Recap of SDSC24 NYC & CARTO’s Vision for the Future

Last week, the Spatial Data Science Conference brought together leading minds in data science and advanced analytics in New York City to explore the latest trends shaping industries such as insurance, telecommunications, and beyond. The event was packed with insights into how spatial data is transforming decision-making processes across sectors, with a focus on breaking down barriers and democratizing access to spatial analysis.

In the keynote delivered by CARTO’s Founder & CSO, Javier de la Torre, the spotlight was on the democratization of spatial analytics. The talk emphasized the importance of making advanced spatial tools accessible to organizations in all sectors for more efficient, cost-effective and transport decision-making. This push to break the GIS silo was a major theme of the event, with an objective that even non-experts can benefit from spatial data without needing extensive technical expertise.

The conference also saw the unveiling of several cutting-edge CARTO features:

• CARTO AI Agents: A tool that enables users to perform AI-driven spatial analysis directly within the CARTO platform. This tool, now in private preview and set to launch publicly in early 2025, is expected to enhance decision-making for non-technical users by providing advanced insights through conversational queries.
• GeoParquet in Google BigQuery: This geospatial format is now supported in BigQuery, improving the efficiency of managing and querying spatial data in cloud environments. Learn more about how you can leverage GeoParquet to supercharge your analytics here!‍
• CARTO for Databricks: The first native geospatial integration with the Databricks Lakehouse will enable large-scale geospatial workflows for enhanced data processing.
• Google Earth Engine Extension Packages: Launching in November 2024, these packages will allow users to extend the capabilities of our no-code tool CARTO workflows, such as by integrating Earth Engine datasets.

Request a demo with one of our geo experts to learn more about how you can use these advancements to democratize access to geospatial at your organization!

SDSC24 presentations showcased the tangible benefits of Spatial Data Science in addressing real-world challenges:

• David Buchanan from Comcast explained how they useApacheSedona and Google BigQuery to analyze data at scale from the 2020 Census and FCC, improving network coverage and customer experience.
• Harman Singh Dhodi from HR&A Advisors presented findings on the digital divide in the U.S., revealing that 42 million Americans still lack reliable broadband access. By leveraging spatial analytics on Amazon Redshift, his team is mapping underserved areas to help direct resources to where they are most needed.
• Anne Rolim from EQT Group discussed how their team is using AI and geospatial analysis to pinpoint climate-focused investment opportunities and drive decarbonization efforts across their portfolio.
• Kirk Goldsberry showed us how critical data visualization is in sports. He walked us through how player positioning and shot selection have changed in basketball—proving that visuals can reveal what numbers alone can’t.

Throughout the event, speakers emphasized the growing importance of breaking down the traditional GIS silo. AI was highlighted as a game-changing tool that is no longer just a buzzword but a driver of real-world impact. Tools like CARTO AI Agents enable organizations without extensive data science resources to quickly derive actionable insights. As Joe Francica from CoreLogic noted, “Not everyone has access to 100 data scientists. They just want an answer to their question.”

The event, powered by CARTO, was supported by Google Cloud, DoIt, Snowflake, Databricks, Wherobots, Dataplor, and Echo Analytics. These sponsors are key players in advancing geospatial technology and cloud-based solutions.

Presentations from the NYC edition will soon be available on-demand on the SDSC24 NYC website.

Want to get involved? Head to the Spatial Data Science events page to learn about future conferences and bootcamps happening near you!