Geodesy Reception 2026 at BEV 06.05.2026 - On the evening of 5 May 2026, the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying - BEV hosted the “Geodesy Reception” in Vienna for the third time. The event took place during the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and brought together 129 geodesy experts from 16 countries at BEV.

The EGU General Assembly, with up to 20,000 participants, is one of the largest geoscience conferences worldwide. Within this international setting, the Geodesy Reception served as a key networking event, specifically fostering exchange between science, international organizations, and institutions. Particular emphasis was placed on engaging early-career researchers.

The event was organized by the GGOS Coordinating Office (Global Geodetic Observing System), hosted at BEV. GGOS is a key component of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), which coordinates international collaboration, research, and standardization in geodesy. The IAG was the main sponsor of the event.

A special highlight of this year’s reception was the official announcement of the winners of the international Geodesy Cartoon Competition. The highly successful competition, which received 274 submissions, was initiated and organized by the GGOS Coordinating Office at BEV. The award-winning cartoons, along with a selection of the best entries, were exhibited during the reception.

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v.l.n.r. Roelof Rietborek (EGU Geodesy Division president), Claus Kahn (BEV president), Martin Sehnal (Head of GGOS Coordinating Office at BEV), Richard Gross (IAG president) photo: © BEV

In addition to the award presentation, the program featured short welcome addresses by the host, Claus Kahn, President of BEV, as well as leading representatives of the international geodetic community, including IAG President Richard Gross, EGU Geodesy Division President Roelof Rietbroek, and Head of the GGOS Coordinating Office at BEV, Martin Sehnal. The event concluded with opportunities for informal exchange and professional discussions.

By hosting the Geodesy Reception 2026, BEV once again underscored its important role as an international hub for geodesy. As the seat of both the GGOS Coordinating Office and the IAG Secretariat, BEV makes a significant contribution to global networking and the advancement of geodesy, while strengthening Austria’s visibility in this forward-looking scientific field.

More information on the Cartoon Competition