The 2026 GEO Symposium Report is now available
When nearly 400 members of our global community travelled to Geneva in May 2026 for the 2026 GEO Symposium, they brought with them the thing that has always powered GEO: a commitment to work together. For some, that commitment involved considerable personal investment – one participant travelled 60 hours from Fiji to Geneva to join us. People came because they believe Earth Intelligence can put trusted insight into the hands of the people who need it, when they need it, in a form they can use.
The theme of the 2026 GEO Symposium, “Investing in Earth Intelligence for a Resilient Future”, reflected something that we have long believed - investment is never only about money. It is also the time we contribute, the partnerships we nurture, the capabilities we strengthen, and the trust we build with those who use and benefit from Earth Intelligence.
But these contributions must be matched by sustained financial investment. Funding enables promising solutions to move from pilots to sustained services, strengthens the institutions and infrastructure on which Earth Intelligence depends, and helps ensure that communities with the greatest needs are not left behind. The investment is urgent. It equips societies to anticipate risks, make better decisions, and protect lives, livelihoods and ecosystems.
Across the two days, conversations kept returning to a few hard questions: how to demonstrate impact in ways that are meaningful to decision-makers and investors; how to design with users rather than for them; how to share the benefits of powerful new technologies equitably. These are difficult but necessary questions, and this community is uniquely placed to address them.
This is the first time GEO has produced a dedicated public report on its Symposium. That is a deliberate choice. So much of what makes this community valuable happens in the rooms and corridors during our time together – and too often it stays there. This report is our attempt to change that: to capture what was discussed, debated, and decided; make it accessible to the wider GEO community; and create a foundation for the choices, partnerships, and investments that must follow. I hope these pages serve not only as a record of the Symposium, but as a practical resource for putting our shared strategy into action.
Our gratitude goes to the Programme Committee, the session organizers and speakers, the showcase and poster presenters, and every participant who brought their expertise and energy to Geneva. The momentum we created belongs to all of us. So does the responsibility to carry it forward.