As IMDEA Materials continues to grow, particularly with the increasing number of predoctoral researchers, it has become more important than ever to find effective ways of sharing knowledge and identifying in-house expertise.

In a bid to address this challenge, the Institute last week held its first “Speed Dating” session for researchers, an initiative led by PhD students Marcos Rodríguez Sánchez and Ángela García de la Camacha. The event aimed to strengthen internal collaboration by creating a structured yet informal space for quick, focused conversations between colleagues from across the institute.

In recent years, IMDEA Materials has expanded at a rapid rate, to more than 130 predoctoral, postdoctoral and principal investigators in 2024 across 17 distinct research groups.

“As a predoctoral student, I believe science is not a solitary journey,” said García de la Camacha. “Science is a collective discipline built on people with diverse backgrounds and ideas. And, of course, IMDEA Materials is the perfect environment for this”.

“So, inspired by the multicultural, multidisciplinary, and high-tech atmosphere we are privileged to work in, we came up with the idea of creating an event to connect researchers across the institute. While we hope this initiative sparks potential future collaborations, our main goal is to bring the IMDEA community closer together, fostering a spirit of mutual support and shared knowledge,” she added.

The half-day event was open to all IMDEA Materials members and featured 5-minute, one-on-one discussions in rotating pairs. Participants each presented mini-posters to introduce their current research areas, key techniques, and technical challenges.

There was a particularly strong emphasis on interaction between research groups. This format allowed participants to quickly share expertise and insights with their colleagues, and build connections.