• After almost 4 years, the event organised by the Spanish Association of Composite Materials (AEMAC) returns with the aim of promoting collaboration between industry, academia, and technology centers.
• This year marks the first time that the Meeting will be held at the facilities of one of the association’s members.

IMDEA Materials has solidified its position as a leading center in composite material development by hosting the upcoming Business-Academia Collaboration Meeting

The event, organised by the Spanish Association of Composite Materials (AEMAC), will take place on October 17, aims to foster collaboration between industry, academia, and technology centers, while addressing key challenges to be presented by leading companies in the sector.

This year marks the return of the meeting to Madrid after 4 years, and it will be the first time the event is held at the facilities of an AEMAC member.

Undoubtedly, sustainability, recyclability, safety, and lightweighting of the next generation of composite materials will be some of the key topics discussed.

“I believe that in the entire composite materials industry, one of the main challenges, if not the primary one right now, is recyclability,” said Dr. Juan Pedro Fernández, researcher at IMDEA Materials and AEMAC board member.

“Recyclability, and on a larger scale, sustainability, are the fundamental pillars of the challenges the industry faces. Additionally, there are other critical topics like digitalisation, sensorisation, and material lightening, areas in which IMDEA Materials is very active,” he added.

Now in its 4th edition, the meeting will consist of two main sessions. In the morning, some of the most relevant companies in the field will present the research and development challenges they face for the coming years.

In the afternoon, attendees from academia and technology centers will have the opportunity to participate in Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings with the speakers.

During these meetings, the specific needs and challenges presented will be discussed in more detail, along with other potential collaborations, with the ultimate goal of creating cooperation opportunities within the framework of existing funding.

“For me, the key to the success of this meeting is to foster interactions that didn’t exist before,” said Dr. Fernández. “These meetings will help academia and technology centers understand where some of the leading companies are heading, and the needs they have.”

IMDEA Materials Institute is one of the leading research centers in the field of composite materials in Spain. It has a Structural Composite Materials research group, led by Prof. Carlos González, focusing on R&D lines related to the processing, characterization, and simulation of these materials for use in various sectors.

However, the full scope of IMDEA Materials’ research in this field extends beyond these areas, as demonstrated by the institute’s work on incorporating advanced materials with better fire resistance for both batteries and their protective casings, which can be integrated into composite materials—a line of research led by Prof. De Yi Wang.

Meanwhile, the recently established Catalysis and Energy Materials research group at IMDEA Materials, led by Dr. Harun Tüysüz, will also focus on the catalytic recycling of plastics and other polymeric materials.

Participants at the Meeting will have the opportunity to see the Institute’s capabilities firsthand during a visit to its facilities, organized as part of the event.

“What they will be able to see are cutting-edge manufacturing and characterization techniques that are highly applicable to composite materials,” said Dr. Fernández.

“We are talking about innovative manufacturing processes based on simulation and AI, as well as thermal, mechanical, morphological, microscopic, electronic, and fire resistance characterization techniques for composite materials.”

The event has limited capacity, and tickets will be on sale until October 8, with a 50% discount for AEMAC members. You can get your ticket here.