Phil Knight

Geospatial Information Management Specialist



About Me

I am a freelance GIS specialist based in Vientiane, Laos. I have experience working for National Mapping Agencies, International NGOs and multinational software providers. I have a M.Sc. in GIS plus more than 10 years of professional level work experience. Please get in touch if you think my skillset can benefit your organisation.

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Experience


In October 2016 I relocated to Vientiane in Laos PDR to work as a freelance GIS consultant. The new environment has allowed me to practically implement and experience many of the ideas developed while working as a strategic consultant. It has also given me the opportunity to greatly develop my technical skills. I have developed a number of web mapping applications and carried out a number of in depth and complex geospatial analyses using tools such as Google Earth Engine; I’ve even got my hands on a drone! I’ve also developed an understanding of the South East Asian context, completing research assignments on Spatial Data Infrastructure implementation in South East Asia and gaining valuable exposure to a number of Lao government ministries. For a detailed summary of the projects I have worked on to date in Laos click the below button.

Laos Projects

Between 2013 and 2016 I worked as a Senior Consultant for ConsultingWhere an independent IT consultancy specialising in the provision of strategic advice in the field of geospatial information technology. Here I produced significant reports and strategy documents for clients including national mapping agencies, international NGOs and multinational software providers. For a detailed summary of the projects I completed while working for ConsultingWhere click the below button.

ConsultingWhere Projects

Before I worked in the geospatial sector I worked in Kampala, Uganda for two years on the operational side of health delivery. Before that I worked for five years in London as a Commercial Real Estate surveyor. For a more detailed work history see my Linkedin. Or download a copy of my CV.

CV Linkedin


GIS Resources

Part of my job is to stay up to date on new trends, techniques and technologies in the geospatial sector. This means I come across a lot of new tools, data sources and other useful resources. I like to collate and share what I find using Scoop.it! I have also collected some of the most useful links into a Wikia page: 'Resources for Learning GIS'. I hope you find them useful.


Lao Data Portals

As part of my research into spatial data infrastructure in Laos I have compiled a schedule of Laos data portals and global data portals relevant to Laos. I have developed the list in an open collaborative process. In line with the ethos of open collaboration I have also initiated a Laos GIS Google Group discussion forum, to particpate request an invite.


Continuous Professional Development

  • 2017: Earth Observation From Space: The Optical View, online course, European Space Agency.Certificate.
  • 2015: Learn Python, online course, Codecademy.Profile.
  • 2014: 5th Open Source Opportunities in GIS Summer School, GIS and Remote Sensing Centre of the University of Girona.Pictures.

  • Writing

    I write about future trends in geospatial. In 2015 I wrote about the potential for Blockchain technologies to be used for land registration. Following this well received article I was invited by the Dutch Kadaster to contribute to a paper on the subject for the 2016 FIG Working Week. In 2014 I wrote about the impact that Autonomous Vehicles would have on geospatial data use and collection, as a result I was invited to write the chapter on Autonomous Vehicles for the AGI Foresight Report 2020.