CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials welcomed a delegation of students from Zhejiang University (China) on 16 and 17 July for a two-day programme designed to showcase the institute's multidisciplinary research ecosystem and strengthen international scientific collaboration.

Under the theme "Exploring the CICECO Innovation Ecosystem: From Research to Industrial Applications", the initiative introduced participants to the research infrastructure, advanced materials laboratories and innovation ecosystem of the University of Aveiro, highlighting the pathways that connect fundamental science to technology transfer and industrial applications.

The programme opened with a welcome session presenting the University of Aveiro and CICECO, followed by an interactive meeting with the Confucius Institute, where students learned about academic mobility opportunities, Portuguese language and cultural support, and the experiences of Chinese students studying at the University of Aveiro.

Throughout the first day, the delegation visited several CICECO laboratories, where researchers and PhD students demonstrated state-of-the-art technologies and ongoing research. Highlights included polymer processing technologies such as extrusion, injection moulding, thermocompression, additive manufacturing and solvent casting, alongside demonstrations in rapid prototyping, 3D printing and digital fabrication at the Makers Lab.

The students also explored research on functional materials, including smart materials, printed sensors, flexible electronics and sustainable functional polymers, before visiting laboratories dedicated to biomaterials, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), photonics and luminescent materials, as well as magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications.