Scientific Drilling Forum 2025 success!

More than 50 representatives from four continents gathered in Sicily, Italy, from October 14 to 16 for the first Scientific Drilling Forum. 

Hosted by the Institute for the study of Anthropogenic impacts and Sustainability in the marine environment (IAS) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) in Capo Granitola and the Department of Earth System Sciences and Technologies for the Environment (DSSTTA-CNR), with the support of the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), this forum marked a significant occasion for fostering international collaboration in Earth science research.

Participants included scientists, stakeholders, and funding agencies from major global programs that use scientific drilling to investigate the Earth’s history and dynamics. These programs included China's Deep Ocean Drilling Program, the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), the International Ocean Drilling Programme (IODP3), and the U.S. Ocean Drilling Program.

The forum highlighted the essential role of scientific drilling in understanding Earth's systems and addressing global environmental challenges for strengthening international cooperation and ensuring equitable access to scientific opportunities and data across different nations and institutions.

Over the three day forum, participants exchanged updates on upcoming research, identified shared scientific priorities, and discussed opportunities for joint initiatives such as expeditions, workshops, outreach initiatives and legacy asset programs. They also shared operational insights and discussed harmonized policies across programs, such as the management of core samples in scientific ocean drilling repositories.