This month, VHB, Microsoft, and Esri hosted the first in a series of collaborative workshops on accelerating Microsoft AI and GeoAI-powered solutions for state and local government. Attendees explored how AI Agents and AI-powered applications can assist agencies address pain points, improve operational efficiency, empower staff, enhance public services, and contribute to the shared goal of building smarter, more resilient communities.
The workshop was hosted by the City of Altamonte Springs, Florida, at their Altamonte Global Innovation Lab (AGĪL). Attendees included representatives from Orlando Sanford International Airport, Greater Orlando Airport Authority, the City of Orlando, the City of Oviedo, Lynx, MetroPlan Orlando, and more. In addition to VHB, workshop leaders Eve Machol, Americas Director of Airport and Transportation Industry Strategy – World Wide Public Sector with Microsoft, and Tim Poe, Senior Account Manager with Esri, shared practical use cases for generative AI in government, that provided personalized experiences in delivering services to constituents.
“It was great to see such active engagement from the attendees as we covered more complex Microsoft AI and GeoAI topics,” said Marco Barbarossa, VHB Southeast Regional Technology Enabled Lead. “Everyone came prepared with thoughtful questions on how to apply AI on a deeper level to improve how they address their communities’ needs.”
VHB, Microsoft, and Esri also shared how geospatial (GIS) data and AI can be combined to create dynamic, data-driven insights and smart maps. From energy master planning, wrong way driving and near-misses detection, to featured extraction for safety, assessments, and inventories at scale in the built environment, attendees gained new insights into harnessing AI for their specific needs.
Attendees participated in guided discussions on how they could implement new approaches learned from the workshop within their respective agencies. The exchange of ideas fostered connections among the groups by highlighting shared goals and opportunities to find solutions to common challenges.
Attendees expressed that additional training and education for their teams could be a next step in bridging the gap to adopting more technology-enabled solutions.
Workshop host Frank Martz, City Manager at the City of Altamonte Springs and leader of the Altamonte Springs Global Innovation Lab, said that the additional training and education for attendees is a step toward bridging the gap to adopting more technology-enabled solutions at the state and local government level.
“In many cases, our AI tools are more ready for us than we are for them,” said Frank.
VHB, Microsoft, and Esri are planning additional in-person workshops on accelerating Microsoft AI and GeoAI-powered solutions throughout the U.S. in 2025.
Learn more about the VHB, Microsoft, and Esri AI partnership and explore our Artificial Intelligence Consulting capabilities.
