PREVIEW | AFTES 2026 CONFERENCE
AFTES 2026 CONFERENCE
12–14 October
A grand industry gathering is planned for mid-October in Lille where the French national tunnelling society (AFTES) is to hold its conference and exhibition. A packed programme of talks is planned to cover technology, projects, sustainability and more.
The AFTES 2026 conference and exhibition runs over 12–14 October in Lille, France, with a busy Technical programme of lectures and presentations, a packed hall of exhibitors to meet with, and before that all begins there is a pre-event Training Day. The focus of the Training Day, on Sunday 11 October
(09.30–18.00), is ‘Water Control and Management in Underground Works’. While primarily focusing on tunnelling activities in
France, the AFTES 2026 event also offers sessions – one each of the three main days – to spotlight projects and activities under way in other continental European countries. The presentations are from France and nine other member countries of the European Underground & Tunnel Forum (EUTF) – Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal.
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME The main conference Technical programme runs across three days over 12–14 October and is structured under six themes: ● Sustainable solutions to environment challenges: spoil and groundwater management; construction materials; environmental impacts and reduction.
● Technological and digital innovations: digital tools and decision support systems (BIM, digital twins, AI, drones, immersion and augmented) to support
design and management; automation and robotics; computational modelling.
● Urban opportunities: new uses of underground space in cities; sustainable mobility; public policy, urban planning and regulations.
● Worker health & safety: risk prevention from design stage onwards; working in confined spaces; training and skills development.
● Financial and organisational challenges: contractual models and project financing; implementing complex underground projects; interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder integration.
● Future needs: flexibility, resilience, innovation: ‘Smart’ real-time technological integration for management, maintenance and operations of underground assets; adapting to climate and energy challenges; human resources, attracting workforce, training.
Under the sub-topic of spoil management the planned
talks are to include presentations from the Lyon-Turin high-speed rail project, including on the Mont Cenis base tunnel. While much if that session will focus on the French-Italian project, there is also to be a presentation of the CERN Future Circular Collider. Reports on projects and with technologies are to
include updates such as: metro developments in Paris, Toulouse and Hong Kong as well other types
38 | October 2026
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