International Society for Digital Earth

What International Society for Digital Earth does

The International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE) is a non-governmental international organization, formally established in 2004 and headquartered in Beijing, China, that promotes the development of Digital Earth — the construction of a comprehensive virtual representation of the planet integrating Earth sciences, space sciences, and information sciences. ISDE serves a global community of academic researchers, government agencies, geospatial industry partners, students, and citizen scientists through six thematic Working Groups (Science & Technology, Industry Engagement, Governance & Ethics, Citizen Engagement, Education, and SDGs), national and regional chapters, and the Young Scientist Innovation Network (YSIN) launched in 2023.

Its core outputs are publications and events rather than software products. ISDE publishes two peer-reviewed journals with Taylor & Francis: the International Journal of Digital Earth (IJDE, launched 2008, Impact Factor 4.9 in 2024) and Big Earth Data (launched 2017, CiteScore 8.0 in 2022), and the foundational Manual of Digital Earth (Springer, 2019, ~1 million downloads). Major recurring events include the International Symposium on Digital Earth, the Digital Earth Summit, Academic Salons, and the bimonthly ISDE International Lectures, which together draw hundreds of participants across multiple countries and thousands online.

The operating model relies on membership fees, publication royalties, event registration, and institutional support — most prominently from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIR-CAS) and the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS). Financials are not publicly disclosed. ISDE maintains strategic partnerships with GEO, UNESCO, CODATA, IEEE GRSS, ISPRS, FIG, and the Council of Science, and leads the Digital Belt and Road Alliance. Revenue concentration is in publishing and events, while the society's strategic differentiation rests on its role as the convener of the global Digital Earth research community.

Name

International Society for Digital Earth

Legal name

International Society for Digital Earth

Website

https://digitalearth-isde.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE) is a Beijing-headquartered international non-governmental organization established in 2004 that promotes Digital Earth science through two Q1-ranked academic journals, the foundational Manual of Digital Earth, six thematic Working Groups, and a global network of Symposia, Summits, and International Lectures serving researchers, students, governments, and the geospatial industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scientific Society / Earth Sciences Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Policy, Data Governance & Cybersecurity Standards Cooperation (BPADANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Learning Experience Design (LXD) & UX for Learning (EDAGAKAF), Course Authoring, Hosting & Delivery Tools (LMS for Creators) (MPACALAJ)

Keywords

• Earth observation research
• Academic society services
• Scientific journal publishing
• Geospatial conference organization
• Digital earth science

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. ISDE Membership: Society operates with membership fees supporting activities. Members include individual scientists, researchers, and institutional members from around the world.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ISDE is an international non-governmental scientific society that promotes the development of Digital Earth through peer-reviewed academic journals (International Journal of Digital Earth and Big Earth Data), the foundational Manual of Digital Earth, and a portfolio of conferences, symposia, summits, lectures, and youth programs. The society also operates the Digital Earth Knowledge Platform and the Young Scientist Innovation Network (YSIN) to foster global research collaboration across Earth sciences, space sciences, and information sciences.

Product overview

The International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE) is a non-governmental organization that promotes the development and realization of Digital Earth. ISDE does not offer a unified software product but rather operates as an academic society providing a portfolio of publications and programs. Its core offerings include two peer-reviewed academic journals (International Journal of Digital Earth and Big Earth Data), a comprehensive Manual of Digital Earth, and the Digital Earth Knowledge Platform as a resource repository. The organization facilitates research collaboration and knowledge sharing through its Young Scientist Innovation Network, the Digital Belt and Road Alliance, and various event series including International Lectures, Academic Salons, Youth Innovation Lectures, Video Competitions, Digital Earth Summits, and International Symposia. These products and services collectively support the global Digital Earth research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Journal of Digital Earth (IJDE): Peer-reviewed academic journal focusing on Digital Earth theories, technologies and applications
• Big Earth Data
• ISDE-YSIN (Young Scientist Innovation Network)
• Digital Earth Vision

Products and services

• International Journal of Digital Earth (IJDE)
• Big Earth Data
• Manual of Digital Earth
• ISDE Membership
• International Symposium on Digital Earth
• Digital Earth Summit

Quantifiable outcome

• IJDE ranked 10/67 (Q1) in Geography Physical and 14/65 (Q1) in Remote Sensing category (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• Council of SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership supporting scientific collaboration in Digital Earth research and education
• Group on Earth Observations (GEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international partnership for Earth observation coordination, with ISDE holding co-chair positions in GEO Infrastructure Implementation Board
• International Federation of Surveyors (FIG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for geospatial standards and professional development in surveying and related fields
• CODATAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommittee on Data for Science and Technology, previously led by ISDE Honorary President Huadong Guo (2010-2014)
• IEEE GRSScoreTechnology or IntegrationIEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society partnership for technical standards and research in remote sensing
• ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for photogrammetry and remote sensing research collaboration
• African Remote Sensing SocietyregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partnership supporting Digital Earth activities and remote sensing research in Africa
• Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISDE is supported by CAS, with Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR, CAS) as key sponsor. Honorary President Huadong Guo is a CAS Academician.
• Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIR, CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of ISDE and co-publisher of IJDE and Big Earth Data journals
• Taylor & Francis GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publisher of International Journal of Digital Earth, Big Earth Data, and Manual of Digital Earth
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISDE Honorary President Huadong Guo serves as Director of UNESCO International Center on Space Technologies for Natural and Cultural Heritage; collaboration on Digital Earth education and heritage preservation
• Digital Belt and Road Program (DBAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISDE-led international scientific program under Belt and Road Initiative framework, chaired by Huadong Guo
• International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey supporter of ISDE activities including International Lectures; Director General Huadong Guo leads CBAS
• Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational science organization partnership for global scientific collaboration
• Geospatial World ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent partnership for promoting Digital Earth at geospatial industry events

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Committee on Space Research (COSPAR): ICSU-established committee organizing biennial Scientific Assemblies on space research. COSPAR's Earth observation focus areas overlap with ISDE's Digital Earth mission, particularly around satellite-based monitoring of Earth's environment, though COSPAR's scope is broader across all space science disciplines.
• European Geosciences Union (EGU): Europe's leading geosciences union, awarding the Ian McHarg Medal that ISDE's President Alessandro Annoni received in 2013. EGU's General Assembly and journal portfolio overlap directly with ISDE's mission in Earth observation and digital Earth, competing for the same European researcher community.
• American Geophysical Union (AGU): Largest global scientific society for Earth and space sciences, with 60,000+ members across geophysics, atmospheric sciences, and Earth observation. AGU's journals and Fall Meeting attract many of the same researchers ISDE serves, and the two organizations share overlapping scope in Earth system science and digital Earth research.
• Group on Earth Observations (GEO): Intergovernmental partnership coordinating Earth observation efforts across 100+ member governments. ISDE holds co-chair positions in GEO's Infrastructure Implementation Board, and the two organizations collaborate directly on Earth observation strategy — they overlap significantly in convening function, though GEO is government-led and ISDE is academic-led.

Regional players

• Digital Earth Africa: Africa-focused implementation of Digital Earth principles, partnered with ISDE through the African Remote Sensing Society channel. Operates as a regional peer applying Digital Earth methodologies to African development challenges, demonstrating ISDE's framework being institutionalized at regional level.
• International Astronautical Federation (IAF): Global federation of space agencies, companies, and societies, headquartered in Paris. IAF's space-focused mission and annual congress overlap with ISDE's Earth-observation-from-space agenda, and both engage the same downstream audiences in satellite-based Earth monitoring.

Direct peers

• International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS): Long-established international society covering photogrammetry, remote sensing, and spatial information science. ISDE lists ISPRS as a core partner, and both organizations compete for the same pool of academic authors, conference attendees, and society members working in geospatial Earth observation disciplines.
• IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS): The leading professional society for remote sensing research, publishing IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing and organizing IGARSS. ISDE lists IEEE GRSS as a core partner, and the two societies serve overlapping researcher communities in Earth observation, geospatial science, and remote sensing — both rely on membership, journals, and major conferences as core operating models.
• CODATA (Committee on Data for Science and Technology): ICSU-affiliated committee focused on scientific data management, previously chaired by ISDE Honorary President Huadong Guo (2010–2014). CODATA operates a similar interdisciplinary working group model on data-intensive science, overlapping with ISDE's scope on Big Earth Data and Digital Earth data governance.

Emerging players

• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC): International standards consortium developing geospatial interoperability standards widely used in Digital Earth platforms. While OGC focuses on technical standards rather than scientific convening, its outputs underpin the data infrastructure ISDE promotes, making it a complementary rather than directly competing organization.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISDEsecretariat
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@isde_digitalearth
• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalsocietyfordigitalearth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-society-for-digital-earth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Society for Digital Earth