Category Archives: Announcements

Activities within the framework of GIS Day 2025 continued today in one of the premises of the Tirana Pyramid, in a hall filled with students, lecturers and GIS experts.

At the start of today’s activity, the Cooperation Agreement between ASIG and POLIS University was signed, thus formalizing the mutual commitment to strengthen the academy-institution connection, to support scientific research, professional practices and the development of new competencies in the field of geoinformation.

The activity continued with a series of thematic presentations, where ASIG experts and POLIS University lecturers addressed key issues for the development of geoinformation systems in the country such as:

📌 Creation and progress of the Base Map of the Republic of Albania at a scale of 1:2000,

📌 The role of Remote Sensing technology, for fast and updated geospatial information,

📌 National Geoportal 2.0, the new generation of geospatial services,

📌 Use of open data for monitoring urban changes.

The broad participation of students and academic staff demonstrated the growing interest in geoinformation technologies and the importance that these competencies have in the professions of the future.

This activity marks another important step towards creating a strong professional community, supported by innovation, cooperation and sustainable knowledge.

State Authority for Geospatial Information (ASIG) and the Civil Aviation Authority (AAC) signed today a Memorandum of Cooperation that consolidates institutional cooperation and improves air safety processes in protected airport areas.

This cooperation provides CAA with access to static and dynamic terrain data, enabling accurate processing, analysis and visualization of potential risks around airports. Both institutions are also committed to the priority treatment of permits for unmanned aircraft operations, guaranteeing fast processes and compliance with safety standards.

ASIG and CAA will hold periodic meetings to coordinate interactions and ensure the integrity and quality of data used in the field of civil aviation.

A group of Master’s level students from Hasan Prishtina University of Kosovo, profile “Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning”, conducted on November 7, a study visit to ASIG within the framework of the cooperation agreement between these two institutions.

The purpose of this visit is to deepen the students’ knowledge of the functioning and role of GIS systems in planning processes, based on ASIG’s best practices.

ASIG experts introduced the young people from Kosovo to the field of activity of our institution, the functionalities of the National Geoportal and concrete illustrations of how the process is carried out from field data collection to processing in GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS).

This visit focused on providing a learning, practical and inspiring experience, to help students understand how geospatial information is transformed into decision-making and urban planning and development.

TAIEX experts held, in collaboration with State Authority for Geospatial Information (ASIG), a three-day workshop on 30 September – 2 October 2025, at the premises of Hotel Monarc in Tirana, with the aim of supporting Albania in the implementation of the legal framework for the National Geospatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and the implementation of the European Union INSPIRE Directive.

The main issues addressed during the workshop were:

• The current state of implementation of the INSPIRE Directive at EU level and best practices from the Cartographic Authority of the Republic of Slovenia and the Dutch Cadastral Authority.

• Presentation by ASIG experts of the current progress of NSDI development in Albania, cooperation with Public Authorities Responsible for the collection, processing and publication of geospatial data on geoinformation topics.

• Procedures and tools for quality control of geospatial data in our country.

• Implementation of the EU Open Data Directive and publication of high-value data, as well as their adaptation to INSPIRE standards and specifications.

• Experience of EU member states in providing data through standardized APIs (WMS/WMTS, OGC API Features).

• International and European trends for NSDI development, including the UN-GGIM vision and EU interoperability strategies.

• Open discussions on the most appropriate legal and financial model for Albania in building a functional and sustainable NSDI.

• Capacity building, awareness raising and use of distance learning methods in the field of geoinformation.

TAIEX experts assessed the work done by ASIG on the collection, processing and publication of geospatial data in the National Geoportal as well as the drafting and approval of geoinformation standards in line with the INSPIRE Directive.

At the end of this workshop, they provided concrete recommendations for improving the quality, harmonization and publication of data and practices from EU countries that can be adapted to Albania.

The national geoid model of Albania, ALBGEOID2024, has been published in the scientific symposium “IAG Symposia” of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), published by Springer Nature.

This publication shows that ALBGEOID2024 has successfully passed the evaluation process by foreign experts in the field, certifying its reliability, quality and scientific validity.

The “IAG Symposia” series includes the most prominent contributions of the symposia of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and addresses fundamental topics of global geodesy such as:

· Geodetic reference frames,

· Earth’s gravity field,

· Geodynamics and Earth’s rotation,

· Positioning and engineering applications.

The publication of the ALBGEOID2024 Model in this prestigious series places Albania on the map of international contributions in the field of geodesy and represents a major step forward towards building a unified and reliable national geospatial infrastructure.

This model will serve as the supporting basis for a modern vertical geodetic reference with high accuracy, which will be further improved through:

· Densification of the third-order gravimetric network,

· Extension of the first-order leveling network.

Covering the entire territory of the Republic of Albania in accordance with the most advanced European and international standards, the ALBGEOID2024 Model is the result of the use of contemporary techniques for modeling the gravity field, as well as the integration of data from various sources, including:

· Ground gravimetric measurements,

· Global geopotential and altimetric models,

· Local and global digital terrain models (DTM),

· GNSS and leveling measurements.

This combination of data has enabled the construction of a model with high scientific quality and complete reliability, suitable for a wide range of practical and scientific applications.

The full scientific text can be read at the link below.

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/1345_2025_289

Representatives of State Authority for Geospatial Information (ASIG) participated in the Scientific Assembly of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG 2025), which took place in Rimini, Italy, from 1 to 5 September.

This international event with the theme “Geodesy for a Changing Environment” provided a unique platform for the exchange of ideas and advanced practices in the field of geodesy, including the challenges of environmental change and extreme natural events.

The topics of the assembly were addressed in four IAG committees:

• Reference Frame,

• Gravity Field,

• Orientation and Geodynamics,

• Positioning and Applications.

Which ensured that the discussions and presentations focused on all key aspects of the science of geodesy from references and gravitational fields, to geodynamics and advanced positioning applications.

ASIG represented by Mr. Oltjon Balliu, Head of the Albanian Geodetic Reference Frame Sector (KRGJSH) and Mr. Dylber Peposhi, Specialist in the CORS Systems Infrastructure Sector (ALBCORS), presented the model of The Albanian Gravimetric and Hybrid Geoid — ALBGEOID 2024, as an essential instrument for the construction of a modern vertical geodetic reference. This model, which was followed with interest and was appreciated by senior European and international experts, represents an important step towards improving the country’s geospatial infrastructure and creating sustainable bases for scientific and engineering applications.

This activity once again demonstrated the success achieved so far by the ASIG staff, the stages that ASIG has completed for the construction of the geodetic infrastructure, the methodology and the successful creation of a national geodetic data structure based on important data for the KRGJSH.

ASIG’s participation in IAG 2025 strengthens Albania’s role in the international scientific arena and positions the country as an active actor in facing global environmental challenges. This commitment supports the strategic objectives for European integration and for the sustainable development of the national geospatial infrastructure, in accordance with the INSPIRE Directive and the priorities of sustainable development.

Also, participation in an event of this magnitude was important for increasing human and professional capacities, through discussions on geodetic networks, horizontal and vertical references, geoid models and advanced measurement methods, exchange of experiences and cooperation with international authorities and experts, strengthening institutional ties and opening perspectives for joint projects.