Results of the 2026 Membership Survey

2026 IGS Member Survey Report

The IGS has published the results of its first ever survey of the whole membership. The survey was open to all members between February and April 2026, as part of the elections to Governing Council. Almost 400 responses were received, a large enough sample for the results to be 95% reliable.

The headline results showed:

- 81% of members are satisfied with the IGS (1.1% were dissatisfied);
- 94% believe the IGS is trusted as a source of information about geosynthetics 
- 86% said that IGS events are relevant
- 77% value the IGS’s two journals
- 91% said they understand the IGS’s strategy
- 82% of respondents would recommend IGS membership to others

The survey gathered demographic data that allowed the results to be analysed by region, gender, age and profession.  62.9% of respondents work in industry; 27.3% in academia; 9.1% in research and development and less than 1% in “other”. The largest response by region was in Europe (46.3%), followed by Asia (27.4%). 18.2% of respondents were in the Americas and 8.2% in Africa and the Middle East. 17% of all respondents were female, with women recording slightly higher satisfaction and engagement levels than men.  

Engagement scores showed that 29% of members regarded themselves as “highly engaged” and 32% were “somewhat engaged”. 31% of members said they were only  “slightly engaged” and 7% were “not engaged”. 60.5% reported interacting with their Chapter at least twice per year.

The survey asked members what more the IGS should do. Responses indicated members would like to see more emphasis on:

•    Practical education, webinars and certification programs
•    Accessible technical publications, proceedings and resources
•    Local and regional activity
•    External engagement e.g. with end-users, asset owners and policy-makers  
•    Clear routes for early-career members to engage with the IGS 
•    Guidance on installation, standards and testing 

IGS Executive Director John Kraus said: 
“The survey has produced very useful insights, confirming what is going well, while providing pointers for future focus. The results have been shared with the IGS Council for further consideration, so that we can plan what actions to take. As a first step, the Council will discuss the results at a meeting with Chapter leaders at the ICG in Montréal.”