Congress of the French Mineral Industries Society 2025 in Orléans.
© SIM
The French Mineral Industries Society, which will be celebrating its 170th anniversary in 2025, will be holding the 74th Société de l'Industrie Minérale (SIM) Congress from 15 to 17 October 2025 in Orléans.
The Congress and Exhibition of the French Mineral Industries Society (SIM) is the leading trade fair for the extractive-industry sector in France. It showcases the products and expertise of the sector's various equipment manufacturers and service providers.
The leading event for trade professionals in the mineral industry
This annual event brings together quarry and mine operators, processing companies, design offices, OEMs and service providers, government departments, schools and universities, trade organisations and experts in the various fields of mineral extraction. All the participants attend the congress to keep up to date with the latest developments in the sector thanks to a rich programme of conferences, lectures and round tables. The event also includes an exhibition dedicated to all the players in the sector, as well as tours of local industrial sites and informal moments during which participants can get together and exchange ideas.
Sustainable resources for a responsible industry
The theme of this year's congress is sustainable resources for a responsible industry. It will address different aspects of the mineral industry, from the production of primary and secondary resources to their uses in a diverse range of fields, which are broadly represented through several well-established local industries: ceramics, glass, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and construction. The congress will also address important associated issues, such as product recycling and recovery, biodiversity protection, energy, and the training of industrial players.
BRGM, the leading French expert in mineral resources, will be taking part in the SIM Congress
As a leading scientific player in the field of mineral resources, with its head office in Orléans, BRGM will be actively involved in this year's SIM Congress. Please read the information below to find out the precise details of our involvement:
Technical tour 1 - Innovation is a key factor for the exploitation of our subsurface: how geosciences can contribute to a sustainable Planet - BRGM, Tuesday 14 October, departure for the tour at 8:15am
BRGM's innovative platforms
BRGM presents its pioneering platforms for a sustainable future.
Plat'Inn transforms raw materials and waste into valuable resources, thereby promoting the circular economy. Discover how this metamorphosis takes place by visiting our pilot facility.
Prime, a cutting-edge laboratory, is testing advanced tools that can be used to decontaminate soil and water, opening up the way to the sustainable management of contaminated sites.
The Geothermal platform optimises geothermal heat exchangers to produce green energy and uses digital modelling to improve energy-production systems, thereby safeguarding the long-term supply of resources.
From rocks to technologies: BRGM reveals the secrets of France's subsurface
BRGM takes us on a fascinating journey that explores the depths of the Earth and the secrets of cutting-edge technologies, in order to improve the sustainable management of our resources.
The core-sample library: explore a unique collection of geological core samples, measuring a total of 40,000 linear metres. All the samples were extracted with precision and reveal secrets about the formation of the Earth and the presence of water, oil or minerals, providing essential information for our geological studies.
IRM (national inventory of mineral resources): a 5-year programme to identify strategic mineral resources. Using innovative techniques such as airborne geophysical surveys, BRGM is exploring five target areas in order to reinforce the security of France's critical metal supplies.
Mimaroc: this 4D micro-tomography platform was inaugurated in March 2023. Its purpose is to observe the evolution of geomaterials on a nanometric scale. It is used to support projects involving the management of geothermal resources and CO2 storage, thereby contributing to the energy transition and the fight against climate change.
Inaugural session - Sustainable resources for a responsible industrial sector - Wednesday 15 October, from 8:30am
With the contribution of Catherine Lagneau, BRGM Chair and CEO
The first round table, entitled "Sustainable resources", will bring together several experts and decision-makers, including Catherine Lagneau, Chair and CEO of BRGM, Benjamin Gallezot, Inter-ministerial Delegate for Strategic Supplies, Gilles Bloch, Chairman of the French National Museum of Natural History, and Alain Plantier, Chairman of UNICEM, to discuss issues ranging from resource and raw-material needs to the environment and living organisms.
The mineral resources inventory in France: progress and prospects - Side event at SIM, Thursday 16 October, from 11:15 a.m. - Room 1-2, Level 1, CO’Met
11:15 a.m. - Welcome remarks
- Catherine Lagneau, Chair and CEO of BRGM
- Christian Polak, President of SIM
11:25 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Round table: The Critical Raw Materials Act and its implementation in Europe and France
- Benjamin Gallezot (Interministerial Delegate for Strategic Minerals and Metals Supplies - DIAMMS)
- Christophe Poinssot (Deputy CEO of BRGM)
- Andrew Hayes (Chair of Aurelius Resources)
- Vincent Dufief (Vice-Chair of Corporate Affairs, Imerys Group)
- Chris Taylor (CEO, Aquitaine Metals)
12:00-12:15 p.m. - Update on the progress of the Mineral Resources Inventory (IRM)
Description of the approach, work in progress, initial results, etc.
- Blandine Gourcerol (BRGM), IRM Project Manager
- Karim Ben Slimane, Director of BRGM Explore
12:15-12:30 p.m. - Inventory approaches in Europe
- Guillaume Bertrand (BRGM), expert geologist in mineral resources
12:30-12:45 p.m. - Results of the IRM innovation competition
- Catherine Bonin, Director of Innovation, Commercial Affairs and International Relations at BRGM
12:45-1:00 p.m. - Press briefing
1:00 p.m. - Cocktail lunch
Technical workshop 1 - Mineral resources and regional industrial sectors - Thursday 16 October, from 8:30am
Drawing on five extremely complementary examples, this workshop aims to highlight the strong and wide-ranging links that exist between mineral resources and regional industries, including the various associated uses and markets beyond.
BRGM will be contributing on the subject of:
Mineral abundance and the cosmetics industry: an assessment index to promote the responsible use of mineral raw materials - Nicolas Charles, BRGM, and Julien Aupoil, l'Oréal
Technical workshop 4 - Initiatives for a responsible industrial sector - Thursday 16 October, from 2:00pm
Corporate social responsibility covers a wide range of issues: the environment, social well-being, governance, stakeholder relations, etc. Today, many operators involved in the minerals sector are seeking to improve their practices in these different areas, and to make people aware of their achievements and progress. Over the last few years, various standards and benchmarks – some more ambitious than others – have been developed, enabling companies to implement a structured and rigorous approach to improving their practices in terms of CSR. The workshop will provide a brief overview of the overall developments and present some of these voluntary initiatives – both in France and around the world – in more detail. A round-table discussion will give participants an opportunity to discuss the position, and limitations, of these voluntary initiatives in relation to the regulations.
BRGM will be contributing on the subject of:
Responsible mining: an overview of the various initiatives taken to address a concept that remains subject to debate - Patrick d'Hugues, BRGM
Technical workshop 5 - The life-cycle of a mine in its environment: impacts and rehabilitation - Friday 17 October, from 8:30am
Today, operators are carrying out significant work on mines and quarries, which are either still in operation or have been closed, in order to reduce their environmental impact and communicate more effectively with the local population. This workshop will look at the legal obligations of companies, depending on whether they are classified as operators of mines or quarries, and will use a variety of examples that illustrate how to manage post-mining and rehabilitation operations effectively. There are inherent issues and problems linked to former mining sites, notably risks to local health and the environment, or how to extract critical raw materials from mining waste. These issues are all the more important against the backdrop of global change. Presenting the associated data online, an example of which will be provided, represents a way of building transparent relations with stakeholders. The workshop will also present an example of how excavated soil can be stored in a quarry during the mining process. This project led to a long term solution in consultation with local residents, resulting in a positive impact on the social life of the local population.
BRGM will be contributing on the subject of:
Rehabilitation of former metal mines: creating value while managing health and environmental risks - Dominique Guyonnet, BRGM
Technical workshop 6 - Artificial intelligence: already at work in the mineral industry - Friday 17 October, from 8:30am
Extractive industries are no strangers to automation or monitoring, whichever the segment of the market concerned. However, today, we need to consider what transformations artificial intelligence will bring, or has already brought. We will start by looking at certain definitions and then the segments concerned. We will see that the contribution of AI will not be the same everywhere. Indeed, it will depend on the segment, whether that be the exploration and "project generation" phase, construction, operation and production, ore processing or the post-mine phase.
Technological trends aimed at improving productivity can currently be summed up as follows: automation, workforce tracking, GPS technologies, digital twins, operational intelligence, and wireless monitoring – essentially robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning. However, AI is already being used, particularly in the exploration, development and exploitation phases.
BRGM will be contributing on the subject of:
New exploration techniques for mining inventories - Nicolas Gilardi, BRGM
Geotourism tour of Orléans - Friday 17 October, from 2:00pm
Orléans is set in a privileged location on the banks of the Loire. The town stretches from the Beauce plateau in the north and along the Loire Valley to the Sologne region in the south. With a rich cultural heritage dating back almost 2,200 years, the "Joan of Arc" city also has a geological history that goes back almost 20 million years. An area with swampy lakes that received eroded rocks from the Massif Central and was shaped by tumultuous rivers during the Ice Ages, the subsurface of the Orléans region bears witness to the landscapes of the past. A walk around Orléans will be organised to discover the geodiversity of the city, through its landscape and monuments, as well as the risks associated with the city's subsurface.
The organisation of the tour will depend on the weather conditions.
