GeoLaB at Conferences

Science thrives on networking and exchange. For this reason, the GeoLaB project regularly participates in national and international conferences. Our contributions include presentations, poster sessions, panels, and information booths on the research infrastructure. The following events provide a brief overview of our participation in conferences, symposia, and workshops, and of our exchange with the scientific community.

Picture from the GeoTHERM with the drill core

GeoTHERM 2026

The GeoTHERM in Offenburg, Baden, is a highlight for research and development in the field of geothermal energy every March. As Europe’s largest trade fair for geothermal energy, it brings together representatives from industry, research, planning, public authorities, and politics. The focus is on the application of technologies for the use of geothermal energy.

GeoLaB was presented at the exhibition stands of KIT and GFZ. With the film about the exploration phase, visitors to the stand were able to gain an impression of the exploration work carried out in the Odenwald over the past months. A video of the digital twin showed which data had been collected, bringing together all the data generated within GeoLaB. The drill core from the first exploratory borehole at the Tromm in the Odenwald provided a direct impression of the crystalline subsurface and conveyed some of the fascination of geoscientific research.

The Geothermal Congress 2025

At the Geothermal Congress 2025 in Frankfurt, around 600 participants and about 280 presentations demonstrated how geothermal energy is gaining increasing importance in Germany. KIT and GFZ were represented with two stands, presenting the project film and information materials and engaging with visitors for questions and discussion.

A special highlight for us was a session dedicated specifically to GeoLaB. The positive response showed how well GeoLaB is integrated into the research landscape in Germany. At the same time, it highlighted the importance of GeoLaB for fundamental research on deep geothermal energy.

Group photo of the roundtable participants at EGC 2025

European Geothermal Congress 2025

The European Geothermal Congress (EGC) is the largest and most important European conference on geothermal energy. The congress brings together representatives from science, industry, politics, and the financial sector to discuss current developments in the use of geothermal energy. The 2025 edition took place from October 6th–10th at the Kongresshaus in Zurich.

GeoLaB was represented with several contributions and presented both scientific results and aspects of science communication.

Bastian Rudolph introduced the GeoLaB research infrastructure, its current stage of development, and its strategic significance.
Fiorenza Deon provided an overview of the geological exploration in the Odenwald, which aims to determine whether the subsurface is suitable for the planned research.
Jens Grimmer presented the geological results of the first exploratory borehole.
Regina Schwald, Polina Häfner, and Jérôme Azzola took part in a panel discussion on the communication of geothermal projects and presented GeoLaB as an example of a research infrastructure. The discussion addressed strategies for transparent communication, media work—including the use of virtual reality—as well as dialogue with the public and their involvement through participatory monitoring.