In view of the exceptional value it has added towards development of geospatial science, The Institute of Photogrammetry (IPI), University of Hannover will be felicitated by GIS Development with the award for 'Building Geospatial Capacities and Knowledge Network' during the inaugural ceremony of Map World Forum on February 10, 2009 at Hyderabad, India.

Prof. Christian Heipke, current Head of IPI along with the past heads - Prof. Gottfried Konecny and Dr. Karsten Jacobsen will receive the honor on behalf of the Institute.

As a premier global geospatial media company, GIS Development recognises and honours mapping agencies, professional societies, companies, individuals and programmes for their visionary and outstanding contribution towards development and growth of geographic information tools, products, applications that in turn help in making geographic information a public commodity.

These awards are presented once every two years during the biennial conference - Map World Forum. Previously, the award was conferred on ITC, The Netherlands in the year 2007.

The Institute of Photogrammetry, University of Hannover has contributed significantly towards development of photogrammetry and remote sensing tools for more than half century. This in turn has become a standard input for creating high resolution and updated geospatial content.

Institute of Photogrammetry has persistently kept on its mission to undertake research, develop technologies and impart knowledge to a large number of students, who could further pursue the advocacy and practices of photogrammetry and remote sensing in various fields of development and management of earth and its resources.

Professionals educated at and associated with Institute of photogrammetry, University of Hannover have been actively engaged in and practicing as geospatial professionals in different capacities with many companies, institutions, survey and mapping organizations and multilateral agencies, and in turn, serving the geospatial community worldwide.

"The whole institute feels deeply honoured about having been selected as the recipient of this prestigious award, and we will certainly strive to live up to it in the future," says Prof. Christian Heipke, Head of the Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation (IPI).

"I believe that if IPI has gained a reputation for international capacity building in geomatics over the years, it is actually far more due to the activities of my predecessor Prof. Gottfried Konecny and Dr. Karsten Jacobsen, both very familiar faces in India, than due to my own. I consider the award as a symbol of recognition for all of our efforts to collaborate with our friends in the international arena."

"What a surprise, that you have selected our Institute to receive recognition at the Map World Forum 2009," added Konecny, an internationally acclaimed remote sensing scholar and despite retirement 10 years ago still very active in his field.

"It will be a pleasure for me to see India again, a country, which I have learned to be fond of since my first engagement for the plans for Iddikki Dam in Kerala in 1964."

And Jacobsen, referring to the Indian space programme incl. The recent successful launch of Chandrayaan-1, remarked that "India has been a worldwide leader in space related remote sensing and GIS technology for many years, and we all are very proud to be presented this award by an organisation with such outstanding international standing."

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, GIS Development said, "It is indeed a matter of pride for us to announce the award being conferred on Institute of Photogrammetry, University of Hannover. We have received excellent feedback on the Institute and our team has also looked deeply into the efforts made by the Institute over the years to develop geospatial science. I personally think that the contributions of the Institute have added grate value to remote sensing and photogrammetry field. I am grateful to Prof. Heipke, Prof. Konecny and Dr. Jacobsen to have personally accepted to receive the award on the institute's behalf."