EAGE NEWS
Ukrainian Geoinformatics conference held successfully online We successfully concluded the 19th Conference on Geoinformatics: Theoretical and Applied Aspects and would like to thank all participants for their contribution to the conference, the first to be held in a new format. Just a month and a half before the conference it became clear that the traditionally conference could not be held, and so we found ourselves in a tight time frame to reorganize the event online rather than cancel or postpone for an indefinite period. There are no ready-made solutions in the world to manage a conference for more than 150 reports in an online format. We chose the path of pioneers and announced that the conference would take place no matter what. With the technical committee we developed an approach to the implementation of the conference in the shortest possible time by creating a conference web portal and applying the Zoom platform solutions. This proved a simple and effective solution for holding online conferences with both oral presentations and posters.
From 11-14 May the Geoinformatics Conference was held in compliance with the whole scientific programme, 156 out of 158 reports were presented, which is the highest rate even for our traditional conference. The event allowed for informal communication with colleagues from different countries during training sessions and breaks in the main programme, as well as animated discussion of the presentations and interesting questions. In total, the conference was attended by over 350 participants, compared with a maximum of 250 in previous years. During the conference days there were two virtual halls where oral presentations were made. Poster sessions were presented electronically on the website, and speakers were able to talk live about their work in additional virtual rooms. The most crowded day was 12 May, when 310 participants entered Hall 1. In total 1200 unique visitors to our web portal were registered during the conference days, more than 10,000 pages were viewed.
Overall, 90% of participants were satisfied with the new format and found it accessible, and more than 60% stated that it was more convenient than the traditional conferences. It seems the time has come for hybrid events, where delegates may came to the conference, while others visit online. We will continue to work towards the development of such events, and we invite everyone to take part in other events in Ukraine of which three more are planned for this year: 2nd EAGE workshop on assessment of landslide hazards and impact on communities, 8-11 September 2020, Kyiv, Ukraine; 14th International Scientific Conference ‘Monitoring of Geological Processes and Ecological Condition of the Environment, 10-13 November 2020, Кyiv, Ukraine; and GEOTERRACE-2020 International Conference of Young Professionals 7-9 December, 2020, Lviv, Ukraine. All information about these events can be found at eage.org.
GET2020 conference to play a key role in energy transition conversation If we learned anything from the COVID19 crisis, it is that we need to seek collaboration, learn from experts, and be open to change. That’s why EAGE’s first Geoscience & Engineering in Energy Transition Conference (GET2020) scheduled for 16-18 November in Strasbourg, France provides an important opportunity. The world climate is changing more rapidly than expected, caused by the increasing use of fossil fuels for energy production. A rapid growth in renewable energy supply is needed now more than ever. And, in addition, the decarbonization of the industry using Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is required. 12
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All options have to be applied simultaneously, to finally have a chance at stopping the increase of CO2 production. The usage of the earth’s subsurface plays a pivotal role in most of the technologies, which contribute to slow down the greenhouse effect. Adapted geosciences are needed to ensure safe and environmentally friendly handling of the subsurface. EAGE understands the key role that geoscientists play in this energy transition and that the new era will bring both opportunities as well as challenges. To further the discussion on the role geoscientists can play, EAGE is inviting geoscientists, industry, and public authorities to participate. Key topics will cover Geothermal, CCS, Energy Storage, 2020
Cross-Uses & Disciplines, and Solutions, and Society & Government. We are carefully monitoring the COVD-19 situation. If the situation requires us to make changes to the setup or venue (e.g. online) of the event, we will do this. The current energy transition will be the framework of what all geoscientists will do in the future, therefore we encourage all geoscientists, subsurface engineers, energy providers, the industrial sector, researchers and academics, public authorities and other stakeholders to participate in the conference and join the conversation on shaping the future. To learn more and register, check out the website GET2020.org.