With the participation of national and international leaders, the city is hosting the most important meeting regarding spatial data infrastructure. The XX IDERA 2026 Conference brings together specialists, public agencies, universities, and representatives from different countries to debate innovation, territorial planning, and evidence-based public policies.
The activity, organized by the Municipality of Concordia, the National Geographic Institute (IGN), the Government of Entre Ríos, and the Concordia Regional Faculty of the National Technological University (UTN), features the presence of representatives from international organizations such as ECLAC, Center for Spatial Law and Policy, IDE Chile/UN-GGIM, IDE Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay, Wuhan University (China), Copernicus LAC Chile, and the UN-GGIM Academic Network: Americas, among other relevant institutions.
During the opening ceremony, the mayor Francisco Azcué valued the joint work that allowed the meeting to take place and the strategic value that these tools represent for local management. In this sense, he stated that “behind every map there is a public policy, behind every piece of data there is a person,” noting that the use of spatial data infrastructure allows for more efficient decision-making and provides transparency to public management.
Continuing along those lines, Azcué mentioned the Infrastructure and Development Plan towards the Bicentennial being carried out by the Municipality of Concordia with its own resources. For its implementation and execution, a survey was previously conducted of the sectors where public works needed to be carried out to respond to the sectors with the greatest demand from the community.
Finally, he highlighted the significance for Concordia to host the event, noting that “it is the first time in history that these conferences are held outside of a provincial capital and organized by a municipality. For us, as a city and administration, it means a great responsibility but also an enormous pride.”
The Secretary of Research, Industrial Policy, and Production for Defense of the National Ministry of Defense, Mario Katzenell, valued the articulated work between the different levels of the State, academia, and specialized organizations, noting that “in IDERA, knowledge is not accumulated in isolation; it is democratized, shared, and multiplied with purpose.”
The president of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and executive secretary of IDERA, Marcelo Ancarola, maintained that “geospatial data, well-managed in a homogeneous system that can be shared, is a tool to provide decision-makers with accurate, timely, and precise data for public policies.”
Representing the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Rolando Ocampo, emphasized the collaborative work that characterizes the geospatial community and stated that “geospatial information and knowledge are a fundamental input to connect territories, provide technical support for intelligent decisions, and promote development in all its dimensions."
In turn, the president of UN-GGIM Americas, Marketa Steflová, indicated that “the true value of geospatial information lies not only in the data we produce, but in our ability to work together, integrate knowledge, and transform that information into better decisions for our territories and for the people.”
PROGRAM
The XX Conference on Spatial Data Infrastructure of the Argentine Republic (IDERA) and the International Seminar on the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework continue on Thursday, July 2, and Friday, July 3, as follows:
Thursday, July 2 (Convention Center)
Block: Management, exchange, and reuse of fundamental data and regional standards.
Block: GeoAI and Earth Observation tools.
Academic Panel: Technical cooperation and the role of universities in SDIs.
Private Sector: Public-private synergies for regional geospatial development.
Panel: Statistical-geospatial integration.
Presentation of SDI experiences from Brazil, Paraguay, IDECABA, and the Municipality of Santa Fe SDI.
Panel: Evidence-based geospatial decisions.
Workshops: Copernicus LAC Chile, Web map design, and QGIS.
Friday July 3 (UTN Regional Faculty)
Meeting of Technical Working Groups – Concordia Regional Faculty (UTN).
UN-IGIF Workshop: Implementation in South America – Future perspectives (by invitation).
Sharing of conclusions and official closing of the XX IDERA Conference.
Those who wish to obtain more information about schedules and registration for the free and open activities may visit jornadas.idera.gob.ar
The activity, organized by the Municipality of Concordia, the National Geographic Institute (IGN), the Government of Entre Ríos, and the Concordia Regional Faculty of the National Technological University (UTN), features the presence of representatives from international organizations such as ECLAC, Center for Spatial Law and Policy, IDE Chile/UN-GGIM, IDE Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay, Wuhan University (China), Copernicus LAC Chile, and the UN-GGIM Academic Network: Americas, among other relevant institutions.
During the opening ceremony, the mayor Francisco Azcué valued the joint work that allowed the meeting to take place and the strategic value that these tools represent for local management. In this sense, he stated that “behind every map there is a public policy, behind every piece of data there is a person,” noting that the use of spatial data infrastructure allows for more efficient decision-making and provides transparency to public management.
Continuing along those lines, Azcué mentioned the Infrastructure and Development Plan towards the Bicentennial being carried out by the Municipality of Concordia with its own resources. For its implementation and execution, a survey was previously conducted of the sectors where public works needed to be carried out to respond to the sectors with the greatest demand from the community.
Finally, he highlighted the significance for Concordia to host the event, noting that “it is the first time in history that these conferences are held outside of a provincial capital and organized by a municipality. For us, as a city and administration, it means a great responsibility but also an enormous pride.”
The Secretary of Research, Industrial Policy, and Production for Defense of the National Ministry of Defense, Mario Katzenell, valued the articulated work between the different levels of the State, academia, and specialized organizations, noting that “in IDERA, knowledge is not accumulated in isolation; it is democratized, shared, and multiplied with purpose.”
The president of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) and executive secretary of IDERA, Marcelo Ancarola, maintained that “geospatial data, well-managed in a homogeneous system that can be shared, is a tool to provide decision-makers with accurate, timely, and precise data for public policies.”
Representing the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Rolando Ocampo, emphasized the collaborative work that characterizes the geospatial community and stated that “geospatial information and knowledge are a fundamental input to connect territories, provide technical support for intelligent decisions, and promote development in all its dimensions."
In turn, the president of UN-GGIM Americas, Marketa Steflová, indicated that “the true value of geospatial information lies not only in the data we produce, but in our ability to work together, integrate knowledge, and transform that information into better decisions for our territories and for the people.”
PROGRAM
The XX Conference on Spatial Data Infrastructure of the Argentine Republic (IDERA) and the International Seminar on the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework continue on Thursday, July 2, and Friday, July 3, as follows:
Thursday, July 2 (Convention Center)
Block: Management, exchange, and reuse of fundamental data and regional standards.
Block: GeoAI and Earth Observation tools.
Academic Panel: Technical cooperation and the role of universities in SDIs.
Private Sector: Public-private synergies for regional geospatial development.
Panel: Statistical-geospatial integration.
Presentation of SDI experiences from Brazil, Paraguay, IDECABA, and the Municipality of Santa Fe SDI.
Panel: Evidence-based geospatial decisions.
Workshops: Copernicus LAC Chile, Web map design, and QGIS.
Friday July 3 (UTN Regional Faculty)
Meeting of Technical Working Groups – Concordia Regional Faculty (UTN).
UN-IGIF Workshop: Implementation in South America – Future perspectives (by invitation).
Sharing of conclusions and official closing of the XX IDERA Conference.
Those who wish to obtain more information about schedules and registration for the free and open activities may visit jornadas.idera.gob.ar