For five days, from June 8 to 12, 2026, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, abbreviated as ETH Zürich), the 11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026) was held. The purpose of this international conference is to discuss the latest trends in modeling methods, techniques, similarity laws, and all other aspects of physical model experiments in geotechnical engineering.
Zurich is a very attractive city with many historical buildings, such as the ETH headquarters and the cathedral, located in the city center; however, it was impressive to see tower cranes standing everywhere within this cityscape (Photo 1). The conference was held at the Hönggerberg campus of ETH Zürich (Photo 2) on the outskirts of Zurich.
Dr. Kawamata represented the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED). Exchange of views took place with researchers from around the world. Many presentations focused specifically on geotechnical engineering experiments—such as physical experiments simulating actual disasters, analyses of those simulations, and introductions to new experimental equipment—and as a geotechnical engineer, these were extremely fascinating to listen to. Dr. Kawamata introduced the E-Defense experimental facility and outlined the “big picture” aiming to build a research network centered on the sharing of experimental data through the ongoing E-Defense geotechnical experiments (Photo 3).
With the increasing tendency to make research data openly available and as the era of AI dawns, it is anticipated that the role expected of physical experimental research will change rapidly in the future in response to these technological shifts. By listening the initiatives from various countries in this conference, the importance of reaching a common understanding regarding what steps are necessary to utilize these outcomes more effectively has been strongly reaffirmed. It is expected that the experience gained at this conference will be put to effective use in disseminating the results of the planned E-Defense geotechnical experiments.