The prestigious international EUROCK 2026 conference, entitled Risk Management in Rock Engineering, took place from 15 to 19 September 2026 in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. Marek Brabec, a PhD student from the Institute of Geotechnics, represented the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology (FCE BUT) alongside leading international experts in rock mechanics. The conference was held under the auspices of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM).

Marek Brabec presented a research paper entitled Thermal effects on the strength of marine psammitic building stones, summarising the findings of researchers from Brno in the field of thermomechanics of sedimentary rocks. The full scientific paper will also be published in the official conference proceedings.

Presentations by leading international experts offered inspiring insights into the future of the field:

• Ömer Aydan – Planetary Rock Mechanics and Future Prospects

• Nicholas Barton – NMT-NATM hybrid method for sustainability and risk reduction

• Reşat Ulusay – The importance of rock engineering for deep open pit slopes: Some considerations

Visit to the Unique Crystal Cave

The conference programme also included a field trip to Crystal Cave, a geological site near the town of Debar. Hidden within a gypsum mine and closed to the general public, this underground cave contains enormous selenite crystals. For rock mechanics specialists, the visit provided a unique opportunity to study the behaviour of this particular rock mass directly in the field.

Another significant outcome of the conference was progress towards closer international collaboration through planned membership of the ISRM. This step is expected to strengthen rock mechanics research at FCE BUT and open up opportunities for further international research projects and partnerships.

The research presented and participation in the international conference were financially supported by the Specific University Research programme (FAST-S-26-9049).

We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology.