At a glance
Collecting and disseminating geological and environmental data, modelling and simulating the subsurface, for open and more predictive geoscience
Given the growing role of the subsurface in societal issues, geoscience must be able to produce new scientific knowledge more effectively, provide reliable input for political choices and inform the public.
To achieve this, it is necessary:
- to speed up the production and dissemination of scientific data and knowledge, to collect data on the subsurface and make it available,
- and to improve geoscience modelling and forecasting capabilities, developing models that reproduce the reality of underground space as faithfully as possible.
Drawing on technological and scientific advances in the digital field, the BRGM is adapting its missions to transform the benefits of these developments into services for society. The organisation also engages with the business sector by developing digital tools for companies and industry.
This transformation concerns both its scientific practices (automation, platforms, artificial intelligence) and the ways in which it interacts with society (digital twins, etc.), with particular attention being paid to issues of digital sobriety, sovereignty and ethics.
The aim of the "EaSy Data" national data warehouse is to centralise, organise and share the large quantity of so-called orphan data on the environment and the Earth system.
© BRGM
Strategic challenges
Transforming geoscience through digital technology
To meet the challenges posed by the subsurface in a rapidly changing world, it is essential to produce scientific knowledge more quickly and improve geoscience prediction capabilities.
This requires the ability to file all existing scientific knowledge and data and make it available, and to develop high-performance numerical models to exploit it.
As the subsurface moves to centre stage among today's societal challenges, geoscience must transform itself to incorporate new digital resources and methodologies and promote its open and reproducible development, to better inform political decisions and communicate on subsurface issues to society as a whole.
For several years now, BRGM, renowned for its geoscience databases and digital services, has been ensuring the sustainable management of its digital assets, in accordance with the principles of open science. Advances in data science and supercomputing now make it possible to run more complex and accurate simulations. To take full advantage of these methods, BRGM is pursuing its digital transition, both in its scientific approach and practices (automation, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, etc.) and in the way it interacts with society (e.g. the use of digital twins), while remaining attentive to the need for sober management of digital resources and to ethical and data sovereignty issues.
Data to support the green transition
✓ For more efficient public services ✓ For a more resilient economy ✓ For better-informed citizens
Clarifying the issues through reference portals
The BRGM helps people to understand natural and technological risks in order to raise public awareness and anticipate risks in spatial planning.
Simplifying regulatory procedures
BRGM experts ensure compliance with environmental standards through their sector-specific expertise and facilitate the digital implementation of legal obligations.
Optimising the monitoring of potential industrial pollution
Databases that are continuously updated facilitate the government’s efforts to protect the environment and enable the exchange of data between public bodies and operators.
Digitising workplaces
Support for local authorities through dedicated platforms that bring together and simplify access to the regulations applicable to a given context and identify the obligations specific to a particular facility.
BRGM geoscientific databases and data dissemination websites.
© BRGM
Ambition
Help to develop more predictive and open geoscience
BRGM is already recognised as a national authority in the management of the geoscientific and environmental data cycle. Its ambition is to continue to play this leading role and to extend its influence throughout Europe. The aim is to contribute to the development of geoscience that is more global, more predictive, more integrative and more open and reproducible, in order to respond more effectively to the challenges facing society.
To achieve this, BRGM is:
- developing digital technology for and through science, by strengthening R&D in digital science (data science, computational science, e-infrastructure engineering, artificial intelligence, digital twins) to meet the specific needs of geoscience and the challenges facing society,
- working to capitalise on and disseminate data and codes more efficiently, in line with open science policies and major research infrastructures,
- pursuing the digital transformation of its scientific practices, producing scientific knowledge and promoting them in support of public policy and as commercial products.
Services to accelerate adaptation to climate change
✓ The BRGM is turning its expertise into digital services that benefit businesses and society. ✓ It works with them to develop bespoke, effective and tailored solutions.
BRGM's added value
- Knowledge, management and dissemination of many of the national databases on urban ground, the subsurface and its resources throughout the country.
- The ability to study and develop the entire life cycle of subsurface data, and knowledge of these data, the corresponding standards and appropriate processing algorithms.
- Dual expertise in digital science and geoscience, which can be mobilised across the R&D–expertise–innovation continuum, and experience in the use of related data.
- Expertise that has been recognised for many years, particularly by public authorities, in the development and operation of national or regional digital services (e.g. Géorisques portal, HubEau, etc.)
What kind of partnership initiatives?
Optimising the use of data to make it easier to share
- Adding value to subsurface data from public or private databases;
- Developing digital services and expert appraisal based on the cross-referencing of data.
Facilitating decision-making on projects involving the subsurface by better predicting the phenomena associated with their use
- Developing digital twins and decision support systems for the main subsurface application sectors, based on ground and subsurface models and data and related resources.
Improving the predictive power of resources according to subsurface uses by combining modelling technologies such as AI
- Developing predictive geoscience techniques for different types of applications (water resource management, natural hazards, crisis management support tools, etc.) by adapting computing science approaches, as well as machine learning and various artificial intelligence (AI) techniques.
Accelerating and securing the data lifecycle
- Developing modern and innovative digital engineering, by operating digital infrastructures (e.g. regional DataCentres), and by developing suitable work environments and digital services based on geoscience expertise.
Innovating for and with economic stakeholders
- Co-development of new on-demand digital tools and services
- Patents and transferable software
- Investment in your projects through BRGM Invest
Contributing to corporate social responsibility
- Digital traceability for the responsible sourcing of your resources
- Decision-support tools to optimise access to resources
- Digital support for monitoring regulatory obligations relating to waste
Safeguarding economic activity
- Support for the use and interpretation of data
- Mapping or predictive models of resources, alternative resources
- Mapping of risks (natural or technological) to aid decision-making and secure land tenure
