VBGU

At the MiningForum 2026 in Berlin, Germany, the Association for Mining, Geology and the Environment (VBGU) and the Society of Metallurgists and Miners (GDMB) signed a cooperation agreement. With this step, both organisations are deepening their collaboration and sending a strong signal in favour of innovation, knowledge transfer and the sustainable development of their respective fields.

The VBGU and GDMB are united by the common goal of actively promoting exchange between academia, industry and professional practice. The cooperation focuses on research, development, and education and training in the fields of raw materials, geophysics, geotechnics, hydrogeology, recycling and environmental technology.

The challenges posed by the energy transition, securing raw materials, climate protection and the circular economy increasingly call for interdisciplinary solutions and strong networks. Against this backdrop, both associations aim to harness synergies and develop joint activities that create sustainable added value for the professional community.

The collaboration thus creates a platform for intensive professional exchange, the initiation of joint projects and the development of new formats for knowledge transfer, the promotion of young talent and professional qualification. The aim is to accelerate innovation, make specialist knowledge more widely available and further enhance the appeal of the participating sectors for future generations.

Members of both associations will benefit in particular from this collaboration. They will gain access to expanded networks, additional specialist events and new opportunities for collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

By signing the agreement at the MiningForum 2026, the VBGU and the GDMB are laying the foundations for a long-term partnership that will provide impetus for the future of the raw materials, geosciences and environmental sciences, and actively support the joint shaping of sustainable and innovative development.
In addition to the GDMB, the VBGU already cooperates with the Industry Association for Hard Coal and Post-Mining (bsn), the Association for Technical Safety and Environmental Protection (TSU e.V.), the Professional Association of German Geoscientists (BDG) and the BVÖ – Austrian Mining Association. (VBGU/MRG)

On 1st May 2025, Ivonne Arenz (Figure 1) took over as managing director of the Association for Mining, Geology and the Environment (VBGU), Berlin/Germany. She succeeded Olaf Alisch, who is now taking well-deserved retirement after almost 20 years of successful service to the VBGU. “Thanks to European regulations and in view of the global constraints, the topic of “domestic mining” is increasingly coming to the fore. This is a good thing and must be supported even more clearly by the new federal government. The complex transformation tasks require raw materials, and Germany, with its sometimes considerable raw material deposits, can make a significant contribution to European raw material independence. However, raw material extraction and processing require changed framework conditions, such as faster approval procedures, the removal of bureaucratic hurdles and acceptance by the population. I am very much looking forward to working on this,” said Arenz on her election by the VBGU Executive Board.

Arenz brings comprehensive expertise and an extensive network to the raw materials and sustainability industry. She studied law at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena/Germany and completed her legal clerkship in Berlin. She has worked for various industry associations as well as for the Federal Company for Final Storage (BGE). Most recently, she was managing director of the Federal Association for Mineral Raw Materials. Her expertise ranges from national and European energy and environmental law to spatial planning and mining law. She is also familiar with sustainability issues and has already worked in this context for the Thuringian Ministry of Economics and the Federal Ministry of Economics, and recently developed a sustainability guide for the rock industry. Arenz will work closely with the industry association Steinkohle und Nachbergbau (BSN) on behalf of member companies in the post-mining sector. (VBGU/Si.)

On 8th August 2023, the German Mining, Geology and Environment Association (VBGU), Berlin/Germany, an employers’ association that has been dedicated to constructive dialogue in mining and raw materials extraction in Germany for over 30 years, appointed its previous Vice President Jens-Peter Lux, Managing Director of DMT GmbH & Co. KG, Essen/Germany, as President and Michael Paul, Technical Managing Director of Wismut GmbH, Chemnitz/Germany, as Vice President.

The appointment of the new Executive Board had become necessary after Michael Seifert had to step down from his honorary position as President of the association on 1st August 2023 for health reasons. The VBGU would like to thank him for his special commitment and achievements during his presidency and wishes him much strength, health and energy.

The partially newly appointed Executive Board consisting of Jens-Peter Lux, Michael Paul and Nici Hoppe (Figure 1) will represent the association externally, initially until the next regular Board election at the General Assembly in September 2024, which means that the VBGU is ideally positioned for the future. (VBGU/Si.)

On 29th July 2022, the presidents of the  industry association Branchenverband Steinkohle und Nachbergbau e. V. (bsn), Essen/Germany, and the Association of Mining, Geology and Environment (VBGU), Berlin/Germany, sealed the closer cooperation between their associations by signing a cooperation agreement (Figure 1). The two associations will more closely coordinate the representation of interests for mining companies and those no longer engaged in raw material extraction. Both partners want to jointly provide services for their member companies in questions of active mining as well as post-mining in the future. The exchange and cross-association positioning will initially take place in two joint committees dealing with the topics of mine water management and old mining and land reclamation.

The bsn is an industry and employers’ association and assumes responsibilities in social self-administration, is the collective agreement partner for the German coal mining industry in the post-mining era and supports its members in questions of company pension schemes.

The VBGU is an employers’ association and comprehensively represents the general business and socio-political and collective agreement interests of its members. It supports them in research and development and in vocational and advanced training and secures their access to economic and political decision-makers at the national and state levels. (bsn/VBGU/Si.)

The industry association Branchenverband Steinkohle und Nachbergbau e. V. (bsn), Essen/Germany, and the Association of Mining, Geology and Environment (VBGU), Berlin/Germany, have come to agreement on the occasion of the DMT MiningForum in May 2022 in Berlin to cooperate more closely with each other in future. Details will be set in the coming weeks, and a resolution concerning the decision will be adopted by the governing bodies of the partners. The focus of the planned cooperation will initially be in the areas of mine water management, legacy mine management and area recultivation.

The objective of the cooperation is the reinforcement of the representation of the interests of the mining companies and companies that are no longer engaged in raw material extraction. Both partners want to provide services for their member companies related to issues of active mining and of post-mining.

The bsn has been active since 1st March 2021 as the industry association Steinkohle und Nachbergbau – formerly Gesamtverband Steinkohle (GVSt). It is an industry and employers’ association and assumes responsibilities in social self-administration, is the collective agreement partner for the German coal mining industry in the post-mining era and supports its members in questions of company pension schemes.

The VBGU is an employers’ association and comprehensively represents the general business and socio-political and collective agreement interests of its members.

It supports them in research and development and in vocational and advanced training and secures their access to economic and political decision-makers at the national and state levels. (bsn/VBGU/Si.)