Science, strategy and global leadership for the underground transition
Prof. Lyesse Laloui
Professor at EPFL · President of ISSMGE · Public SpeakerThe ground beneath our cities is the most underused resource in the fight against climate change. I have spent thirty years proving it - through research, spin-offs, and engineering solutions that will define how cities survive the next century.
"Most people have never thought about what lies beneath their city. I have spent three decades turning that invisible world into solutions for climate, energy, and the built environment."
I am Professor at EPFL and Director of the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics. My research transforms underground infrastructure into renewable energy sources, permanently sequesters CO2 in geological formations, and engineers soils using nature's own chemistry. Five spin-off companies - including Enerdrape, ranked in the Swiss Top 100 for three consecutive years - have taken this science into the real world.
Beyond the laboratory, I serve as President of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), elected at the 21st International Conference in Vienna in June 2026.
Research, speaking,
and leadership
My work moves between the laboratory, the lecture hall, and the boardroom. Each reinforces the other. Science without application is incomplete. Impact without rigour is unreliable.
Research
Four interconnected programmes addressing the underground dimension of the climate transition. 400+ publications, 13 books, 20,000+ citations.
02Speaking
Sixty international speeches across five continents - from the World Economic Forum and corporate sustainability summits to major engineering conferences.
03Leadership
President of ISSMGE, board member of major Swiss institutions, and international panel appointments spanning infrastructure, energy and sustainability.
04Perspectives
Commentary, interviews, and opinion on the future of geotechnical engineering, sustainability, and the global profession.
Recent perspectives
The Ground as a Strategic Resource for Sustainable and Resilient Cities
Making the case for the underground as a civic asset rather than a construction constraint, drawing on Vienna's geothermal metro and Tokyo's flood-control reservoirs.
2026 LinkedIn · AnnouncementElected President of ISSMGE
At the 21st International Conference in Vienna, elected President of ISSMGE for the term 2026-2029. The trust of 92 national member societies and 21,000 members.
2026 Ground EngineeringQ&A: Sustainable Geotechnical Solutions and Collaboration
On the future of sustainable practice, the profession's responsibility to the climate challenge, and the DFI John Mitchell Lecture.
2025 Les DécouveursLe sous-sol va-t-il régler tous nos problèmes?
A wide-ranging interview on what the ground can do for humanity's greatest challenges. Nuclear waste, CO2, energy, bio-cementation. 24,000+ views.
2025 World Economic Forum · DavosStrategic Foresight for Cities: From Urban Systems to Measurable Proof
Panel contribution at the Braillard Foundation luncheon during the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, Davos. January 2026.
2026 YouTube / EPFLBio-cementation: From Scientific Discovery to Market Solution
How bacteria that have been cementing grains for billions of years became a commercial product with a 50% lower carbon footprint than Portland cement.
2024Explore what I do
The underground dimension of the climate transition
400+ publications, 13 books, five spin-off companies
SpeakingKeynotes for engineers, policymakers, investors and executives
60+ international speeches across five continents
LeadershipCompany boards, international panels and elected office
President of ISSMGE, board member, international adviser