USGIF and Hexagon Renew Three-Year MOU and Grant

Nationally, universities’ geospatial and geography programs face limited funding. USGIF-accredited schools have made the Hexagon MOU’s benefits an integral part of their academic programming.

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USGIF and Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Grant that will last through September 2025.

The new MOU and Grant provide USGIF-accredited universities and colleges the opportunity to integrate Hexagon’s geospatial software into their courses. Faculty and students in geospatial programs at accredited institutions will be granted one-year renewable licenses for various Hexagon software, including ERDAS IMAGINE, GeoMedia, and the Luciad Portfolio.

“The renewed MOU with Hexagon goes beyond the tangible benefits afforded to schools – it’s a testament to the greater GEOINT community’s dedication to supporting the academic pursuits and skill development of our next generation,” said USGIF’s Director of Education and Professional Development, Christine Devine.

Hexagon will provide ongoing technical support to departments, faculty, and students using their products as part of the Hexagon Geospatial U program. The MOU also provides USGIF-accredited colleges and universities with introductory-level workshops on Hexagon’s geospatial software.

“Equipping students with the skills they need for tomorrow is essential to their future success,” said Mike Lane, Global Education Manager at Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division. “We are proud to continue our partnership with USGIF to help students gain valuable experience with the technologies they will use throughout their careers.”

The USGIF-Hexagon MOU arrives at an especially critical time. Nationally, universities’ geospatial, geography and similar programs encounter limited funding for the software students need to test their knowledge and apply the skills they’re actively developing. USGIF’s accredited schools have made the Hexagon MOU’s benefits an integral part of their academic programming.

“Four years ago, my program learned that licensing for the image processing software we had been using for the previous 12 years would no longer be available,” said Dr. Zachary J. Bortolot, Professor of Geographic Science and Director of the Geography Program at James Madison University. “Luckily, Hexagon and USGIF came to our rescue through the MOU program, and we now use ERDAS IMAGINE in all three of our remote sensing courses. These courses are taken by approximately 150 students every year, the majority of whom will be entering careers involving geospatial intelligence or other application areas of geospatial technology.”

James Madison University is one of many institutions taking advantage of the Hexagon MOU. All 20 of USGIF’s accredited schools have the opportunity to use Hexagon’s software to maintain excellence in programming and provide students with relevant classroom experiences.

“We are proud to be able to offer our students a robust remote sensing curriculum and give them access to software widely used in industry. And we are incredibly grateful to USGIF and Hexagon for making this possible,” said Bortolot.

Featured image: Students at James Madison University in the lab working with Hexagon’s Erdas. (Photo credit: Dr. Zachary Bortolot)

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