KONINKLIJK NEDERLANDS GEOLOGISCH MIJNBOUWKUNDIG GENOOTSCHAP

Their core work

KNGMG is the Royal Netherlands Geological and Mining Society, a professional association that serves as a knowledge hub for the Dutch geosciences community. They connect geology professionals across academia, industry, and government, providing expertise in subsurface resources, mining heritage, and earth sciences. In H2020, they contributed geological domain knowledge and professional network access as a third-party affiliate, supporting projects on hydrogeology, raw materials, geothermal energy, and autonomous mine exploration.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

KNGMG's early H2020 involvement (2015) centered on foundational topics: building hydrogeology knowledge inventories (KINDRA) and fostering international cooperation on raw materials policy (INTRAW). By 2016, their project participation shifted toward applied technology — geothermal energy extraction from deep ore bodies and autonomous robotic exploration of flooded mines. This suggests a move from knowledge-mapping and policy toward technology-driven subsurface resource recovery.

KNGMG is moving from traditional geological knowledge brokering toward projects that apply advanced technology (robotics, electrochemistry) to subsurface resource challenges.

How they like to work

KNGMG participates exclusively as a third party — they are brought in by consortium members for their geological expertise and professional network, rather than leading or formally partnering in projects. With 62 unique partners across 28 countries, they connect to a remarkably broad network for an organization of their size, reflecting their role as a professional society that bridges many institutions. Working with them means tapping into the Dutch geosciences community and their extensive European contacts.

Despite participating only as a third party, KNGMG connects to 62 unique partners across 28 countries — an unusually wide network that reflects their role as a professional society bridging Dutch and European geoscience communities.

What sets them apart

As a 150+ year-old Dutch geological society, KNGMG offers something rare in EU projects: neutral, cross-institutional geological expertise backed by a professional membership spanning academia, industry, and government. They are not a research performer or technology developer — they are a knowledge broker and community connector for the geosciences. For consortium builders, they provide credibility, domain validation, and access to the Dutch subsurface expertise community without competing for research territory.

Highlights from their portfolio

• UNEXMIN
  Pioneered autonomous underwater robotics for exploring flooded mines — an unusual intersection of geology, robotics, and underwater technology.
• CHPM2030
  Ambitious concept combining geothermal energy, power generation, and metal extraction from ultra-deep ore bodies in a single system.
• INTRAW
  International raw materials cooperation project connecting EU with resource-rich countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, USA) on research and education.