Organization

Associated Research Centers for Urban Underground Space (ACUUS) is the largest, highest-level, and most influential non-governmental organization in the field of urban underground space research worldwide. ACUUS has always been at the forefront of addressing contemporary urban challenges and has long been active at the cutting edge of academic research in urban underground space planning, architecture, engineering technology, environment, and management. Over the past four decades, ACUUS has established a long-term strategic partnership with UN-Habitat and has signed multiple memoranda of cooperation with international organizations such as the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (AITES/ITA). Since holding its inaugural conference in Sydney, Australia, in 1983, ACUUS has gone through more than forty years of development, successfully convening in nearly twenty cities around the world, and has long become the most influential academic event in this field.

The 20th World Conference of the Associated Research Centers for the Urban Underground Space (ACUUS2027)will be held in Nanjing, China, from November 6 to 11, 2027. The conference is jointly organized by ACUUS and the Jiangsu Society for Underground Space (JSUSS), under the theme “Underground Space: Beneath-Today, Beyond-Tomorrow!” It will bring together leading researchers, professionals, industry experts, and decision‑makers from around the world in the fields of urban underground space planning, development, design, construction, governance, operation, and management.

The year 2027 coincides with the 20th ACUUS Conference. This grand event, to be held in Nanjing, will naturally serve as a magnificent stage for celebrating this milestone. It is both a heartfelt retrospective of four decades of global academic exploration and engineering practice in underground space and an earnest vision for future development directions. At the same time, it also marks the ACUUS Conference’s return to mainland China after an 18-year absence, following the 2009 Shenzhen conference, fully demonstrating China’s rapid progress and growing global influence in the development and utilization of urban underground space. As the highly symbolic 20th edition in the ACUUS Conference series, this conference carries the special mission of bridging the past and the future.

ACUUS 2027 offers a top-tier global platform to showcase advanced technologies and facilitate in-depth sharing of international and domestic research, experiences, and innovations—a must-attend event in urban underground space. We look forward to meeting you in Nanjing in the golden autumn of 2027, to witness together the present and future of underground space.

ACUUS is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to fostering collaboration among experts in the fields of urban underground space research, planning, development, utilization, and management. Its core mission is to provide a focus on urban underground space, bringing together experts from multidisciplinary scientific fields to develop coherent initiatives for promoting underground development and the use of underground infrastructure, ultimately benefiting urban life.

As a pioneering force in advancing the global underground space sector, ACUUS influences both academia and industry. Its membership encompasses over 20 renowned institutions worldwide, including the French Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (AFTES), Beijing Jiaotong University (China), the China Tunnel and Underground Space Engineering Research Center, the Colorado School of Mines (USA), the Center for Underground Construction and Tunneling (USA), and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL).

Established in 2019, the Society is an academic, non-profit social organization voluntarily formed by underground space professionals and related institutions within the province. It is the first and currently the only provincial-level society in China dedicated to the development of underground space.

The Society currently has 140 member units, 143 council members, 45 standing council members, and more than 3,000 individual members. It has 9 committees.

The society includes high-level talents such as “Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering,” “National Leading Talents in Technological Innovation,” “Distinguished Professors of the Changjiang Scholars Program,” “Winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars,” “Jiangsu Provincial innovative and entrepreneurial talents,” and “Jiangsu Provincial 333 High-Level Talents.”

The Academic Work Committee, chaired by Chen Xiangsheng Academician of CAE is divided into specialties such as underground space detection, planning, architecture, construction, tunnel and rail engineering, geotechnical engineering, civil defense engineering, electromechanical and intelligent systems, and cost management. The society’s experts have extensive experience in professional technical work in the underground space field and enjoy high authority and recognition among peers.

ACUUS YG Asia aims to unite the power of the younger generation, strengthen their role in the development and utilization of underground resources, and advance research on the sustainable development of underground space. It guides young engineers and scientists in sharing their professional expertise and valuable experiences in underground space development. Together, they explore urban resources, seek sustainable development pathways for underground space, and promote international academic exchange and cooperation.

The Society for Rock Mechanics & Engineering Geology, Singapore (SRMEG) is the leading professional organisation in the fields of rock mechanics and engineering geology in Singapore. SRMEG also serves as the Singapore National Group for both the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM) and the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG), with its members automatically becoming members of these two international bodies. The Society aims to promote the academic study and practical application of rock mechanics, rock engineering and engineering geology, to raise standards of engineering practice, and to provide a platform for members through conferences, seminars and professional development courses. SRMEG is deeply involved in national research projects, such as updating the geological map of Singapore. In recent years, the Society has remained active at the international forefront, for example by successfully hosting the 18th World Conference of the Associated Research Centers for the Urban Underground Space (ACUUS 2023) and by participating in or co-organising high‑level international conferences such as the Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium.

Since 2007, SHUANGWEI has successfully planned and executed over 1,000 international conferences and exhibitions. With 18 years of industry experience, the company has seized the golden opportunities presented by the rapid development of China’s tunnel sector to become the country’s first international exhibition and event operator specializing in the global major transportation field.

The Group offers comprehensive services covering every stage from IP planning to international coordination, on-site execution, and data transformation. It has established a full-process PCO service system that includes creative planning, international resource integration, and digital implementation. Leveraging extensive experience in hosting international exhibitions and facilitating overseas resource connections, SHUANGWEI Technology Group ensures precise execution of every detail.