Participants learn more on state-of-the-art survey products through mini expo   |24 March 2023

Participants being introduced to some of the state-of-the-art equipment

As part of activities to commemorate Global Surveyors Day yesterday, the Ministry of Land and Housing (MLH), in collaboration with the Leica Geosystems Company based in South Africa, hosted a mini expo at the Nayopi Business Centre, Providence.

The aim of the expo was to learn more about the company and the several state-of-the-art products and services it offers in the field of survey, as well as benefits of digitalisation within the field.

While in the country, representatives of the Leica Company are also conducting a series of training with officers from the Survey division further to enhancing partnership with MLH.

Apart from representatives from the Survey division, the mini expo was also attended by land surveyors from the Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA) and other private land surveyors across the country. They got the chance to learn about new state-of-the-art digital and GPS equipment such as the Wingtra drone for mapping and the BLK 2G0 and the BLK 360 hand hold 3D laser scanner for accurate scanning which are not available locally. They are all efficient in the construction of roads, buildings, ports among others with relation to construction, and very cost effective.

The regional director for Southern Africa, Halgardt Von Haardan, said, “We’ve been contracted by the Ministry of Land and Housing to service their equipment purchased from us and to conduct some training to the staff with regard to maintenance of the equipment and given that we have developed some more new technology, we have taken the opportunity to bring some of our latest that have been launched in Seychelles.”

He noted that the equipment are efficient for any construction to be undertaken such as roads, buildings, ports etc… and very cost effective.

Julien Alexis, director of Survey, MLH, said that they purchase equipment from the company because they are more durable and robust and adapt well to our climate.

“As we have a good working collaboration with the company, instead of sending one or two technicians for training in South Africa, they have agreed to come here to facilitate the training where a larger group of land surveyors are benefiting,” Mr Alexis said.

He added that the equipment on display are surely state-of-the-art technologies not available here and which will be very useful in their daily duties at the division.

For his part, the manager of SLTA, Naddy Samson, said that the various equipment on display will be very efficient to SLTA in the designing or re-designing of roads to reduce traffic congestions.

He added that they could also help in identifying areas where new roads could be built.

He said he hoped those equipment will be an asset for SLTA in the future.

Text & photos by Patrick Joubert