References

The annual event of the German Society for Materials Science (DGM) brought together experienced professionals and early-career researchers. In the hybrid format, participants could attend in person or online, join interactive talks and poster sessions, and explore the digital exhibition. The event included award ceremonies for honors such as the Young Researcher Award, Masing Memorial Prize and Heyn Memorial Medal, along with a General Assembly offering online voting. DGM Day provided opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing and discussions on the future of materials science and engineering in the German-speaking region.

The 59th Metallography Conference combines expert sessions, keynote talks, award ceremonies and a supporting program with industry visits, a photo competition and networking. Its accessible format connects scientific research and practice.

NextGen Materials 2025 is an international hybrid conference for researchers, engineers and industry working on the design, development and application of adaptive, living and programmable materials. Sessions cover engineered living systems, functional metamaterials, simulation-driven discovery and sustainability at the interface of biology and technology. Participants can join in Hamburg or online to connect and share research.

The 27th ExTech is a leading international symposium on sampling and sample preparation in analytical chemistry. Experts discuss developments in sustainability, microplastics, PFAS analysis, automation and other topics. Organized by GDCh, it includes lectures, workshops and an exhibition, bringing together academia and industry.

JEMS 2025 will bring the international magnetism community together from August 24 to 29, 2025, in Frankfurt am Main and online. This leading European conference on magnetism covers fundamental research, advanced applications and emerging materials. The program includes plenary, semi-plenary and contributed talks, poster sessions and presentations by invited speakers. Hosted under the European Magnetism Association and supported by the Rhine-Main-Universities alliance, the event takes place on Goethe University Frankfurt's Westend Campus, with its historic architecture, green surroundings and facilities for scientific exchange and networking.

The 7th SysInt Conference took place from June 4 to 6, 2025, at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen, Germany. Researchers and industry professionals presented and discussed advances in system-integrated intelligence, focusing on interdisciplinary approaches and applications in smart manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence and structural health monitoring.

The MSE Research Data Forum 2025, organized by NFDI-MatWerk, took place from July 8 to 10, 2025, in Siegburg, Germany. Researchers from experimental, theoretical and computational fields discussed the role of data in materials science and engineering, shared experiences and considered digital workflows and community solutions for research data.

The 8th BioMAT Symposium was held from May 14 to 15, 2025, in Weimar, Germany. Organized by the German Society for Materials Science (DGM), it brought together researchers and professionals from science and industry to present and discuss advances in the development, characterization, testing and application of biomaterials. Related topics included biomimetics, biomineralization and biopolymers.

LightMAT 2025 was held in Montreal, Canada, in cooperation with The Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM. Academic and industrial researchers, scientists and engineers presented and discussed recent developments in magnesium, aluminum, titanium, their alloys and material combinations.

The 15th European Kesterite+ and 3rd ReNewPV Workshop took place from June 11 to 13, 2025, at the Lise-Meitner-Campus of Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) in Berlin-Wannsee. The international community working on kesterites and emerging inorganic chalcogenide thin-film PV technologies presented research results, discussed developments and shared ideas about the future of thin-film photovoltaics.

Hybrid 2025 was held at the Space Expo Museum next to ESA's European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC) in Noordwijk. Participants could learn about space mission engineering and human spaceflight through interactive exhibits, including a real meteorite and André Kuipers' original Soyuz capsule. The event connected science, technology and public engagement with European space exploration.

At Materials Week 2025, DGM hosted several events as part of the scientific accompanying project BioTrans for the BMBF funding measure "Biologization of Technology: Bioinspired Materials Research". A PhD seminar covered research data management approaches, a practical workshop introduced biologization of technology as a creative innovation method, and a conference session presented progress in R&D&I projects on bioinspired solutions for industrial and medical applications.

The All-Hands-On-Deck-Meeting is NFDI-MatWerk's annual internal meeting for contributors working in Task Areas (TAs), Infrastructure Use Cases (IUCs) and Participant Projects (PPs). Participants present progress across the consortium, coordinate ongoing activities and plan the next steps in developing research data infrastructure for materials science and engineering.

Steel Innovation 2025 focused on developments in materials technology, production methods and steel applications. Topics included high-strength and wear-resistant steels, corrosion resistance and digital steel technologies, as well as recycling and innovations for the hydrogen economy.

Materials Week 2025 brought together researchers from academia and industry to discuss recent developments in materials science, share ideas and strengthen collaboration across sectors.

InMat 2025, held in Rostock, examined interdisciplinary approaches to dynamic material systems for health, energy and environmental challenges. Supported by initiatives including KiNSIS and LLM, the event covered bioinspired computing, magnetoelectric sensing, light-matter interactions and smart implants, with discussions across physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.

The 2nd IBPRO Symposium 2025 was hosted in hybrid format by Aarhus University in collaboration with the Horizon Europe project DECADES. International experts discussed advances in biocatalysis, from enzyme and material design to industrial applications. With a focus on accessibility, the event combined in-person and online participation, keynote talks, live poster discussions and recorded content to support international participation and exchange.

Held from March 2 to 7, 2025, in Berlin, the 20th EWCPS brought together the international plasma spectrochemistry community to discuss advances in analytical techniques including ICP-MS, GD-MS, ICP-AES, LIBS and LAMIS. The program included plenary and keynote lectures, technical short courses and opportunities for scientific exchange, professional collaboration and informal networking between academia and industry.

The 1st Conference on Hydrogen in Materials Science and Engineering was held in February 2025 in Siegburg/Bonn. Experts from materials science, engineering, chemistry and physics discussed the challenges hydrogen poses to materials. Topics included hydrogen-material interactions, testing under high-pressure conditions, permeation, imaging techniques and the development of hydrogen-resistant and storage materials.

The 8th International Conference on Cellular Materials, CellMAT 2024, took place in Magdeburg as a hybrid event. Researchers from different disciplines discussed advances across all material classes and application fields, with a focus on application-oriented research, digitalization and exchange between sectors. A dedicated seminar for early-career researchers took place beforehand.

FGCU 2024 in Regensburg focused on exchange between classroom practice and educational research in chemistry. With more time for discussion and an emphasis on critical reflection, the conference allowed colleagues to share ideas in the historic setting of the UNESCO World Heritage city.

Makro 2024 brought together experts from academia and industry to discuss the role of polymers in a sustainable future. Topics included sustainable synthesis, material properties and applications, covering the physical and chemical aspects of polymers and new approaches to sustainability across polymer science.

The 23rd ORCHEM Conference 2024 took place at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Regensburg. Academic and industrial chemists discussed a broad range of organic chemistry topics. Invited speakers and dedicated poster sessions for early-career researchers offered opportunities for networking and scientific discussion.

The annual event of the German Society for Materials Science (DGM) brought together experienced professionals and early-career researchers. In the hybrid format, participants could attend in person or online, join interactive talks and poster sessions, and explore the digital exhibition. The event included award ceremonies for honors such as the Young Researcher Award, Masing Memorial Prize and Heyn Memorial Medal, along with a General Assembly offering online voting. DGM Day provided opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing and discussions on the future of materials science and engineering in the German-speaking region.

The International Materials Science and Engineering Congress (MSE 2024) in Darmstadt, Germany, hosted by DGM, is one of Europe's leading materials science events. It brings together over 1,200 participants for talks, poster sessions and the MSE party, with Sweden as the special guest country.

The 58th Metallography Conference 2024 in Berlin focuses on AI applications in metallography and takes place in the Henry-Ford-Bau at FU Berlin. Participants are invited to discover Berlin's culture and Magdeburg's metallurgical history.

Additive 2024 is a forum for developments in materials science for metal additive manufacturing, bringing together industrial users and the scientific community. We look forward to welcoming you to Bremen and Berlin to discuss the future of metal AM technologies.

The "Verbund 2024" symposium takes place from May 22 to 24 in Freiburg in cooperation with INATECH. Under the theme "Circularity and value-preserving processes", it addresses resource scarcity, material sovereignty and the energy transition.

The conference aims to provide an international, interdisciplinary forum for scientists in biology, chemistry, materials science, physics and medicine to discuss bioinspired materials research. It focuses on hierarchical structures, adaptive functional materials and medical applications. Topics include synthesis, material properties, interactions with living environments, bioinspired actuation, AI and biohybrid systems.

Organized by DGM, the 2024 Friction, Wear and Wear Protection Symposium addresses new materials and coatings for ultra-low friction and wear. It focuses on understanding tribological mechanisms in response to changing industrial demands.

Organized by DGM and Saarland University, the Saar regional forum brings together companies and researchers in materials science and engineering to discuss materials innovations for the energy transition. It includes specialist talks, a poster session and a company exhibition.

The NFDI-MatWerk Winter School 2023 offers early-career researchers in materials science and engineering lectures and workshops on research data management, ontologies, knowledge graphs and related topics. Students, PhD candidates and postdocs can learn about digitalization in materials science and exchange ideas with experts.

The Laser Symposium 2023 and the 5th International Symposium on Additive Manufacturing (ISAM) brought together laser and additive manufacturing experts, industry professionals and newcomers to discuss developments and challenges in these fields, with a focus on industrial applications and economic benefits.

The AI MSE 2023 conference, organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde in Saarbrücken, Germany, focuses on artificial intelligence in materials science and engineering. Topics include microstructure analysis, machine learning for predicting material properties, materials discovery and emerging technologies such as neuro-symbolic machine learning.

The Steel Innovation conference covers advances in materials technology, including high-strength, sustainable and corrosion-resistant steels, digital steel technology and innovations for the hydrogen economy. Topics also include new concepts for additive manufacturing.

DGM Day in Frankfurt gives members of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde the opportunity to share ideas and network, both in person and online, including participation in elections.

The 17th FEMS EUROMAT 2023 congress on advanced materials and processes will be held in Frankfurt, Germany, from September 3 to 7, 2023. The hybrid event at Goethe University's Westend Campus supports collaboration and discussion in materials science and engineering, with in-person and online participation.

The 1st NFDI-MatWerk Conference focuses on digital transformation in materials science and engineering. It includes workshops, discussions on future directions and practical experience with digital tools, supporting collaboration and practical approaches to developing digital infrastructure in the field.

The "DisoMAT 2023" Conference brings together researchers from different disciplines to discuss the role of disorder in materials science, particularly optics and photonics. International experts examine the use of disordered structures and novel, tunable properties in nano-optics and photonics.

The DGM early-career forum is a networking and educational event for students and early-career professionals in materials science, engineering, natural sciences and computer science.

LightMAT 2023 is a conference on the use, processing and sustainability of light metals such as aluminum, magnesium and titanium. It focuses on eco-efficient applications in industries including automotive and aerospace, with discussions on advances in metallurgy and manufacturing techniques.

The 7th Euro BioMAT 2023 symposium, held on May 3 and 4, 2023, addressed growing interest in the creation, characterization, testing and application of biomaterials and related areas in science and industry. Recent scientific progress and new challenges in this interdisciplinary field of science and engineering were among the reasons for the event.

MAKRO2023 brought the community together under the theme "Coming Together", covering all topics that intersect with polymers and macromolecules. The success of MAKRO2021 and MAKRO2022 gave the organizers confidence that, with participants' support, they could host another lively meeting of high quality. The program included invited talks and talks and posters selected from submitted abstracts.

Technical applications for components used in hydrogen environments: production, storage, distribution and use of hydrogen; characterization of material properties; material selection; and simulation of processes concerning the effects of H2 on ductility and damage.

The conference presented advances across testing and measurement technology, along with practical materials testing problems and solutions. Exhibitors presented their new developments and took part in the program with short talks.

CellMAT is a biennial conference where scientists in materials science, physics, chemistry and process engineering share research results on cellular materials. It covers all material classes, from metals and ceramics to polymers and composites.

The workshop examined manufacturing processes, the resulting material properties and evidence of structural integrity, particularly for demanding operating environments involving corrosion, creep resistance and fatigue.

Established DGM members meet early-career researchers, exchange ideas and form or maintain friendships.

With typically more than 1,500 participants, the biennial MSE is one of Europe's largest English-language congresses in materials science and engineering. Over the past decade, it has become an international forum for experts in the field.

Alongside the traditional topics of preparation and microscopic imaging of microstructures, microstructural analysis and metallographic failure analysis, the Saarbrücken Metallography Conference was to focus on two promising fields. The Saarbrücken campus has exceptional expertise and technical equipment in these fields within Germany.

The symposium covered technologies that improve the additive manufacturability, repair and refurbishment, life prediction and performance of superalloys.

Adaptive polymers and systems are interactive, functional materials that respond to their surroundings. Biological systems' ability to sense their environment, process information and respond autonomously inspires the development of similarly complex, functional polymers and polymer systems.

Composite materials attract considerable interest because they combine different material characteristics to achieve specific property profiles. This requires a sound understanding of materials science, the ability to model and calculate properties, and processing expertise to produce material structures with a defined design.

The 5th International Conference on Hybrid Materials and Structures covers topics from base materials to design and from manufacturing to applications. This provides a basis for discussing the behavior of materials and components under application-specific conditions.

Additive manufacturing processes place the right material in the right location without tools, with high precision, flexibility, resource efficiency and cost effectiveness. We are shaping the evolution of manufacturing and introducing a new era of printing.

LPM is the world's leading meeting for the laser user community. Industry, research and academia discuss advanced developments and recent trends in laser applications for fine, precise fabrication across a range of materials.

WASSER 2022 is the central conference on water quality, presenting the latest results. Water chemists and specialists from other water-related disciplines meet to share experiences and ideas. Personal contact and discussion of current technical problems are central to the event.

The 3rd Conference on Materials and Additive Manufacturing connects manufacturing and materials perspectives, examining both the current state of science and implementation in practical applications.

The conference aims to bring together different disciplines and sectors so participants can share knowledge and identify potential collaborations between industrial and university research groups in biotechnology.

The conference aims to provide an international, interdisciplinary forum for scientists in biology, chemistry, materials science and engineering, physics and medicine to discuss current research and identify future directions in bioinspired materials.

Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry (FiMC) is the international annual conference series of the GDCh Division of Medicinal Chemistry. It is open to people in industry and academia with an interest in medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and related topics.

KERAMIK 2022, the 97th Annual Meeting of the Deutsche Keramische Gesellschaft (DKG), is open to all ceramic specialists and anyone interested in ceramics. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is the "virtual host of KERAMIK 2022".

The theme for MAKRO 2022 was "Future of Polymer Materials". It was chosen to encourage discussion within the polymer community about future directions in academic research and industry-academic partnerships, and how to respond to changing consumer expectations and regulations.

Each Max Planck Institute is regularly reviewed by an independent scientific advisory board to maintain excellent scientific quality. The President of the Max Planck Society appoints the board's members, who are experts from leading research institutions and universities worldwide.

Fraunhofer IWS Dresden develops industrial solutions through additive manufacturing. The International Symposium Additive Manufacturing (ISAM) brings together leading experts, end users and newcomers for scientific exchange and industrial networking.

The "3D Matter Made to Order" Cluster of Excellence combines natural sciences and engineering in an interdisciplinary approach to three-dimensional additive manufacturing, from molecules to macroscopic dimensions. Its goal is to fully digitalize 3D manufacturing and material processing so that components and systems can be produced through nano-printing at the highest process speed and resolution.

The conference offered a program of plenary talks, mini-symposia and interactive poster sessions. Its content followed the regular Spring Meetings while making full use of the new possibilities offered by online meetings.

The scientific program included lectures and poster presentations. The organizers aimed to provide an event of scientific excellence for industrial and academic researchers in medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and related fields.

The Chemistry Lecturers' Conference (CDT) is a symposium bringing together early-career academics from all areas of chemistry. Researchers working toward habilitation and junior professors present their research and exchange ideas with future colleagues.

The conference gave scientists from universities, research facilities and industry a forum to present results, discuss findings and consider future challenges. Interdisciplinary presentations across construction materials science showed the topic's many perspectives.

Forschungszentrum Jülich is the "virtual host" of KERAMIK 2021. With 6,000 employees, it is one of Europe's large research institutions in energy, the environment, bioeconomy, information technology and brain research. Its work lays the foundations for future technologies.

This congress combined prerecorded video presentations with an interactive conference format. A chat function allowed participants to exchange information, and the exhibition had its own virtual platform.

The "6th European Symposium on Biomaterials and Related Areas 2021" brought together around 140 participants from across the international community. From May 5 to 6, 2021, researchers exchanged ideas across four main topics and used the opportunity to maintain and expand their personal networks.

The online conference focused on the DGG specialist committees and their topics: glass physics and chemistry, including structural modeling, new glass compositions and functions; glass-crystalline materials, including crystallization and sintering; glass melting technology; glass forming technology and quality assurance; environmental protection; glass history and design in digital form; and the glass forum on flat glass finishing.

"WASSER 2021" is the Water Chemistry Society's central conference on water quality, with recent findings on contaminants, wastewater, treatment, drinking water and analysis, marine chemistry, water bodies and trace substances, sediments, colloids, water chemistry and industry. Although "WASSER 2021" took a different form than usual, the conference platform helped make it another successful event.

The 2021 meeting celebrated both the 99th anniversary of the Colloid Society and the 120th General Assembly of the Bunsen Society.

Collaborative Research Center 1340 invited participants to its first international symposium. Those attending in person and online could discuss specialist talks, research findings and poster presentations.

During the "Composite Materials Expert Days" on June 29 and 30, 2021, participants from science and industry shared technical knowledge and maintained and expanded their networks. More than 70 participants attended, with a dozen half-hour overview talks covering composite materials and material composites. The virtual format also made it possible for three researchers abroad to join.

The Biotrans 2021 symposium made recent advances in biocatalysis research accessible worldwide. The program covered new reactions, enzyme design, enzyme mechanisms, application demonstrations, computational methods, (chemo)enzymatic cascades, inspiration from biosynthesis and chemo-inspired reactions.

Despite a last-minute change from an in-person to an online event, the 49th GDCh Food Chemists' Conference provided a forum for talks, poster sessions and a virtual industry exhibition.

Alongside other DPG meetings such as Surface 21, the Matter and Cosmos Section (SMuK) meeting was held as a live online event. Its usual program of talks, posters and discussions moved into the digital space.

Using the DGM conference platform, over 45 hours of live video were produced on sustainability in materials science. The event, with over 300 exhibitors, focused on additive manufacturing and innovative materials, artificial intelligence in materials science, circular materials, hydrogen challenges for materials, lightweight design with advanced materials and materials for electromobility.

As macromolecular chemistry celebrated its 100th anniversary, "Makro 2021" focused on the future of polymer science, addressing current challenges and future solutions. Internationally recognized speakers discussed past, present and emerging topics in macromolecular chemistry and physics.

EUROMAT 2021 was the 1st virtual EUROMAT, bringing together 1500 international materials experts from 46 countries. Participants shared views on current developments and future directions, networked and discussed major issues facing industry and academic research.

The Polymer Symposium 2021 brought together scientists in macromolecular chemistry, physical chemistry, polymer engineering and biomaterials to discuss the present and future of polymers.

The DPG Meeting of the Atoms, Molecules, Quantum Optics and Plasmas Section (SAMOP) promotes knowledge sharing and early-career researchers. Students could present their first master's or diploma thesis topics and discuss them with scientists.

The "3D Matter Made to Order" Cluster of Excellence combines natural sciences and engineering in an interdisciplinary approach to three-dimensional additive manufacturing, from molecules to macroscopic dimensions. Its goal is to fully digitalize 3D manufacturing and material processing so that components and systems can be produced through nano-printing at the highest process speed and resolution.

The meeting offered opportunities to discuss current developments and research results. It also showed that an online format can accommodate chemical experiments.

The Max Planck Symposium is an intensive two-day career conference connecting international Max Planck alumni and early-career researchers from all disciplines and institutes. Participants propose and develop each symposium's topic, supported by experienced experts and invited guests.

The DPG promotes knowledge sharing and early-career researchers. Its Spring Meetings give students an opportunity to present their first master's or diploma thesis topics and discuss them with scientists. Compared internationally, the extensive inclusion of early-career researchers' presentations in the conference program is a distinctive feature. The meetings also help researchers connect with colleagues.

The conference presented contributions from America, Asia and Europe. Keynote talks and panel discussions occupied a central time slot so all continents could participate live. Additional morning and afternoon talks and poster sessions allowed direct exchange between Asia and Europe, and Europe and America, with on-demand access for other time zones. Despite the time differences, this format achieved high live attendance and active discussion.

This symposium examined how data transparency contributes to research progress. Attendees learned from leaders in the FAIR and open data movements who advocate better practices in their fields and apply them in their own work.

The 55th Metallography Conference took place from September 29 to October 1, 2021. The three-day program covered conventional materialographic preparation methods and failure analysis, additive manufacturing processes and aspects of electromobility. Tomographic methods were a focus because they offer new characterization possibilities, some already used in industry.

The 9th International Conference on Modeling and Simulation of Metallurgical Processes in Steelmaking (STEELSIM 2021) brought together experts in numerical modeling and simulation from academic research and the ironmaking and steelmaking industry. They shared knowledge and new scientific and technical results, and discussed common challenges and possible directions for future development.

LightMAT 2021 brought together academic and industrial researchers, scientists and engineers to present and discuss developments in magnesium, aluminum, titanium, their alloys and material combinations. Standard processing methods and primary applications of these metals were also covered to support comparison and knowledge transfer, providing an overview of individual advances and challenges.

ASMET, the Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials, invited decision-makers, engineers, developers, industry experts, scientists and students to the fifth Metal Additive Manufacturing Conference, dedicated to metal processing. Topics included powders for MAM, AM process and quality control, and post-processing of AM parts.

Engineers from the steel industry and related sectors met to learn, exchange ideas, make new contacts and reconnect. Alongside the lecture program and industry exhibition, the evening event allowed time for technical discussions and networking. Participants on site and online could discuss specialist talks, research findings and poster presentations.

The European Symposium on Friction, Wear and Wear Protection 2021 was held as an online conference on November 18 and 19.

The 5th Bioinspired Materials 2020 conference gave participants and organizers much to remember, both for the scientific content and for its delivery. Initially close to cancellation, the international conference became a flagship project of the German Society for Materials Science (DGM).

The 4th Hybrid Materials and Structures 2020 conference was held as a webinar and received positive feedback on both its content and organization. It gave the German Society for Materials Science (DGM) another model for future events in this format.

Held online from May 13 to 15, 2020, the "Materials and Additive Manufacturing" conference demonstrated that scientific knowledge sharing could continue during COVID-19 and that an event with several parallel tracks could be delivered successfully over the internet.

The online "Fatigue Design and Materials Defects" symposium left participants satisfied and with new ideas. Held by the German Society for Materials Science (DGM) from May 26 to 28, 2020, the two-track event offered an international audience research insights and opportunities for personal exchange beyond the talks.

Although the popular social evening was canceled, participants at the 54th Metallography Conference still found ways to network and enjoy a cold drink together online. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, #MET2020 moved from Saarbrücken to the internet without reducing its popularity.

With more than 120 specialist talks, live chats and interactive functions, DVS CONGRESS online offered a varied program. It also included results from many recently completed research projects of the DVS Research Association for Welding and Allied Processes.

Around 1000 participants from 45 countries attended a scientific program that included six plenary lectures by internationally recognized scientists. MSE 2020 also included a symposium on South Korea, the partner country of MSE 2022, organized by early-career researchers.

"CellMAT - International Conference on Cellular Materials" was first held in 2010. The 2020 edition of #CELLMAT, held on October 7 to 9, 2020, marked its anniversary. The organizing committee prepared a scientific program to reflect a decade of conferences, while participants joined through the online platform developed by the German Society for Materials Science (DGM).

The 16th colloquium of the Process Analytics Working Group took place online that year and covered a range of topics. Four main sessions illustrated how process analytics can improve process efficiency.

Current and former RoHan scholarship holders from Germany, Vietnam and Indonesia presented their research and experiences at the RoHan Graduate School. Internal and external experts were invited to expand the RoHan network. The program also provided information about the next RoHan phase and future scholarships. Scientists, professors and students worldwide were invited to connect with RoHan alumni and the coordinators in Vietnam and Germany.