One of the benefits of UCG is the more efficient use and acquisition of various state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. From previous experience we know that excellent facilities attract researchers and visiting scientists from abroad. Two facilities are already up and running: a geolab and a joint Geosciences library. The laboratory facilities shared by the faculty of Geosciences and TNO National Geological Survey (TNO) comprises six laboratories:

• A laboratory for Preparing Samples in which rock or soil samples are prepared by fragmenting, grinding, polishing, compacting or dissolving. The samples are then analysed in one of the other five laboratories.
• In the Inorganic Geochemistry laboratory experiments can be set up and a broad range of analytical techniques applied.
• In the Organic Geochemistry laboratory organic material is identified and its behaviour in geological processes is ascertained. This laboratory is involved in pure and applied geoscientific and environmental geochemistry research.
• The Petrology and Electron Optical Systems laboratory has equipment for determining, dating and analysing minerals. It also provides access to the electron microscopy facilities of Utrecht University.
• The Sedimentology laboratory is used for the research done by the Sedimentology project group of the faculty of Earth Sciences . It has facilities for experiments and analysis.
• In the Stratigraphy and Palaeontology laboratory samples are prepared for microscopic analysis. This usually entails sieving, rinsing and draining, to separate the fossil material. The analysis is done by the Department of Stratigraphy and Palaeontology of the faculty of Earth Sciences , working closely with the Department of Palaeobotany and Palynology of Utrecht University's faculty of Biology and the Palaeo-environmental research section of TNO.

These six laboratories provide services to support the teaching and research of the faculty of Geosciences and TNO. They also carry out analyses and, if wished, the Integrated Laboratory can also do analyses for third parties. UCG also has instrument makers who, working with their commissioning clients, design and make equipment for earth science teaching and research.

TNO provides access to geological data and information on subterranean Netherlands via DINO, the database archiving all the data for which TNO is responsible. TNO safeguards the quality of these data and supplies them on request. DINO consists of a database management system through which data can be input, maintained, consulted and downloaded over Intranet and Internet via an application server. During inputting and maintenance the data are subjected to a range of quality tests.

UCG also has a physical geography laboratory and access to TNO products and services. These include hydrological tools (REGIS, geohydrological information system), groundwater maps, and the application of geophysical exploration methods in research on natural resources. Other techniques in-house at UCG are remote sensing, geostatistics, data assimilation, combining various dating techniques, GIS, physical oceanography and atmospheric research.

Furthermore, UCG is part of a larger European collaboration called Geo-motion, in which European universities and geological surveys make their facilities available and thus provide access to the full range of large-scale facilities (including satellites). The partners in the network can make use of an extensive infrastructural network. The nucleus of the input from Dutch universities is ISES (Netherlands Research Centre for Integrated Solid Earth Science), which is one of the top research schools in the country. Utrecht University is a major participant in ISES.