“In Crisis Situations, Geoinformation is at the Heart of Decision-Making Processes.”
Michael Lanini has been Head of the Institute for Military Geography (MilGeo) at swisstopo since 1 November 2024.
I’ve always loved spending time in nature. It fills me with energy. Here, I can relax and unwind. Perhaps this explains my fascination for geography and geoinformation; from my passion for exploring my surroundings.
I studied Geography at the University of Zurich from 1999 to 2005. After that, I worked at swisstopo for the first time as a university employee in the National Point of Contact for Satellite Images. Ever since, my career has revolved around the Federal Office of Topography in one way or another. I’ve had recurring interactions with swisstopo over the years.
Prior to my current role, I was head of the defence sector’s Military Geoinformation Service for ten years. In this role, I was actively involved in developing military geography in the Swiss Armed Forces, procuring services from swisstopo. This gave me insights into the Federal Office of Topography from a customer point of view.
When I took up my current position as Head of the Institute for Military Geography in November 2024, my perspective changed once again: Now, I am responsible at swisstopo for providing geoinformation to the Armed Forces and other partners in the area of security. My experience as a customer is a major asset here: I have first-hand awareness of what our stakeholders need and know which criteria are of particular value in this complex setting.
My work helps to make Switzerland safer.
swisstopo’s Institute for Military Geography coordinates and manages activities in the area of military geography on a national and international level, in close cooperation with the Armed Forces. As Head of the Institute, I organise the basic supply of the defence sector and the Armed Forces with special maps and geodata for their various systems and applications. At the same time, we ensure the management of geodata within the military spatial data infrastructure.
In addition, I support other security authorities such as fedpol and civil protection, who also rely on swisstopo’s geoinformation and applications. The synergies that arise during the execution of these orders can thus be leveraged in a useful way.
My work helps to make Switzerland safer. Safety is a wide-ranging term – for me it is a condition which enables us as individuals and as a society to plan for the future with reasonable risks. The maps, geodata and applications used by the Armed Forces thus represent an important basis for planning and managing their operations.
I am firmly convinced of the relevance of high-quality geoinformation and its usefulness in crisis management. In my view, it is at the heart of decision-making processes, especially in crisis situations. Up-to-date, precise data help to assess situations, improving the efficiency of decision making and contributing significantly to the success of assignments.
Additional content
Geoservices for the DDPS
Geoinformation is indispensable for military and civil security agencies. swisstopo ensures that the armed forces and their systems have access to geospatial reference data and provides a number of other specialist geoinformation and geoinformatics services.
Folio 2025 – For a safe Switzerland
Security extends far beyond the military sphere. It encompasses issues such as the prevention of natural hazards, the sustainable management and supply of resources, the protection of property rights, the stability of infrastructure and the provision of information to the public. Geodata plays a key role in all these areas.
