The University Institute of Geology "Isidro Parga Pondal" is a co-ordinated institution between the University of "La Coruña" and the Geological Laboratory of Laxe (Isidro Parga Pondal Foundation) involved up to the moment in various scientific and teaching activities which include the development of research, the edition of publications and the organisation of monographic lectures together with conferences and congresses. These activities started in 1979 when the University of Coruña still didn’t exist, but the University College of Coruña, at the time depending on the University of Santiago and the Geological Laboratory of Laxe created a mixed structure known as University -LXL. It was this structure that permitted the development of numerous scientific activities as summarised in the corresponding Geological section of the Laboratory of Laxe. In 1994 the University of Coruña and the Geological Institute of Laxe signed an agreement of collaboration concerning the coedition of publications and the organisation of conferences, congresses and monographic lectures on Galician and widely hercynian geology. Since then, there has been an intense activity between the two in the scientific field applied to Geology, which has brought up to the creation of the Institute by Decree published in the D.O.G 243/1997 number 156 of August 1997. To facilitate the achievements of the aforementioned agreement, and, as the result of the collaboration of the two entities (Univ-LXL), the formula of the University Institute was decided. According to the law of the University Reform (L.R.U.), these centres are mainly dedicated to the research and teaching activities referred to specialised topics or PhD programmes, or offer of scientific technological support. Due to the fact that the institute is the result of the participation of two entities, it must be considered cross-disciplinary, since there are so many disciplines related to Geology. All those related to Geology will find a place at the Institute, but also those who are in different centres of the University. The Institute has an interdisciplinary character due to the quantity of knowledge related to the geology usually used in its work. Thus all the people having relation with the geology or science areas related to it has a place in the Institute, though preferably members of the Universidad de A Coruña. This emphasises the need of understanding what Geology really means and its relationship with other disciplines, taking into consideration the fact that it is a work leaded by a group of researchers, due to the complexity of the means of work to use, which permits us a major resolution of all the problems presented. The Institute has an integrated vocation of all those disciplines or knowledges that, even if they do not belong to the field of Geology, are related to it and permit us a more rational use of the resources of the University of Coruña and a purely Galician Laboratory as the one of Laxe, of undoubted roots in the culture, history and science of Galicia. The specialities are: treatment of images with computer for the geomorphologic studies; geochemical prospection of mineral tracks; the evaluation of ornamental rock fields with cost and market studies; studies of environmental impact due to public or mine works; the regeneration of soil polluted by echologic residues.