From History to Innovation: Expominerales Madrid 2025 and the Mining of the Future

Madrid has historically been a nerve center for mining and innovation in natural resource engineering. Expominerales Madrid 2025 will reflect this legacy, highlighting the scientific importance of minerals and the evolution of mining in technological development.

The training of mining engineers in Spain began in 1777 with the Almadén Mining Academy, created by order of Carlos III. In 1835, the studies were moved to Madrid and, in 1971, became part of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM).

SOMP, one of the oldest scientific societies in the world, had among its founders three Spaniards, including the Elhúyar brothers. In 2027, Spain will host its Annual World Meeting, organized by UPM and the University of Huelva. ETSIME-UPM will host the scientific sessions, while the University of Huelva will coordinate the technical visits.

Expominerales Madrid 2025 is aimed at all audiences, with a special emphasis on children and young people, offering lectures, workshops and interactive activities to foster interest in Earth sciences. It is also a reference event for collectors and experts, with exhibition and sale of minerals, fossils, gems and meteorites from around the world, in collaboration with traders and specialists.

Among its highlighted activities is the NIMBY and Extractive Industry Workshop, which will address the social acceptance of mineral raw material extraction projects through participatory dynamics. There will also be immersive 360° reports on caves and mines in Spain, organized by the Espeleofoto Association in collaboration with the Federation of Speleology of Castilla y León, ACTE (Tourist Caves of Spain) and the Junta de Castilla y León.

Another key conference will be "Tetrahedrite, a Mineral for the Energy Transition: The START Project," which will explore the importance of this mineral in the development of sustainable technologies and its impact on the global energy transition.

Finally, the conference "The Society of Mining Professors (SOMP) and the Role of Spain in Mining Education: From the 18th to the 21st Century" will analyze the evolution of mining engineering training in Spain. This session will include a guided tour of the exhibition of historical mining books in the library, where visitors can discover key documents of the discipline. Alongside this bibliographic display, Expominerales Madrid 2025 will feature the exhibition "Women in Science and Engineering" in the antechamber, a tribute to women who have marked milestones in the history of science and technology, inspiring new generations to pursue careers in the STEM field.

The event is supported by prestigious institutions such as the Colegio de Ingenieros de Minas del Centro, the Consejo Superior de Colegios de Ingenieros de Minas de España, IGME-CSIC, UESEVI, EELISA-ESCE, FGP, IGE and various civil society associations. 

Expominerales Madrid 2025 is a celebration of knowledge, history and innovation, an event designed to discover, learn and share the planet's wealth.