A decade of SimPEG connecting research & industry through open-source software

Over the past decade, SimPEG (Simulation and Parameter Estimation in Geophysics) has grown from a research prototype into a widely used open-source framework that connects academic and industry communities working on geophysical inversion. This presentation highlights how modular, open-source tools in Python have enabled rapid advances in electromagnetic (EM) geophysics while also supporting integration across gravity, magnetics, DC resistivity, induced polarization, and airborne EM. Using examples from mineral exploration—including the Tli Kwi Cho kimberlite complex—we illustrate how computational frameworks make it possible to invert multiple data types, recover physical property models, and build quasi-geologic models that inform exploration decisions. We discuss challenges such as rugged topography, highly conductive targets, and IP effects in EM data, as well as opportunities afforded by new computational strategies, parallelization, and joint inversion approaches like Petrophysically and Geologically guided Inversion (PGI). By embedding reproducibility, extensibility, and collaboration at the core of its design, SimPEG provides a foundation for both advancing research and transferring technology into practice. Looking forward, we emphasize how open-source development continues to accelerate innovation and foster a community that is shaping the future of geophysical exploration.