CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials had one of the strongest presences at European Researchers' Night, held on Friday, 25 September, at Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro. More than 65 members of the institute took part in the Science@UA Science and Technology Fair, leading the presentation and demonstration of projects for audiences of all ages.

From health to sustainability, and from energy to space, CICECO's projects showed how materials research responds to real societal challenges.

In health and regenerative medicine, the ÉLPIS project, with João F. Mano, Ana Rita Pinho, Rafael Lemos, Leonardo Matias, Vitor Gaspar and José Valdés, presented biomimetic bone models for the development of anti-tumour and regenerative therapies. Along the same lines, "Smart biomaterials: shaping the future of medicine", with Claudia Nunes, João Correia, António Rodrigues, Artur Baeta and Beatriz Machado, and "Dynamic and smart biomaterials for regenerative medicine", with João Borges and his team, showed how smart materials can transform medicine. "Sticky science: bioadhesives for biomedical applications", by João Rodrigues, Luis Reichembach and Margarida Sacramento, brought the science of bioadhesives for biomedical applications to the public.

Sustainability and the environment were another strong focus. Claudia Nunes, Paulo Brites, Maria Pereira, Gonçalo Sousa, Ana Barra and Carolina Martins presented "Circular and smart food packaging". Nuno Gonçalves, Tito Trindade and colleagues showed how "Nanomaterials that Clean Our Water", while Mirtha Lourenço, Mariana Sardo, Luís Mafra and their team addressed carbon capture and its valorisation in "Capturing CO2, Creating Value: The Science Behind a More Sustainable Future". Filipe Sosa, Nicolas Schaeffer and colleagues led "The Journey of Critical Metals: From Waste to New Resources", on recovering metals from waste.

In energy, "Materials for Green Energy", by Filipe Figueiredo, Pavel Zelenovskii and Paula Barbosa, showcased the role of materials in cleaner energy solutions. And cork, a material so closely associated with Portugal, reached space in "CorkSat: How Cork Helps Explore Space", with Sara Silva, Martinho Oliveira, Vasco Carreira, Sílvio Abrantes, Ricardo Torcato, Ricardo Figueiredo and Nuno Borges de Carvalho.

Visitors could also "Explore the Nanoworld with Virtual Reality" with Manuel Melle-Franco, Jorge Laranjeira and their team, discover how "Medical Imaging with Portable Devices" works, with Nuno Silva and colleagues, and learn about the link between science and local heritage in "Clay minerals: from the soil to Aveiro's façades", by Elena Mercedes Pérez-Monserrat and Patricia Sarrico, which followed the path of clay minerals from the soil to the city's façades.

The Science and Technology Fair brought together 78 research projects developed at UA, with the participation of more than 200 scientists.

Check the event photos here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/vXzfyvGVoditKUE47