After the mid-november site visit by EPSC and Copernicus representatives, the first steps are being taken for starting the local oraganisation activities for the Europlanet Science Conference in Amare, The Hague. The official website has been launched and will be updated with the developing ideas and plans in the months to come.
The two co-chairs of the 2026 Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Sebastiaan de Vet and Prof. dr. Inge Loes ten Kate took the initiative in 2024 to submit a bid to host the event in The Hague. In addition to briging together European and international planetary scientists, the conference also offers more. “The renowned character and well-established network of EPSC can give a major impulse to our community as it helps postion and connect Dutch planetary sciences in this international domain”, notes De Vet. Preparations for 2026 are already underway. With inputs from the EPSC board, two co-chairs have been given a clear outline and will start contacting stakeholders and bringing together LOC members from various Dutch universities and institutes to start the preparation for the 2026 event.
About EPSC
The Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) is the major European meeting on planetary science. Originally known as the European Planetary Science Congress, the first EPSC was held in Berlin in 2006. EPSC is the main dissemination platform for the European planetary science community and is the annual meeting of the Europlanet Society. EPSC meetings cover the entire scope of planetary sciences and have a distinctively interactive style, with an extensive mix of talks, workshops and posters, intended to provide a stimulating environment for the community to meet.
Image: The Hague & Partners/Arjan de Jager