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The GEM Foundation continues to expand its global outreach through active participation in international conferences, training workshops, and governance meetings. These engagements highlight GEM's ongoing efforts to advance seismic risk reduction, strengthen collaboration with key global partners, and contribute to the development of innovative risk assessment tools. In this section, we bring you the latest updates from GEM’s involvement in these various events.

GEM Participates in Seismic Risk Workshop at IIT Bombay

On 9 December 2024, GEM joined the international workshop, “Seismic Risk and Resilience: Advanced Tools and Methodologies,” hosted by IIT Bombay. The event brought together professionals from the insurance sector, government agencies, academia, and GEM experts.

Highlights included presentations by GEM’s Anirudh Rao on earthquake risk assessment in disaster management and Martina Caruso on the environmental impact of earthquakes. Participants engaged in a panel discussion exploring sustainable strategies to mitigate seismic risk. Positive feedback underscored interest in the organisation of a future, more in-depth, workshop focused on the OpenQuake Engine.

GEM expressed gratitude to IIT Bombay and Professor Meera Raghunandan for organising the event and facilitating collaboration.

OpenQuake Users Group Surpasses 900 Members 

The OpenQuake Users Group has reached a milestone of over 900 registered members, reflecting the platform’s growing popularity among seismic risk professionals. In 2024 alone, GEM trained more than 300 individuals in using the OpenQuake Engine, which has become a global standard for seismic hazard and risk calculations. The active community continues to engage, share insights, and contribute to advancing earthquake risk assessment worldwide. If you’re an OpenQuake Engine enthusiast, join the user group forum at: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/openquake-users.

GEM at the 2024 LNEC Lisbon Conference 

GEM played a prominent role in the 2024 LNEC Lisbon Conference, held from 14–15 October. Helen Crowley GEM Secretary General delivered a keynote on geohazard risk assessment, while Vitor Silva Head of Risk Engineering participated in a roundtable discussion on shaping future research strategies. The event, themed "Urban Risks and Societal Resilience," highlighted GEM’s commitment to global earthquake risk reduction and resilience. By engaging with researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, GEM strengthened its position as a critical contributor to advancing urban risk management strategies and building cooperation in the region.

GEM at the Japan-New Zealand-Taiwan Workshop 

Marco Pagani represented GEM at the Japan-Taiwan-New Zealand Workshop on seismic hazard, held in Kanazawa, Japan, from 5–8 November 2024. The annual tripartite meeting serves as a critical platform for seismic hazard experts to exchange knowledge, share updates on national and global models, and discuss recent large earthquakes, earthquake source modelling, and ground-motion simulations.

This year’s workshop featured over 90 participants from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, highlighting its role in facilitating international collaboration. Discussions focused on enhancing risk assessment techniques and identifying pathways for future cooperation. Marco’s participation underscores GEM’s commitment to contributing to global seismic hazard initiatives and strengthening ties with international partners.

Earlier in the week in Beijing, Marco also met with officials from the China Earthquake Administration (CEA) to present recent developments in seismic hazard modelling at GEM and to discuss ongoing collaboration and explore new opportunities.

GEM Keynote by Helen Crowley at earthquake workshop in Sydney 

On 28 November, Helen Crowley, GEM’s Secretary General, delivered a keynote at the inaugural Industry-Research Earthquake Hazard and Risk Workshop in Sydney. Her presentation highlighted GEM’s work on open source seismic hazard and risk modelling, with a focus on private sector applications for improved resilience planning.

The event, hosted by the School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, aimed to bridge the gap between science, engineering, and industry - particularly the insurance sector - on earthquake risk issues. GEM’s participation was an opportunity to demonstrate the value of its open source tools, such as the OpenQuake Engine, in addressing long-return-period risks in Australia and New Zealand. Representation at events like this helps GEM engage with private sector stakeholders, build partnerships, and expand the adoption of its models for better decision-making and disaster preparedness.

Singapore Earthquake Model Developed by GEM and Aon 

At GEM, we collaborate with both public and private partners to tackle seismic risks and develop innovative solutions. As part of this effort, GEM contributed to a probabilistic earthquake loss model tailored to Singapore’s unique seismic challenges, including risks from the Sumatran subduction zone and reclaimed land.

This collaboration with Aon’s Impact Forecasting team highlights how GEM works with private sector leaders to advance resilience worldwide. The model integrates high-resolution hazard maps and innovative techniques to assess risks such as liquefaction on reclaimed land. It supports insurers and stakeholders in understanding and mitigating earthquake risks in one of the world’s most densely populated regions. Learn more about the model here.

Cátedra Europa 2024 Highlights GEM’s Collaboration in Colombia 

As part of Cátedra Europa 2024, held in Colombia from September 30 to October 4, 2024, Vitor Silva, GEM's Head of Risk Engineering, presented on October 1st in the session "Modelo Nacional de Riesgo Sísmico: Región Caribe." In collaboration with the Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC) and the Asociación Colombiana de Facultades de Ingeniería (ACOFI), the session focused on seismic risk assessment in the Caribbean region.

Cátedra Europa is a key platform for academic, cultural, and scientific exchanges between Colombia and Europe. This year’s emphasis on the Colombia-Italy relationship was especially relevant for GEM, which has a long-standing collaboration with government, academic, and scientific institutions in Colombia. The event provided an important opportunity for GEM to strengthen cooperation on global challenges, including earthquake resilience, and reinforce its role in supporting seismic risk reduction in the region.

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