IN FOCUS: M2GARSS 2026 – Connecting the Community in Marrakech

By Joanne Van Voorhis

The 2026 Mediterranean and Middle-East Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (M2GARSS 2026) will take place 22–24 April 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco, with participation available both in person and online. Hosted by the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) in collaboration with Moroccan partners, the event represents the fourth edition of this regional symposium supporting those working in Earth observation and remote sensing technologies throughout Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa communities. Since its launch in 2020, the M2GARSS has facilitated the exchange of research results, promoted collaboration among institutions, and strengthened the broader geoscience and remote sensing ecosystem.

“We look forward to welcoming scientists, engineers, educators, and industry professionals to the vibrant city of Marrakech,” explains Dr. Yassine Tounsi, M2GARSS 2026 Co-Chair, GRSS Moroccan Chapter Chair, and Associate Professor at Morocco’s Chouaib Doukkali University. “We have assembled a really comprehensive technical program designed to foster discussion and collaboration across a wide range of disciplines in Earth observation,” he adds. 

“I would say it’s not just a conference – it’s really a chance to learn, meet inspiring people, and feel part of a global community. Whether you’re a student or a professional, you’ll find valuable insights, great discussions, and opportunities to connect with others in the GRSS community. And of course, it’s also a great opportunity to experience Marrakech while enjoying a high-quality scientific event,” Dr. Tounsi encourages.

Encouraging Collaboration and Exchange of Ideas

M2GARSS 2026 will feature a diverse program that includes oral and poster presentations, keynote talks, tutorials, and panel discussions, providing multiple avenues for participants to engage with emerging research and technological developments. The symposium is structured to encourage both formal technical exchange and informal interaction among attendees, creating opportunities for collaboration across academic, government, and industrial communities.

The conference technical program will highlight work across core areas of geoscience and remote sensing, including data analysis methods, atmospheric and ocean observation, land monitoring, sensor technologies, calibration techniques, and data management. Special focus areas will also address pressing environmental and societal challenges such as water resource monitoring, desertification, and agricultural applications of remote sensing.

Accepted papers are organized into oral and poster sessions, enabling researchers to present their work and receive feedback from peers and subject-matter experts. The conference will also recognize outstanding contributions through awards for best oral presentation, best poster presentation, and a Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which provides students with a platform to communicate their research in a concise and accessible format.

“In addition to formal presentations, we hope the planned panel discussions and interactive sessions will encourage dialogue around emerging trends in Earth observation and remote sensing technologies,” says Dr. Tounsi. “We have many topics planned to encourage discussions around key challenges in the field, such as managing increasingly large remote sensing datasets, integrating artificial intelligence into geospatial analysis, and translating research innovations into operational applications,” he adds.

“We are also preparing a Young Professionals (YP) mixer together with the YP Activities Chairs, creating a relaxed space where people can connect, exchange ideas, and build relationships. And, in parallel, we are working closely with IDEA to organize a Women in Engineering (WiA) event, with the goal of fostering inclusion, supporting diversity, and giving more visibility to women in our community,” says Dr. Tounsi.

Keynote Perspectives on Emerging Technologies

The symposium will feature four keynote speakers who represent leading research institutions and national organizations in the remote sensing community. Prof. Saurabh Prasad of the University of Houston will present a keynote on advances in GeoAI for multi-channel, multi-scale, and multi-temporal image analysis. His research focuses on machine learning and signal processing techniques for large-scale hyperspectral and multisensor data analysis, and his talk will highlight how emerging AI approaches can improve the interpretation of complex Earth observation datasets.

Prof. Islam Abou El-Magd, President of Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, will discuss the use of cutting-edge remote sensing technologies in support of sustainable development initiatives. His keynote will highlight how satellite data and geospatial analysis contribute to national planning, environmental monitoring, and resource management strategies.

Prof. Nicolas Paparoditis, Deputy Director General of the French national mapping agency IGN, will explore the role of geoinformation systems and digital geotwins in supporting environmental analysis and decision-making. His work focuses on large-scale geospatial data infrastructures and advanced mapping technologies that enable more accurate monitoring of environmental change.

Prof. Saeid Homayouni of the Institut de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Canada will present on UAV-based remote sensing for precision agriculture and crop science. His research examines how multispectral and hyperspectral drone imagery can support improved crop monitoring, agricultural management, and sustainable farming practices.

Tutorials: Practical Skills and Emerging Tools

Complementing the research presentations, M2GARSS 2026 will offer three tutorials designed to provide hands-on exposure to emerging analytical methods and computational tools used in Earth observation.

Dr. Hamed Alemohammad of Clark University will lead a tutorial on Earth observation foundation models for real-world mapping applications. The session will introduce the principles behind large pretrained models and demonstrate how these systems can be adapted and fine-tuned for geospatial tasks such as land-cover classification, environmental monitoring, and large-scale mapping.

Dr. Mahmud H. Haghighi of Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, will present a tutorial on Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) for engineering and hazard applications. His session will introduce the fundamentals of radar interferometry and guide participants through workflows for detecting and monitoring ground deformation using open-source InSAR processing tools.

Prof. Devis Tuia of EPFL will offer a tutorial on vision-language models in remote sensing. This session will explore how textual information and imagery can be combined using modern machine learning approaches to enable new capabilities such as visual question answering and interactive exploration of satellite datasets.

Networking and Community Building

Beyond the technical program, M2GARSS 2026 places a strong emphasis on community engagement and professional networking. The symposium brings together participants from across the Mediterranean region and the broader global remote sensing community, creating opportunities for collaboration between universities, research institutions, government agencies, and industry organizations. Networking events and informal gatherings allow attendees to connect with colleagues working on similar research challenges, exchange ideas about emerging technologies, and explore potential partnerships. 

These interactions are particularly valuable for students and early-career researchers, who can benefit from mentorship, career discussions, and feedback from established experts in the field. The conference also supports the participation of students and young professionals through initiatives such as travel grants provided by IEEE GRSS, which help offset the cost of attending and presenting research at the symposium.

Join us in Marrakech!

For researchers, engineers, and practitioners working in geoscience and remote sensing, M2GARSS 2026 offers a strong opportunity to engage with the latest developments in the field. The hybrid format ensures accessibility for participants who cannot travel while still enabling in-person interaction for those attending in Marrakech. 

“We hope participants leave M2GARSS not only with new knowledge, but also with meaningful connections,” says Dr. Tounsi. “Beyond the technical program, the symposium is a great opportunity to interact with the GRSS community, understand its ecosystem, and discover the many benefits of being an active member – such as networking, mentorship, and access to global opportunities. Ultimately, we want attendees to feel inspired, supported, and part of a strong international community,” he adds.

For more information and to register, visit 2026.m2garss.org/registration.asp.