From April 8 to 10, IMDEA Materials welcomed 18 students from five schools across the Madrid region as part of the 4ESO+Empresa programme.

An initiative of the Community of Madrid, this programme offers students the opportunity to get to know the working world, make informed decisions about their academic futures, and develop key professional skills.

The programme took place over three days full of interactive activities and hands-on sessions, allowing students to dive into innovative areas of materials science and advanced manufacturing.

The schools that took part in 4ESO+Empresa at IMDEA Materials this year were IES Jimena Menéndez Pidal, IES La Senda, IES San Fernando, Colegio Vallmont, and Centro Cultural Palomeras.

The visit kicked off on Monday with a talk on mechanical characterisation and ultrasonic inspection of composite materials, led by Dr. Vanesa Martínez, laboratory coordinator at IMDEA Materials. The students learned how materials essential to sectors like aerospace and automotive are tested and evaluated.

They also had the chance to see how polymer and metal additive manufacturing technologies are used, thanks to our technicians José Luis Jiménez and Amalia San Román.

The second day continued with activities focused on cutting-edge topics, such as digital twins in the manufacturing of structural composites with Sofía Fernández, and electron microscopy with Jesús Carreras. Dr. Valentín Vassilev Galindo shared his personal experience in research, as well as his latest work on the HIGHHYDROGENML project.

The final day of the visit focused on innovative research. Predoctoral researcher Nabil Abomailek presented his experimental and computational study on the formation of aerogels from nanowire aerosols—an ultra-light material with applications in thermal insulation and energy storage.

Meanwhile, Dr. Juan Carlos Babón Molina spoke about the design and development of functional halide perovskite structures for catalytic transformations, highlighting their impact on renewable energy and industrial processes.

To wrap up, junior researcher Dr. Mónica Echeverry Rendón offered an open talk where students could ask about her career path, working in research, and opportunities in the field of materials science.

This immersive experience was a unique opportunity for the students, who not only got to explore the IMDEA Materials facilities but also learned about the daily work of researchers and technicians in a cutting-edge environment.