The European Federation of Geologists was in Pau, France, from 16 to 18 June 2026 for the Pau Geosciences Week, a gathering that brought together the GEODAYS industry forum and LearnGeo 2026, the French-language geoscience education and outreach conference co-organised by EFG and its French member, the Société Géologique de France (SGF).
GEODAYS, held on 16 and 17 June at the Palais Beaumont, provided a dynamic meeting point for geoscience professionals, researchers and industry stakeholders. The event, which is organised by EFG’s Associate Member Pôle Avenia, featured a busy exhibition floor and a series of presentations covering the latest developments in subsurface energy, geothermal solutions, underground storage, and geoscience innovation. EFG and SGF were present with a joint booth, where EFG President David Govoni, EFG Executive Director Anita Stein and SGF Director Lise Teissier du Cros engaged with attendees and promoted the European Geologist professional title with a special discount on new applications. The two days concluded with a joint cocktail reception on 17 June, officially launching LearnGeo 2026 alongside the GEODAYS community.
LearnGeo 2026 took place on 18 June with a full day of French-language presentations and workshops aimed at science teachers, career guidance counsellors and university students. Conducted under the theme “Les Géosciences? Agir pour demain!” (Geosciences? Act for tomorrow!), the conference set out to illustrate the breadth and societal relevance of the geoscience profession to the next generation.
The programme brought together speakers from academia and industry to address some of the most pressing challenges facing modern societies. Topics ranged from geothermal energy and underground energy storage to natural hydrogen prospecting, the extraction of aggregates as the world’s most widely used raw material, land-use planning and geology, the anchoring of offshore wind turbines, and the relationship between mining and environmental protection. Contributing organisations included ARVERNE, AGES Energy, TEREGA, the University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour, TBH2, Groupe Daniel, Ginger Group, TotalEnergies, and the University of Toulouse.
EFG’s co-organisation of LearnGeo reflects its ongoing commitment to geoscience education, outreach and public awareness. By bringing together students, educators and professionals in a shared space, the event demonstrated how geoscience knowledge underpins the energy transition, territorial development and environmental stewardship — topics that sit at the heart of EFG’s mission. See below how the events went.
As part of LearnGeo 2026, EFG was pleased to award a travel grant to Aboutarouk Ayoub, a PhD researcher in economic geology and remote sensing, enabling his participation in the two days of talks and workshops in Pau. The grant was sponsored by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).
Reflecting on the experience, Aboutarouk said:
“The LearnGeo grant brought me to Pau in June 2026 for two days of talks and workshops covering the full range of subsurface applications from geothermal energy and underground storage to natural hydrogen and offshore wind.
As a PhD researcher in economic geology and remote sensing, it represented a valuable opportunity to advance my career. It was a chance to meet geologists working across industry and academia in Europe at a stage where those connections matter.
The programme pushed me outside my immediate research area and gave me a clearer sense of how geological expertise feeds into the energy transition. I left with both new contacts and a broader view of the field.”
Presentation materials from the morning session of LearnGeo 2026 will be made available soon for those who were unable to attend.
