Project Leader of Ethiopia’s Digital Addressing System Named Among 50 Rising Stars to Look Out for in the Geospatial Industry

Agamasie Gebeyehu, Project Manager of the Digital Addressing System (DAS) and Senior Geospatial Researcher at the Space Science & Geospatial Institute has been recognized as one of the 50 brightest talents under 40 in the geospatial industry by Geospatial World Rising Stars 2024.

Agamasie successfully led the implementation of the Bishoftu City Digital Addressing System, a novel project introducing unique digital identities for buildings, roads, and utilities.

“Agamasie aspires to advance the geospatial industry by exploring new frontiers in digital mapping and location-based technologies,” stated Geospatial World.

The system, designed as an alternative to Google Maps and equipped with a navigation feature, provides users with information about the geographical location of every asset, including residential houses and various infrastructures such as roads. Each entity is identified with a unique address assigned through numbers.

“Ethiopia is trying to create an enabling environment for the digital economy by establishing a digital address system for 73 large and medium-sized cities in the country,” Tewodros Kassahun, Mapping Chief of the Ethiopian Space Science & Geo-Spatial Institute, told Shega in December 2023.

The Institute has already launched Bishoftu’s DAS, while the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop DAS for the Capital Addis Ababa was signed between the institute and City Administration in January 2024.

Geospatial World Rising Stars is an initiative to highlight the outstanding accomplishments of individuals under the age of 40 who are proactive and passionate about the value of geospatial technology to society, the environment, and the economy.