Join Amazon Web Services (AWS) and thriveGEO for the EMEA edition of the Generative AI for Geospatial Challenge.
This challenge brings together innovators, industry leaders, and the largest cloud resources to explore and expand the art of the possible for big-impact applications using geospatial data. Find out more about the challenge, get involved and help to harness the power of cloud computing and geospatial information.
Don’t just observe the future of geospatial AI—build it. Join us. Innovate with us. Lead with us.
The Generative AI for Geospatial Challenge brings together leading geospatial researchers and some of the largest geospatial data providers to push the boundaries of what is possible in making the planet’s data more accessible and searchable. With the broadest and most comprehensive set of cloud services, AWS is at the forefront of this transformation, empowering customers to accelerate the development of highly scalable, cloud-native geospatial solutions. The Challenge is designed to inspire and support the development, commercialisation, and scaling of innovative geospatial applications.
To fuel this innovation, AWS is offering $650,000 in AWS credits, providing participants with the resources to think big and turn visionary ideas into reality.
Join the Generative AI for Geospatial challenge – EMEA!
The Challenge seeks bold ideas that explore and expand the possibilities for geospatial problem-solving using generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Any individual or organisation authorised to conduct business in Europe, Africa or the Middle East may submit an idea proposal to the Challenge. Proposals can be submitted from 8 October 2025 until 7 December 2025, 12:00 p.m. CET.
On 30 October 2025 at 14:00 GMT, we will be hosting an introductory webinar!
Launch
Draft your bold and innovative idea and submit your proposal!
Award
Our jury evaluates all submissions and at the end, the winning teams will be announced.
Build
This is the phase when the innovation is happening. The selected teams are working on their idea with the cloud credits received from AWS.
Show
Outcomes from the challenge will be celebrated and presented at a selected geospatial industry event.
Join our introductory webinar on 30 Oct 2025 14:00 GMT!
Register to learn everything you need to know about the challenge, including:
An initiative sponsored by thriveGEO and AWS challenging innovators and geospatial practitioners to develop solutions to big problems using generative AI in geospatial applications, built on AWS solutions.
Innovators whose project ideas are selected through the challenge will receive access to credits for AWS cloud infrastructure (total worth: $650,000), landing zone support from AWS partner Cloudscaler, networking opportunities, and possible technical support from AWS.
Participants must be an individual or company authorized to do business in Europe, the Middle East or Africa, that is building a generative AI application that uses geospatial data to solve critical challenges or who has an idea for such a solution. Women+ in Geospatial members and their collaborators focused on geospatial technologies and applications are encouraged to participate. All participants are encouraged to partner on their proposals with tech companies working in a related field or articulate a pathway to commercialization for their innovations.
The challenge was launched during an event on 8 October 2025 in London. Industry and government leaders will present on the state of the art in generative AI for geospatial and panels will lay out top challenges facing the field. The event will also explain the specifics of the challenge, such as the format of idea submissions, submission requirements, the timeline for submission, the criteria for assessment, and the Selection Committee. After the submission period concludes, ideas will be selected and awarded with AWS credits* and featured in future events and public recognition opportunities. The challenge cycle will conclude with a process for demonstrating and publicizing the solutions generated by awardees using AWS solutions.
* Credits can only be awarded to registered AWS accounts.
Submissions will be open from the Kickoff event through 7 December 2025. Awards will be announced in mid-December 2025 and the project development period for awardees will run until mid-April 2026. Challenge outcomes will be showcased at a geospatial industry event in spring 2026.
We look for bold, groundbreaking ideas. Proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Potential Impact. Will the idea proposed, if executed, result in an improvement to the human condition or society in which we live?
Technical sophistication. Does the proposed idea demonstrate an understanding of the state-of-the-art, optimize the use of existing innovations, and suggest an elegant technological solution for using generative AI in a geospatial application?
Commercial Implications. Does the idea proposed have a clearly identifiable market and pathway to commercialization?
Scalability. Does the idea proposed have the potential for widespread adoption?
Integration of geospatial data. How well does the idea proposed integrate data types or concepts that clearly demonstrate its status as a geospatial application, product, or solution?
Team strength. Does the composition of the team provide confidence that the proposed idea will be executed successfully?
To kick off the challenge, AWS and thriveGEO brought together the leading minds in the geospatial industry and foundation model development for an exclusive event in London on October 8, 2025.
The event featured inspiring keynote presentations and insightful expert-led panel sessions to help participants prepare for the Generative AI for Geospatial Challenge.
Hosted at the Royal Geographical Society, the event concluded with an overview of the Challenge, followed by a formal launch of the proposal submission period.
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