2026

HSGME
Conference

Underground
Solutions for
Surface
Challenges

The Conference of the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration serves as an institutional platform for dialogue on issues of strategic importance concerning the future of the subsurface, energy, the environment, and the resilience of modern societies.

The 2026 Conference will take place on July 2–3, 2026, at the EAGME Amphitheatre in the Olympic Village, Athens.

Under the central theme “Earth & Future: Underground Solutions for Surface Challenges”, the conference aims to build upon the momentum created by last year’s event, which highlighted the critical role of geosciences in sustainable development, the energy transition, and the management of natural resources.

The conference discussions will focus on:

→critical raw materials and Europe’s strategic autonomy,
→ climate resilience and geological solutions for the green transition,
→ water resources and contemporary management challenges,
→ geothermal energy, energy storage and underground infrastructure,
→ geohazards, civil protection and natural disaster prevention,
→ digital applications, geospatial data and emerging technologies in geosciences.

This year’s event further expands the scope of dialogue by addressing the major environmental, geopolitical and technological challenges of our time, bringing together representatives from the scientific community, public policy, industry and the international community.

Our speakers

Julie Hollis

Αγγελική Βαρελά

Πρόεδρος ΕΟΤ

Αθανάσιος Κεφάλας

Αικατερίνη Κάβουρα

Αλέκα Σταματιάδη

Αλεξάνδρα Ζερβάκου

Αλέξανδρος Γ. Λιακόπουλος

Ανεζίνα Σολωμονίδου

Άνθιμος Ξενίδης

Αντώνης Λατούρος

Απόστολος Αρβανίτης

Αργύρης Δεμερτζής

Αριστοφάνης Στεφάτος

Ασημίνα Αντωναράκου

Βασίλειος Γαγάνης

Stavros PapastavrouMinister of Environment and Energy

Nikolaos TsafosDeputy Minister of Environment and Energy

Petros VarelidisSecretary General of Natural Environment & Water, Ministry of Environment and Water

Manolis GrafakosGeneral Secretary for Waste Management Coordination,Ministry of Environment and Energy of Greece

Petros KampourisSecretary General for Recovery and State Support- Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection

Despoina PaliaroutaSecretary General for Energy & Mineral Resources, Ministry of Environment and Energy

Angela VarelaPresident of the board Greek Tourism Organization

Marianthi AnastasatouExecutive, Department of Geochemistry & Environment, Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Asimina AntonarakouChairman of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, NKUA

Nikos ArvanitidisDr. Nikolaos Arvanitidis, Economic Geologist

Apostolos ArvanitisDr. Head of the Department of Geothermal and Thermal Natural Resources, H.S.G.M.E

Kyriakos AsimakopoulosDirector of Quarries and Raw Materials, Heracles Lafarge Holcim

Eleni AthanasiouHead of Department of Flood Risk - Water Scarcity Management & Management of Water Demand, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Greece

Constadinos AthanassoulisGeologist – Mineralopetrologist Hellenic Suevey for Geology and Mineral Research (E.A.G.M.E.) Directorate of Water Resources and Geothermal Energy Head of the Department of Analytical Laboratories Department of Geothermal and Thermal Natural Resources

Dimitris AvarlisJournalist, Energygame

Christos BalaskasPresident, Hellenic Gold

Efi BarbatsiJournalist, ALPHA TV

Spyridon BellasPrincipal Investigator, Foundation for Research and Technology (FORTH)

Θάνος ΒερέμηςΙστορικός - Ομότιμος Καθηγητής, ΕΚΠΑ

Μενέλαος ΓαρδικιώτηςΠρόεδρος, ΓΕΩΤΕΕ

Olga ChalkiadakiChemist MSc, PhD Executive of the Department of Analytical Laboratories (T.ANE.) Hellenic Geological & Mining Research Authority (E.A.G.M.E.)

Maria DanielGeneral Director of Technical Services and Projects of the Municipality of Athens

Panagiotis DaoultzisDirector of Geological Survey, Hellas Gold

Argyris DemertzisJournalist, Ecopress

Dimitris DermatasProfessor of Geoenvironmental Pollution, Director of the Department of Water Resources & Environment, School of Civil Engineering, NTUA

Michalis DiakakisAssistant Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, specializing in Extreme Events and Natural Disasters

Salomi DiakrousiEducation Manager Education/Marketing Department AFIS

Niki EvelpidouProfessor, Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Charalampos (Babbis) FassoulasLTS/ Curator of Geological - Paleontological Collections NHMC, Uni. Crete

Ioannis ZafiratosDirector of Metallic, Energy and Industrial Minerals Directorate, General Directorate of Mineral Raw Materials, General Secretariat of Energy and MRMs MOEE Greece

Vasilios GaganisAssociate Professor at the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens

Dimitrios GalanakisDirector of Natural & Technological Risk Management,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Lia GalaniProfessor, Head of Education in Geography and Geosciences, EKPA

Loukas GeorgalasHead of the Water Services Planning & Management Directorate, Ministry of Environment & Energy

Evangelos GoundoufasDirector General of Forests and Forest Environment, General Secretariat for Forests, Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy

Dionysios GoutisGeneral Manager,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Julie HollisSecretary General, EuroGeoSurveys

Δημήτρης ΚαλιαμπάκοςNTUA Professor, Member of NTUA’s Administrative Board

Βασίλειος ΚαραστάθηςΔιευθυντής Γεωδυναμικού Ινστιτούτου (ΓΕΙΝ), Εθνικό Αστεροσκοπείο

Letta KalamaraJournalist, Maritime Affairs

Christos KanellopoulosExecutive, Department of Mineral & Mining Research, Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Aikaterini KavouraExecutive of the Department of General Geology, Geological Survey

Athanasios KefalasChairman, IMERYS GREECE S.A. & Vice President, Hellenic Volunteer Managers Center (KEMEL)

Paschalia KiomourtziDr,Subsurface Lead, EnEarth

Sotirios A. KokkalasProfessor of Neotectonics-Microtectonics-Geotectonics, Department of Geology, University of Patras

Konstantinos KontodimosGeneral Secretary of the IGME Trade Union H.S.G.M.E

Eleni ZaganaProfessor of Hydrogeology–Hydrochemistry in the Department of Geology at the University of Patras

Nikolaos KoukouzasDirector of Research CERTH/CPERI

Konstantinos N. LaskaridisDr Geologist, Head of the Directorate of Mineral Resources and Mining-DOPME, Technical Manager of LITHOS Laboratory, National Representative of EuroGeoSurveys National Delegate EuroGeoSurveys

Antonis LatourosPresident, Aggregates Europe

Efthimios LekkasProfessor of Dynamic Tectonics, Applied Geology & Natural Disaster Management, NKUA

Alexandros G. LiakopoulosGeologist – Geochemist, Head of the Department of Geochemistry and Environment,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Fay MakantasiDirector of Research, diaNEOsis

Kyriaki (Kiki) MakriDr Geoscience Education. Vice President of the Board of the Geological Society of Greece / Council Member in the International Geoscience Education Organization (IGEO)

Spyridon MamalisProfessor,Chairman of the Board

Emmanuel ManolisSecretary of the Committee of the Federation of Miners of Northern Greece (OME)

Vasilis MarinosPresident of the International Association of Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG) & Associate Professor of Engineering Geology and Rock Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, School of Civil Engineering.

Vasilios MelfosProfessor of Economic Geology-Geochemistry School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Ioannis MichalakisHead of the Crete Regional Unit, Hellenic Geological and Mining Research Authority (HSGME)

George MytilineosDirector, Critical Raw Materials & Circular Metals, Metlen

Anhtimos XenidisProfessor, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

Evangelos NikolaouGeologist-Engineer Head of Epirus Regional Unit Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Paraskevi (Evi) NomikouProfessor of Physical Geography and Geological Oceanography, NKUA

Elias PalialexisJournalist, APE

Konstantinos PapakonstantinouAggregates Operations Director, ΤΙΤΑΝ

Dimitrios PapanikolaouProfessor Emeritus of Dynamics, Tectonics and Applied Geology, National University of Athens

Fanis PapathanasiouJournalist, ERT NEWS

Costas PapazachosProfessor of Seismology & Geophysics, Aristotle University

Panagiotis PaschosExecutive of the Epirus Regional Unit,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Dimítris Pefánis 16 Dimitris PefanisJournalist, CNN Greece

Anezina Solomonidou, PhDPlanetologist, Scientific Officer at HSC

Eleftheria PogiatziDirector of General & Applied Geology,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Lazaros PolymenakosHead of the Department of Applied Geophysics, Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Dafni PontikouDaphne Pontikou Geologist Museum Educator Coordinator of Educational Programs, National Geological Museum, Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Dimitrios PrimpasGeneral Manager, IBM Greece and Cyprus

Dimitrios PsychoyiosVice President at Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste & Water (Greece), Chairman of the Water Services Regulation Sector

Lambros PyrgiotisHead of the Department of Technical Geology, EAGME

Νίκος ΣέργηςCEO, Hellenic Space Center

Charalambos SachinisCEO, EYDAP

Konstantinos SaltasChairman of the Board, Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Konstantinos SamarasSenior Information Security & Infrastructure Engineer

Panagiotis SampatakakisDirector of Water Resources and Geothermal Energy,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Πέτρος ΤζεφέρηςΓενικός Διευθυντής Ορυκτών Πρώτων Υλών, ΥΠΕΝ

Christos SkevasCountry Manager, Rockfire Resources plc

Irene ZananiriHead, Department of General Geology, Geological Mapping & Applications,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Michael StamatakisProfessor Emeritus, NKUA, Industrial Minerals

Aleka StamatiadiCommunication Consultant, Dr. Media, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Kostis StambolisPresident & Executive Director, South East Europe Energy Institute

Aristofanis StefatosCEO of the Hellenic Hydrocarbon and Energy Resources Management Company S.A. (EDEYEP).

Georgios StoubosGeorgios Stoumpos, President of the Committee of Engineering Geology of the Geological Society of Greece & Head of the Department of Mechanized Tunnelling (Design Department) at ELLINIKO METRO S.A.

Κostas SynolakisProfessor of Natural Disasters, University of Southern California

Efthymios TartarasDr, Head of Geosciences and Management Consultant, HEREMA

Stavros TomazinakisAdvisor to the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy

Kostas TriantisCEO, Natural Environment and Climate Agency

Yiannis TzanopoulosJournalist & CEO, Liberty Experience

Maria TzimaPresident of Association of Greek Geologists

Mina RalliJournalist & News Presenter, ERTNews

Effrosyni VarvitsiotiDirector of Development and Policy at the Directorate General for Mineral Raw Materials of the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy

Dimitrios VoloudakisDirector of Programmes, New Agriculture New Generation Scientific Associate, Academy of Athens

Dr. Konstantinos VoudourisProfessor of Hydrogeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Konstantinos YazitzoglouChairman of the Board Greek Mining Enterprises Association

Alexandra ZervakouExecutive of the Department of General Geology, Geological Mapping and Applications, Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Konstantinos ZombosPress Spokesperson of the Attica Region

Vasilios ZorapasHead of the Department of Hydrogeology and Hydrology,Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME)

Nikos ZourosProfessor of Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Geotectonics and Geodynamics at the Department of Geography of the University of the Aegean

Program 2026

View the detailed program for the 2026 conference.