ASPRS Logo

For Immediate Release
Contact:Anna Marie Kinerney, Marketing/Meetings Manager
301-493-0290 ext.106; akinerney@asprs.org

US Remote Sensing Industry $2.2B and Growing

ASPRS--The Imaging and Geospatial Information Society has announced the initial results from the 2000 Remote Sensing Industry gross revenue survey.  The survey was conducted as part of the joint ASPRS/NASA Ten-Year Industry Forecast being prepared under a Space Act Agreement signed in 1998.

Conducted in late 2000, Remote Sensing Industry commercial firms reported annual revenues during their most recent fiscal year ranging from $400,000 to $120M.  Projected to the full industry, those revenues aggregate to an industry conservatively estimated at $2.2 Billion.  Projected growth, as forecast by industry CFO’s and CEO’s, over the next five years is expected to average between 10-15% per year.  ASPRS President Alan Mikuni noted “This is important information for the imaging and geospatial community and ASPRS is pleased to be working with NASA to effect the Industry Forecast.”

“We were very pleased with the overall response rate of 25% on this survey” said Charles Mondello, director of the ASPRS Primary Data Acquisition Division and co-chair of the Industry Forecast effort.  Mondello added “The results appear to track very well with other similar projections, and the detailed information about the market segments and projected growth are highly credible since they come directly from within the industry.”

The breakout reported among business sectors ranges from Data Processing at 16% to Hardware and Software at 40%.  Top Remote Sensing Market segments are National and Global Security - 41%; General Purpose Mapping - 17%; and Civil Government - 15%.  Revenues reported indicate that aerial-based revenues comprise approximately 41% of the total, satellite-based 31%, and the remaining 28% allocated to a mix of the two or to  related support activities.

The remote sensing industry includes image mapping, photogrammetry and remote sensing analyses, and image-based geographic information systems (GIS) applications.  Revenues include those generated by US-based firms, and US sales by companies based outside but operating within the US.  Reported revenues do not include non-image based GIS activities or basic surveying (non-image) functions.

Additional information on the survey, together with a status report on Phase II of the Ten-Year Industry Forecast, will be provided during the 2001 ASPRS Annual Conference, April 23-27, in St. Louis, Missouri. See the ASPRS web site at http://www.asprs.org for more information on the conference or to become involved in the Forecast effort.

Founded in 1934, ASPRS is an international professional organization of 7,000 geospatial data professionals. ASPRS is devoted to advancing knowledge and improving understanding of the mapping sciences to promote responsible application of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems and supporting technologies.


Copyright © 2001 American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 210, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-2160

http://www.asprs.org, please send for assistance select here.
(21 March 2001)