Ceremony, relaunched by Marc Ferracci, former Minister of Industry and Energy, at which Mines medals were awarded to 8 BRGM employees or collaborators, in the presence of Catherine Lagneau, BRGM Chair and CEO, and Christophe Poinssot, Deputy CEO.
© BRGM
Marc Ferracci, former Minister for Industry and Energy, opened a moving and symbolic ceremony on 4 December, Sainte Barbe's Day, in a space dedicated to history and the transmission of knowledge: the Mineralogy Museum of the Ecole des Mines Paris – PSL.
A ceremony marking the return of the Mines medal awards after having been discontinued for 20 years
The Mines medals reward people who, through their expertise and day-to-day commitment, have contributed to knowledge of the subsurface, in the interests of innovation and France's sovereignty.
There are some ceremonies that should never disappear, because they say something essential about who we are. About what we want to transmit. About what we want to construct. The Mines medal ceremony is one such tradition.
Eight people rewarded for their commitment
Eight people were honoured at the ceremony. Marc Ferracci recalled that they are “the heirs of those who put our country back up on its feet in 1945, tonne after tonne, to heat us, light us and rebuild our cities.”
He went on to say:
"You are the France of hope. The France which projects itself into the future, clear about its strengths and weaknesses, aware of its immense assets. For let us make no mistake: mines are not just part of our past, they are a condition for our future freedom. In an increasingly uncertain world, we need men and women who are preparing our strategic independence. You embody the innovation whereby France knows how to harness geology for clean energy, to transfer lithium into mobility and know-how into sovereignty.
In honouring these eight individuals, we are highlighting more than just their careers. We are honouring lives devoted to knowledge, to risk control and to ensuring the safety of our regions. The medal you have received this evening is in recognition of a debt. The debt of a country that knows how much it owes you. You are the guardians of a memory that has shaped France for two centuries. You are the pathfinders of our future sovereignty."
Valérie Wypych, from BRGM's regional post-mining unit for northern France, recipient of the silver medal.
© BRGM
Ioannis Ignatiadis, from BRGM's Decarbonised Energy Division, recipient of the silver medal.
© BRGM
Jean-Dominique Barnichon, from BRGM’s Risk Division, recipient of the silver medal.
© BRGM
Karim Ben Slimane, from BRGM Explore, recipient of the vermilion medal.
© BRGM
Bernard Sanjuan, from BRGM's Decarbonised Energy Division, recipient of the vermilion medal.
© BRGM
ALAIN PAULY, retired, from BRGM's regional post-mining unit for eastern France, recipient of the gold medal.
© BRGM
Michel Dietz, retired, from BRGM’s regional post-mining unit for central and western France, recipient of the gold medal.
© BRGM
Philippe Merle, from the General Economic Council, recipient of the gold medal.
© BRGM
