The integration of artificial intelligence with geosciences is transforming how we explore for minerals, monitor environmental change, and manage natural resources. In 2026, the UK and Europe are hosting several world-class conferences at the intersection of AI and geosciences. Here are the top events you need to attend.
1. Mining World Congress 2026
Dates: 15–16 December 2026
Location: The Great Hall, Kensington, London, UK
Website: miningconferences.org
The Mining World Congress is the premier event for the global mining, minerals and metals community, with a strong emphasis on how AI, Physical AI and ESG are reshaping the industry. The 2026 edition brings together 200+ decision-makers from 25 markets, with 63% C-suite attendance.
Keynote Speakers & Profiles
Ilya Epikhin — Global Head, Natural Resources, Arthur D. Little. A leading voice on how AI is transforming natural resource strategy.
Mikhail Nikomarov — Partner & Associate Director, BCG. Advises mining houses on digital transformation and AI adoption.
Charles Vivian — Partner, Tavistock. Expertise in financial and strategic dimensions of mining in an AI-driven era.
Andrew Britton — Founder & CEO, Kumi Consulting. Operational excellence in mining through technology.
William Mason — Senior Principal Analyst, S&P Global. Critical minerals and data-driven mining intelligence.
Mike Placer — VP, Americas Sector Lead, Worley. Engineering and project delivery for the energy transition.
Steven Fox — Executive Chairman & Founder, Veracity Worldwide. Risk management and governance in mining.
Claude Baissac — Founder & CEO, Eunomix. Political and economic risk analysis for mining investments.
Stacy Hope — Partner, Managing Director, ERM. ESG in mining and AI for monitoring and compliance.
Kevin Brewer — President, CEO & Director, CMC Metals. Critical minerals development and strategy.
Christopher Galvin — Head of Communications, Icoca. Strategic communications for natural resources.
Mahnaz Khan — VP, Critical Supply Chains, Silverado. Resilient critical mineral supply chains through intelligence.
2. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2026
Dates: 27 April – 2 May 2026
Location: Vienna, Austria
Website: egu.eu
Europe’s largest geosciences conference with 18,000+ scientists. Features dedicated sessions on machine learning for Earth observation, AI in seismology, deep learning for climate modelling, and neural networks in geophysics.
3. The Geological Society — AI in Geoscience 2026
Dates: 9–10 June 2026
Location: Burlington House, London, UK
Website: geolsoc.org.uk
Hosted by the Geological Society of London, this specialist conference focuses exclusively on AI in the geosciences: AI for geological mapping, predictive modelling in mineral systems, and automated core logging.
4. Near Surface Geoscience 2026
Dates: 7–11 September 2026
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Website: eage.org
Organised by EAGE, covering AI in near-surface geophysics, environmental monitoring, machine learning for ground-penetrating radar, and automated inversion techniques.
5. AI in Earth Sciences Conference 2026
Dates: 20–22 October 2026
Location: Berlin, Germany
Website: AIES Conference
Academic and industry conference on AI methods applied to Earth sciences: remote sensing, geostatistics, natural hazard prediction, and mineral prospectivity mapping. Hands-on PyTorch and TensorFlow workshops.
6. Critical Minerals & AI Summit Europe 2026
Dates: 4–5 November 2026
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Website: Critical Minerals Summit
How AI is accelerating critical mineral discovery across Europe. AI-driven geochemical analysis, satellite imagery for exploration, and automated resource modelling.
Why These Conferences Matter in 2026
AI is no longer experimental in geosciences — it is becoming central to resource discovery, environmental monitoring, geological modelling, and investment decisions. These six conferences represent the best opportunities in the UK and Europe in 2026 to stay ahead.
Book your place for Mining World Congress 2026 at miningconferences.org/register.