How to have a concrete impact for Sustainabilty using Geosciences : the example of YouWol GeoSciences.

What is YouWol Geoscience ?

YouWol Geoscience is a subsidiary of YouWol, which has been founded by Dr. Frantz Maerten and Dr. Laurent Maerten, sometimes called the M&M's. As they have always done during their carreer, they want to share their scientific and technical expertise as well as their innovative technologies with others from academia, research institutes and the industry. They have been extensively involved in the development of numerical techniques and tools for evaluating and modeling natural fractures and geological structures in complex structural and stratigraphic environments. Today, they are fulfilling a wish to be more involved in R&D and create a lasting impact for scientists and engineers worldwide by developing the YouWol Plateform. 

How this initiative contributes to the challenges of the energy transition ?

This project contributes to the challenges of the energy transition and climate change by assisting the oil and gas sector in the transition towards sustainable energy and tackling the challenges of climate change. 

What are the key research methodologies or technologies employed by YouWol Geosciences ?

The key research methodologies or technologies that are being employed are : 

• Arch 3D DDM : a geomechanical module based on YouWol new 3D Displacement Discontinuity Method (DDM) called Arch, which allows the modeling of deformation and stress around faults, salt bodies and other mechanically active objects within areas of complex geological background.
• Cassini FEM : an enhanced restoration technology and workflow based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and continuum mechanics solution, provides the industry with the most advanced 2D and 3D geological structural restoration modeling based on physics.
• Multiparametric Inversion : a technology that consists of finding machanically-based solutions for inverting multiple parameters such as displacements and far filed tectonic stresses from observed deformation, strain, or stress data. These techniques have several industrial and research applications.

What can be the most challenging aspect the project ?

The most challenging aspect of coordinating the collaborative efforts within the project must be the alignment of all the stakeholders and the prioritization of the development efforts. This a common point in multidisciplinary initiatives.

How the open-source nature of the platform influences its impact on the community ?

The open-source nature of the platform influences its impact on the geoscience community by fostering a faster innovation environment in geosciences. It allows scientists and engineering to collaborate, build, share and integrate prototypes and technical application faster. 

Why this project can evolve in the coming years ?

This project can evolve in the coming years because of the need for new technologies in renewable energy and sustainable development. The future developments that excite me the most is the 3D geomechanical module (Arch) which is an evolution of Poly3D from Stanford University based on the latest publications on the topic.

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To conclude, YouWol Geosciences is an inspiring project on how we can act for Sustainable Development using Geosciences, by developing an open-source platform to allows scientists and engineer to innovate faster.