ETL
Unlock the full potential of geospatial data with GDAL—the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library. This hands-on course is designed to equip you with the practical skills to process, transform, and analyze both raster and vector data efficiently. Whether you’re a GIS professional, developer, or researcher, mastering GDAL will streamline your workflows and elevate your data-handling capabilities.
In today’s data-driven world, geospatial information plays a critical role in decision-making across industries—from urban planning and environmental monitoring to logistics and disaster response. But working with geodata effectively requires more than just maps; it demands tools that are reliable, flexible, and efficient. GDAL is one of those tools.
As an open-source library supported by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation, GDAL enables professionals to read, convert, and transform geospatial data across a wide range of formats. Its strength lies in its versatility: GDAL handles both raster and vector data, supports powerful command-line utilities, and integrates easily with Python for automation. These features make it a go-to solution for geospatial data processing around the world.
As organizations increasingly rely on spatial data for real-time decision-making, the ability to process and manage this data efficiently is becoming a highly sought-after skill. This course will give you a strong foundation in GDAL, helping you work more confidently and effectively with the data that powers modern spatial analysis.
Throughout this course, you’ll get practical experience using GDAL to handle geospatial data workflows. You’ll start by learning how to read and write different data formats, understanding how raster and vector datasets behave in various project contexts. You’ll also explore data transformation techniques such as reprojection, clipping, and format conversion—ensuring your data is ready for whatever tools or analyses you need to run.
Once you’ve covered the fundamentals, you’ll move on to automation using GDAL’s scripting capabilities. You’ll learn how to create scripts that batch-process files, reducing time spent on repetitive tasks and increasing your accuracy. Whether you’re converting hundreds of files, generating mosaics, or automating spatial calculations, you’ll gain the skills to make GDAL work for you.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to transform geospatial data with confidence, apply it across multiple systems, and automate your workflows to save time and reduce errors.
If you’re serious about building your skills in geospatial data processing, this course offers a focused, hands-on pathway to mastering GDAL. It’s designed for professionals and students who need to get more out of their data—and their time.
The course begins with an overview of geospatial data formats, covering the differences between raster and vector types. You’ll set up your working environment, install GDAL with Python bindings, and learn to navigate its core tools. Early exercises include inspecting datasets with gdalinfo and ogrinfo, converting between raster formats like GeoTIFF and PNG, and working with projections and coordinate systems. You’ll also practice tasks like georeferencing, mosaicking raster files, resampling, and calculating raster band indices such as NDVI.
The second day dives deeper into vector data processing. You’ll explore how to read, convert, and write formats like Shapefile and GeoJSON, and apply transformations such as reprojection, clipping, buffering, and merging using ogr2ogr. The course then shifts toward automation. You’ll be introduced to scripting geospatial processes using Python and GDAL, learning how to batch-process datasets and chain together commands into reusable workflows. The day wraps up with a practical project: automating the mosaicking and reprojection of multiple raster files, followed by a group recap and discussion of real-world applications.
Do you have questions about the course content? Not sure if the course aligns with your learning objectives? Or would you prefer a private session or in-company training? We’re happy to assist—feel free to get in touch.
We aim to make our courses accessible to as many people as possible. If the course fee is a concern, instead of registering directly, you can indicate on the registration form that you’d like to receive a quote tailored to your needs. In many cases, we can offer flexible solutions. For instance, we can adjust the course content for large groups, shorten the course based on existing knowledge, or offer daily rates to suit your requirements.
Yes, you can reach out to the instructor with questions for up to 2 weeks after the course. Since the instructor is likely teaching other courses, we recommend emailing your questions to info@geo-ict.com. We’ll forward your inquiry to the instructor, and you’ll receive a response within 24 hours. After the 2-week period, we recommend using our Personalized Online Support for continued assistance.
Yes, we offer on-site training regularly throughout the Netherlands. Our instructor will bring laptops for the participants, and all you need to do is arrange a suitable room at your location.
Please send your requirements to info@geo-ict.com, and we will provide a customized quote, which will include travel and accommodation costs. Once the quote is confirmed, our course coordinator will reach out to schedule the training days.
After each course, participants receive a link to our evaluation portal where you can share your feedback on what you liked and didn’t like. We strive to provide a great experience for all our participants, but if you have a complaint, please click on ‘Complaints Procedure’ in the portal. This document will guide you through the steps to take. Geo-ICT Training Center, Netherlands, is a member of the Dutch Council for Training and Education (NRTO), ensuring a fair and transparent process.
Courses are typically scheduled according to the Dutch time zone, with sessions running from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. For participants in different time zones, we adjust the course times in consultation with you.
