Toru Mori is on of the early promoters of FOSS4G in Asia. He founded Orkney Inc. in 2002, promoting open-source GIS software like GRASS GIS and MapServer in Japan. From 2009 to 2014, he led projects to enhance QGIS for Japanese users. Mori worked as a cartographer for Apple’s Maps division from 2017 to 2019, improving user experience for Japanese customers. Currently, he is the managing partner of CUNEMO LLC and an external director at MIERUNE Inc., also contributing to HERE Technologies. He was a key player in establishing the OSGeo Japan chapter and served as its representative from 2006 to 2018, now acting as an auditor. His extensive experience has significantly advanced open-source GIS and geospatial solutions in Japan.
Keynote Summary:
I first ventured into the world of open-source GIS in 2003. Back then, the landscape was much different—GRASS GIS and MapServer were known names, but familiar tools like QGIS and PostGIS were still in their infancy, with limited functionality and a small user base.
It was in this early era that Dr. Venkatesh Raghavan coined the term *FOSS4G*—a milestone now celebrating its 20th anniversary since that pivotal moment in 2004. Just a few months later, in September, the world’s first FOSS4G conference was held at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, where Europe’s GRASS GIS community met the MapServer community from North America. This historic gathering laid the groundwork for the creation of the OSGeo Foundation.
In this keynote, I will take you down memory lane, sharing the story of how FOSS4G was born and how it evolved into the vibrant ecosystem we know today. Join me as I recount these foundational moments through storytelling, from a perspective shaped by those pioneering days.
