EFEHR Stakeholder Workshop: Connecting with Insurance and Cat-modelling professionals

Introduction

This event is part of a series of community events aiming to introduce EFEHR as an institution, as well as the talent and capabilities of the consortium behind it, to the wider scientific and professional community, through contact with a varied and multidisciplinary set of stakeholders. Such meetings will build stronger mutual understanding and ties, facilitating future collaborations and also potentially informing the roadmap for EFEHR’s next generation of hazard and risk products.

The European Facilities for Earthquake Hazard and Risk (EFEHR) Consortium is organising a dedicated meeting to engage directly with insurance and catastrophe-modelling professionals. Recognising the critical role of seismic hazard models and services in informing risk management strategies, EFEHR aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical industry applications. This meeting offers an opportunity to share knowledge, identify industry-specific needs, and foster collaborative relationships.

EFEHR is growing very fast! In less than 4 years from its foundation, it has become a consortium of 42 Pan European research institutions and universities, with many others currently looking into joining. This is a vast intellectual, scientific, and cultural resource. This workshop is part of a series of workshops and events aiming to define the 5-year Vision of EFEHR towards the next generation of its community hazard and risk products. The theme of the event is engagement with the private sector stakeholders and global disaster risk reduction organisations.

The aim of the event is to leverage insights from stakeholders in order to shape the future hazard and risk products and facilitate future collaborations between EFEHR and industry through collaborative initiatives and co-organisation of future events and workshops. The output of the workshop is going to be used towards a position/white paper.

The EFEHR Stakeholder Workshop is part of the 2025 Work Plan within the Framework of Multi-Year Collaboration Agreement (2024-2028) of EPOS Seismology with EPOS ERIC. The European Plate Observing System (EPOS) is a multidisciplinary research infrastructure that integrates solid Earth science data, models, and facilities across Europe. It fosters collaboration among scientists, decision-makers, and the public to enhance understanding of geohazards, geo-resources, and Earth dynamics. EPOS provides open access to high-quality FAIR data and services, supporting innovation in earthquake, volcano, tsunami, and geodesy research while ensuring sustainable data management and interoperability.

The event is synergistic with EPOS Optimization and EvolutioN (EPOS ON) Project. EPOS ON is an EU-funded initiative aimed at enhancing and sustaining EPOS. Building on prior development, EPOS ON strengthens the infrastructure’s capacity to serve diverse scientific and IT communities by enriching services, expanding data access, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. The project supports long-term sustainability by fostering innovation, knowledge transfer, and technological development—especially through stronger links with the private sector. Overall, it positions EPOS to address pressing societal challenges and reduce fragmentation in Earth science research.

Objectives

• Meet and Greet: Get to know EFEHR Consortium
• EFEHR Models & Services: Introduce EFEHR’s mission and vision, seismic hazard and risk models, and available services tailored to insurance and cat-modelling professionals.
• Dialogue: Facilitate an open dialogue to better understand the specific needs, challenges, and requirements of the insurance and cat-modelling industry.
• Collaboration: Explore potential collaboration pathways, inviting participants to join and actively engage within the EFEHR network.
• Networking: Establish long-term connections between EFEHR scientists and industry representatives to ensure continuous alignment of seismic hazard research with industry practices.

The event aims to leverage insights from stakeholders to shape future hazard and risk products. The following themes are going to be discussed:

• Earthquakes in a multi-peril context (e.g. secondary perils)
• Time-dependent seismic hazard
• Time-dependent seismic risk
• Multi-segment fault PSHA
• Vulnerability models: needs and gaps

The output of the workshop is going to be used to create a position/white paper.

Event Schedule

Welcome Drinks

Thursday 19 June, 6:00–8:00pm

Workshop

Friday 20 June, 9:00am–6:00pm

• Lunch and coffee break refreshments provided, with networking drinks at the event close.

Travel authorisation

Participants who are nationals of eligible countries and do not already hold a UK visa, residency status, or other exempt status may need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to attend the workshop. Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta. 

If you need a visa and require a letter for your application, please email: rdr-events@ucl.ac.uk

View the agenda