Revolutionary advances in technology development have driven the expectations for remote sensing and computer-aided decision support systems to an all-time high. New generations of resource managers and policymakers want broadly accessible resource analysis and management tools that integrate the recent advances in computational and sensor technologies and visualization products. They understand that such tools can lead to increased economic efficiencies and can significantly increase the value of the resource systems they steward.

Focus areas for recent spatial technology development by the GeoResources Institute include: agriculture, forestry, wildlife and invasive species management, water resources, transportation, oceanographic and atmospheric modeling, and homeland security. These represent areas in which MSU has developed nationally recognized research strengths, with strong relationships and inherent respect from state, regional and national business entities.

MSU has a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and educators with a common thread of interest in the successful development and deployment of remote sensing, GIS, and attending spatial technologies in these areas.

Using the infrastructure and expertise of one of the largest computing centers in the United States, MSU's GRI provides capabilities in remote sensing computational technologies, visualization techniques, natural resource management, and the transition of these into operational agency research, planning, and decision-support programs.