-organized by the International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE), the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), and Kenya's KCA University, the event brought together more than 100 scholars, innovators, and industry leaders from more than 15 countries and regions.

Addressing the opening ceremony, ISDE Vice President Prof. Changlin Wang underscored the transformative potential of Digital Earth technologies in advancing global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He reaffirmed ISDE's commitment to bolstering engagement with African scholars, noting the society's intention to establish an ISDE African Chapter in the near future and its plans to host upcoming major academic events in Morocco and Ghana.

Mr. Weldon Maritim, Director of Surveys at Kenya's State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, spoke on behalf of Principal Secretary Generali Nixon Korir. He hailed geospatial technologies as a powerful driver for transparency and accountable governance, emphasizing that such innovations are essential for monitoring ecosystem change and improving public service delivery.

A highlight of the academic program was the keynote delivered by Prof. Jianya Gong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He outlined High Accuracy Real-Time Intelligent Remote Sensing Satellite Technologies and Applications, introducing the cutting-edge Oriental Smart Eye constellation project designed to address major delays in traditional data processing.

In recognition of scientific excellence, the ISDE Young Scientist Award 2025 was presented to  Prof. Wei Luo of the National University of Singapore and Prof. Kai Cao from East China Normal University.

Beyond high-level dialogue, the forum featured parallel workshops covering key topics such as next-generation disaster management, AI-driven epidemic control, and urban resilience mapping. By combining indoor sessions with outdoor field mapping, these activities offered hands-on training and fostered interdisciplinary exchange.

From strategic agreements to practical applications, the forum successfully ignited fresh momentum for innovation, empowering the next generation of scientists to advance the geo-digitalization agenda forward across the Global South.