Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are an increasingly important component of business, healthcare, security, government, trade, media, transportation and tourism industries and operations in China.
GIS software is playing an increasing role in the way Chinese companies analyze and manage business operations.
The China Association for Geographic Information System (simplified Chinese: 中国地理信息产业协会; traditional Chinese: 中國地理信息產業協會; pinyin: zhōng guó dì lǐ xìn xī chǎn yè xié huì), Peking University and other institutes sponsored the first "Innovation and Development, 2006 College GIS Forum" in Beijing.
China has now more than 500 institutions of higher learning training GIS-related professionals, of which more than 200 universities and colleges have established a GIS lab.
The industry's rapid expansion is attributed to China's economic development, which has led to an increase in capital input, from both government and businesses.