Mobile mapping market seen topping $138 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company says the mobile mapping market is on track to grow 21% annually through 2030 and surpass $138 billion, driven by smart city spending, LiDAR adoption and demand for higher-precision geospatial data. North America and the U.S. are expected to lead the market, while Hexagon AB holds the biggest 2025 share.

Why it matters: - Mobile mapping is moving from a niche geospatial tool to a core layer of digital infrastructure planning, autonomous systems and asset management. - The market’s projected rise to more than $138 billion by 2030 signals sustained demand for faster, more accurate location intelligence. - The growth outlook points to more spending on smart cities, digital twins, road surveys and real-time mapping systems.

What happened: - The Business Research Company projected the global mobile mapping market will grow at a 21% compound annual growth rate through 2030. - The firm forecast the market will exceed $138 billion by 2030. - The report placed mobile mapping inside the wider digital technology market, which it expects to reach about $4,811 billion by 2030. - The report also said mobile mapping will account for nearly 1% of the larger information technology market, projected at $13,788 billion in 2030. - Request a free sample of the mobile mapping market report.

The details: - 3D mapping is forecast to remain the dominant product type by 2030. - 3D mapping is expected to represent 77% of the market and reach $107 billion. - Indoor mapping is the other major type. - The market is segmented by component into hardware, software and services. - Major applications include road surveys, topographic mapping, 3D modeling and asset management. - Key end markets include oil and gas, telecommunications, transportation and logistics, and energy and utilities. - North America is projected to be the largest regional market in 2030 at $41 billion, up from $19 billion in 2025. - North America’s CAGR is forecast at 17%. - The U.S. is projected to be the top country market at $38 billion in 2030, compared with $17 billion in 2025. - The U.S. market is forecast to grow at an 18% CAGR. - Hexagon AB was identified as the leading company globally by sales in 2025 with a 3% share. - Trimble Inc. and Alphabet Inc. each held 3% of the market in 2025. - Apple Inc. and Baidu Inc. each held 2%. - HERE Technologies held 2%. - Topcon Positioning Systems Inc., TomTom NV, Esri Inc. and IGI GmbH each held 1%. - The top 10 companies together controlled 18% of revenue in 2025. - The market was described as moderately fragmented. - Access the detailed mobile mapping market report.

Between the lines: - The report ties market expansion to three main drivers: smart city and infrastructure digitization spending, broader adoption of LiDAR and AI, and demand from transportation, autonomous vehicles and asset management. - The company said smart city and infrastructure digitization contributes about 2.1% annually to growth. - The report said LiDAR, AI and related geospatial tools contribute about 1.8% annually. - Transportation, autonomous vehicle development and asset management add about 1.6% annually. - A June 2024 example cited in the report showed Mosaic launching Meridian, a mobile mapping system combining Inertial Labs INS with LiDAR, synchronized camera modules, 74-megapixel resolution and 13.5K panoramic imaging. - The report’s competitive picture suggests no single player has overwhelming control, which can leave room for partnerships, product launches and market-entry deals. - The emphasis on cloud GIS connectivity, automated workflows and real-time data capture shows why vendors are focusing on integrated systems rather than standalone hardware.

What's next: - The report expects 3D mapping and indoor mapping to add more than $83 billion in value combined by 2030. - 3D mapping is projected to contribute about $64 billion of that increase. - Indoor mapping is projected to add about $19 billion from 2025 to 2030. - Growth opportunities are tied to digital twin platforms, high-definition maps for autonomous vehicles, cloud-based geospatial data management and real-time spatial analytics. - The report said leading companies are likely to keep investing in LiDAR, navigation systems and AI-enabled processing to improve accuracy and scale.

The bottom line: - Mobile mapping is emerging as a fast-growing geospatial market with broad industrial use and a crowded but still fragmented competitive field.