Welcome and Registration
The first workshop, FAME: Future of Advanced Materials in Europe, is focussing on (i) Overcoming Barriers Faced in the Uptake and Deployment of Advanced Materials, as well as (ii) Investments in Advanced Materials and Scaling-Up Production of Advanced Materials. FAME outcomes will be used in the European Commission’s planning for its Advanced Materials Act being introduced in 2026.The second workshop, FAME-EcoSys: Future of the European Advanced Materials Ecosystem, will allow participants to take a deep dive into the AdMa ecosystem, using lessons from AdMa on the Iberian peninsula. Moreover, it focusses on (iii) AdMa funding - cross-fertilisation across borders by policies towards smart funding, and (iv) Enabling progress by concentrated efforts towards AdMa uptake. FAME-Ecosys outcomes will help to position Ad Mas R,D & I in the overall European landscape and will feed further co-creation of national/regional initiatives of the InnoMatSyn-project.
The event is co-organized by European Commission’s Technology Council for Advanced Materials’ Subgroup on Uptake and Deployment, IAM-I and the EU-funded project InnoMatSyn. We are grateful for the University of Aveiro as well as the Portuguese ANI for supporting the event locally!
All stakeholders of the European AdMa ecosystem, from science to industry to policymakers and funding bodies, are invited to attend. Your input is vital in shaping the future of advanced materials in Europe.
Please register for all sessions you are interested in attending (free of charge). Due to limited capacity, we will follow the “First come, first served” principle. Please register before November 21st.
Locations
Aveiro
Aveiro is a picturesque coastal city distinguished by its canals, colourful moliceiro boats, and elegant Art Nouveau architecture. It offers a welcoming atmosphere, excellent gastronomy, and easy access to both the coast and nearby natural reserves. The University of Aveiro (UA) is a national reference in science, technology, and innovation, recognised for its modern campus, research excellence, and strong collaboration with industry and international partners.
Porto
Portugal’s second-largest city, Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated for its rich history, riverfront views, and world-famous wine. It combines tradition with a vibrant cultural and entrepreneurial spirit. ISEP is one of the top schools of technology in Portugal and has been pioneering education and research in Engineering since 1852. It offers a wide range of programmes in different fields of Engineering and promotes strong international collaboration.
Future of Advanced Materials Europe (FAME) Workshop
Advanced materials are important to the future competitiveness of European industries and are included in the list of 10 critical technologies to secure the European Union’s economic security. As a fundamental building block of many other economic and technological sectors, advanced materials have potential applications in many of the areas critical for Europe’s future.In 2026 the European Commission will introduce the Advanced Materials Act to establish a strategic framework that will support all aspects if advance materials from research and innovation, to design and development and manufacturing, deployment and use. It will address key issues such as time to market, expansion of production capabilities, streamline regulatory processes, boost Europe’s competitiveness and foster a more sustainable and circular economy.
Location
Auditório Renato Araújo, Edifício Central e da Reitoria, Universidade de Aveiro
Main Objectives
- Seek agreement on how to overcome barriers to uptake and deployment of advanced materials in Europe
- Provide feedback to the European Commission to help inform the development of the Advanced Materials Act 2026
- Create networking opportunities for key advanced materials stakeholders
Format
The FAME Workshop is spit into two sessions and uses a three panel format to encourage discussion and debate.
26 November (13.00-18.00) Session A Panel Overcoming Barriers Faced in the Uptake and Deployment of Advanced Materials
27 November (09.00-14.30) Session B Panels Investments in Advanced Materials and Scaling-Up Production of Advanced Materials
Agenda Session A | Aveiro, 26 November
13h00 |
Registration |
13h30 |
Welcome from the hosts Rector and Vice-Rector, University of Aveiro Ministries of Science and Economy |
14h15 |
Innovative Advanced Materials in the European Union Cristina Russo, DG RTD European Commission |
14h40 |
Uptake and deployment of advanced materials: Technology Council for Advanced Materials Recommendations Sean Kelly, Nanotechnology Industries Association and Chair of Technology Council Subgroup A |
14h55 |
An end users perspective: Advanced Materials in Future Electric Drives Robert Plikat, VW Group |
15h10 |
An end users perspective: Advanced Materials in Construction Javier Bonilla, Acciona Construction and European Construction and sustainable built environment Technology Platform (ECTP) |
15h25 |
Coffee Break and Networking |
15h40 |
Regulations for better access to the market: The EU Test Methods Strategy and up to date Test Guidelines for Advanced Materials Ester Kardienaal, Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat and Elisabeth Heunisch, Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) |
16h10 |
Standards for Advanced Materials Charles Clifford, National Physical Laboratory and Chair ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies |
16h25 |
Digital Product Passports: Accelerating Industrial Uptake for SMEs Natalia Konchakova, Helmholtz-Zentrum hereon GmbH and Coordinator of the DigiPass CSA |
16h40 |
Education and skills: The Advanced Materials Academy Krysta Martinez, European Institute of Innovation & Technology |
17h00 |
Panel: Overcoming Barriers Faced in the Uptake and Deployment of Advanced Materials Sean Kelly (Chair) All speakers plus: Stephan Schunk, BASF Rosita Cottone Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt |
18h15 |
Close of Session A |
Agenda Session B | Aveiro, 27 November
09h00 |
Welcome to Session B |
09h10 |
Investing in Advanced Materials Luís Quaresma, Iberis Capital |
09h25 |
Investing in Advanced Materials Almudena Trigo Lorenzo, Beable Capital |
09h40 |
Panel: Investments in Advanced Materials Speakers plus: Alexander Pogany, Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, Austria Eva Schillinger, IAM-I Francesco Bonaccorso, BeDimensional S.p.A. |
10h40 |
Coffee Break and Networking |
11h00 |
Scaling-up Advanced Materials Pierre Robert, Michelin |
11h20 |
Innovation Centres and Test Beds for Scale-up Ane Irazustabarrena Murgiondo, TECNALIA and Jose M. Serra, ITQ |
11h50 |
Panel: Scale-up of Advanced Materials Speaker plus: Esther Hurtos, EURECAT Marlene Grauer, BME |
12h50 |
Public Procurement of Advanced Materials Marlene Grauer, BME |
13h05 |
Bringing EU Regions together: The InnoMatSyn Project Andreas Falk, BNN and Coordinator of the InnoMatSyn CSA |
13h20 |
Conclusion and Next Steps Wide Hogenhout, DG RTD, European Commission |
13h30 |
Close of Session B |
FAME-EcoSys: Future of the European Advanced Materials Ecosystem
Provisional AgendaLocation
Session C: Auditório Renato Araújo, Edifício Central e da Reitoria, Universidade de Aveiro
Session D: Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP)
Agenda Session C – AdMa funding – cross-fertilisation by policies towards smart funding | Aveiro, 27 November
MODERATOR: Andreas Falk
14h30 |
European AdMa R,D&I policies and funding under the next MFF Wide Hogenhout, European Commission, DG Research and Innovation, Directorate E - Prosperity, Industrial Transformation |
14h45 |
Overview of the AdMa ecosystem links European level - national/regional Eva-Kathrin Schillinger, Secretary General of IAM-I association |
15h00 |
Panel 1: The Portuguese AdMa ecosystem – Status of the current situation: main strengths, weaknesses, barriers, etc. Current policies, best practices and funding instruments in Portugal Moderator: TBC, PLANAPP Introduction to AdMa in the Portuguese ecosystem Sofia Azevedo, ANI Panellists: António Braz Costa, CENTI/CITEVE Sandra Carvalho, SPM Representative from an AM producer company: Teodorico Pais, Vista Alegre Alcino Lavrador , CCDR-Centro Ricardo Simões, CCDR-Norte |
16h15 |
Coffee Break |
16h30 |
Panel 2: The Spanish AdMa ecosystem – Status of the current situation: main strengths, weaknesses, barriers, etc. Current policies, best practices and funding instruments in Spain Moderator: André Guimarães, Zabala Innovation, Lisbon office Panellists: Amaya Igartua, Tekniker Vincent Jamier, Leitat Joseba Bilbatua, Mondragon Representative from an AM producer company: Dolors Nuñez Sanchez, ACCIÓ |
17h15 |
Shaping the Future of the European AdMa Ecosystem: InnoMatSyn Support for Regional and National Funding Bodies Sara Tornabene, APRE |
17h30 |
Success Factors for Innovation Ecosystems in the European Union Lasse Stoetzer, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) |
17h45 |
Closing of Day 2 |
Agenda Session D – Enabling progress by concentrated efforts towards AdMa uptake | Porto, 28 November
MODERATOR: Elvira Fortunato
09h00 |
Cross-border collaboration experiences – best practice example Clivia M. Sotomayor-Torres, INL (tbc) |
09h15 |
IPCEI CAM – boosting the national AdMa-ecosystems Nena Dokuzov, Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Slovenia |
09h30 |
Panel 3: Building AdMa value-chains – Opportunities for interregional collaboration Main opportunities; Challenges and Needs; Technology Infrastructures/Demonstrators and Pilot Lines/etc.; Funding Needs Moderator: Eva-Kathrin Schillinger, Secretary General of IAM-I association Panellists: Raquel Ledo, Materplat Tercio Pinto, IMPETUS Representative from a relevant Spanish AdMa company (producer/user/recycler) Raquel Santos, INEGI Ane Irazustabarrena Murgiondo, Tecnalia |
11h00 |
Coffee Break Panel 4: Funding and financing the Innovation Cycle – The challenges of synergies The "political" response; What can be done better currently; The perspectives for the new Framework program. Moderator: Sara Tornabene, APRE Panellists: Representatives from FCT and ANI Ricardo Simões, CCDR-N Amaia Martinez Muro, SPRI |
12h00 |
Future AdMa Ecosystems preview – Overview of the next steps in the context of InnoMatSyn project José Carlos Caldeira, INESC TEC |
12h15 |
Closing remarks Panellists: Andreas Falk, coordinator of InnoMatSyn project, BNN Eva-Kathrin Schillinger, Secretary General of IAM-I association Sean Kelly, representing AdMa-Technology Council, NIA Representative from Portuguese political level Representative from Spanish political level |
12h30 |
Closing of the FAME-EcoSys'25 Event |
Travel to Aveiro
Aveiro is conveniently located in the centre of Portugal and is easily accessible by air, rail, and road. Whether you arrive through Porto or Lisbon, regular train and motorway connections make travel to the city straightforward. The University of Aveiro campus is just a few minutes from the railway station, and local transport options are available for easy access around the city.Flying to Portugal
Aveiro is easily accessible from Portugal’s two main international airports. The closest is Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto, located about 70 km north of Aveiro. Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon lies approximately 250 km to the south. Both airports are served by major international and low-cost airlines. Click here for more information on ANA airports.
From Porto to Aveiro
From Porto Airport, the most convenient route to Aveiro is via Porto-Campanhã railway station, which has frequent direct train services to Aveiro. The trip from the airport to Campanhã takes about 20 to 30 minutes by taxi or ride-hailing service. Alternatively, you can take the Metro, Violet (E) Line, which departs from the airport. Change at Trindade station to lines A, B, C, or F (all connect to Campanhã). The Metro journey takes around 30 to 35 minutes. Click here for Metro information.
Trains from Porto-Campanhã to Aveiro take about 40 minutes on Alfa Pendular or Intercidades services, and around 1 hour and 15 minutes on regional trains. Click here for train timetables.
From Lisbon to Aveiro
If you are arriving in Lisbon, the easiest way to reach Aveiro is by train from Lisboa-Oriente railway station. The station is just a short journey from the airport — about 10 minutes by taxi or Metro (Red Line, directly from the airport). Click here for Metro information and here for train timetables.
From Lisbon to Porto
If you plan to travel between Lisbon and Porto before coming to Aveiro, there are frequent high-speed train connections between Lisboa-Oriente and Porto-Campanhã. The journey takes approximately 3 hours on Alfa Pendular or Intercidades trains. Both stations are directly connected to the Metro networks and airports in their respective cities. Click here for train timetables.
By Road
From the north (A1 motorway) or east (A25 motorway): follow the A1 towards Lisbon, exit in the direction of Aveiro, and take the A25. There are two exits from the A25 to the city — “Aveiro-Norte” and “Aveiro.” The second exit provides the most direct access to the University of Aveiro campus.
From the south via the A1 motorway: take the A1 towards Porto, exit at “Aveiro-Sul/Águeda” (exit 15), and follow the EN235 road directly to the University campus.
From the south via the A8 and A17 motorways: exit at “Aveiro-Sul” and follow the EN235 road directly to the University campus.
Click here for information on Portuguese road connections.
To reach the University of Aveiro campus
Aveiro railway station is about 30 minutes on foot or a 5-minute taxi ride from the University campus. Local bus number 11 also provides regular service between the station and the campus, departing from the bus terminal located outside the station’s east-side exit.
Accomodation in Aveiro
Aveiro offers a wide range of hotels, from elegant five-star options to comfortable mid-range choices, all within the reach of the University of Aveiro and the city centre. Below you’ll find a selection of recommended hotels, with approximate walking and driving distances to the venue.5 Star Hotels
MS Collection Aveiro - Palacete Valdemouro
Rua José Estêvão, n.º 50, 3800-201 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 245 630
aveiro.reservations@mscollection.pt
Walking distance: 15 mins / By car: 5 mins
Hotel Montebelo Vista Alegre Ílhavo
Lugar da Vista Alegre, 3830-292 Ílhavo
Tel.: +351 234 241 630
montebelovistaalegre@montebelohotels.com
By car: 12 mins (9 kms)
4 Star Hotels
Mélia Ria Hotel & Spa
Cais da Fonte Nova, Lote 5, 3810-260 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 401 000
melia.ria@meliaportugal.com
Walking distance: 25 mins / By car: 6 mins
Hotel Moliceiro
Rua Barbosa de Magalhães, 15/17
3800-154 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 377 400
hotelmoliceiro@hotelmoliceiro.pt
Walking distance: 15 mins / By car: 5 mins
Hotel Aveiro Palace
Rua de Viana do Castelo, 4 (Ponte Praça)
3800-275 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 423 001
geral@hotelaveiropalace.com
Walking distance: 15 mins / By car: 5 mins
Hotel As Américas
Rua Eng. Von Hafe, 20
3800-176 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 346 010
info@hotelasamericas.com
Walking distance: 20 mins / By car: 6 mins
3 Star Hotels
Hotel Imperial
Rua Dr. Nascimento Leitão
3810-108 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 380 150
reservas@hotelimperial.pt
Walking distance: 11 mins / By car: 3 mins
Veneza Hotel
Rua Luís Gomes de Carvalho, 23
3800-211 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 404 400
reservas@venezahotel.com
Walking distance: 25 mins / By car: 5 mins
Hotel Jardim
Praceta D. Afonso V
3810-094 Aveiro
Tel.: +351 234 426 514
info@hoteljardim.pt
Walking distance: 15 mins / By car: 4 mins