7th FEMS Industry Symposium
“Materials assisted by digital science: Revolution, benefits and risks for industry “
14th January 2027, Frankfurt Airport (Fraport)
The Federation of European Materials Societies is pleased to announce the 7th FEMS Industry Symposium, taking place on 14 January 2027 at Frankfurt Airport.
Under the theme “Materials assisted by digital science: Revolution, benefits and risks for industry”, this one-day event will examine the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital technologies on materials science and engineering.
The symposium will highlight how digital science is accelerating materials discovery, design, and optimization—supporting faster innovation cycles and more sustainable industrial processes. Topics will include predictive modelling, AI-driven materials development, and automated experimentation, alongside critical discussions on associated challenges and risks.
The event will bring together leading experts from academia and industry to explore how digitalisation is shaping the future of materials-driven innovation.
Symposium Chairs:
Gerhard Hackl (Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials, Austria)
Aldo R. Boccaccini (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany)
Organising Committee:
Paula Vilarinho (Portugal), Anna Zervaki (Greece), Stefan Klein (Germany), Danièle Quantin (France), Rodrigo Moreno (Spain)
Speakers confirmed so far:
Dr. Martin Müller (Saarland University & Material Engineering Center Saarland, Germany)
Dr. Werner Ecker (Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH (MCL), Austria)
Dr. Pietro Del Sorbo (Safran Composites, France)
Prof. Andrés Diaz Lantada (Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain)
Dr. Gabriel Fricout (ArcelorMittal, France)
Dr. Amaya Igartua (Tekniker, Spain)
Prof. Paula Vilarinho (Univ. of Aveiro, Portugal)
Preliminary Programme
FEMS Industry Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Materials Science & Engineering
Thursday, 14 January 2027 · Fraport, Frankfurt Airport, Germany
Please note that this is a preliminary programme.
Morning
08:30–09:30 Registration & Coffee
General Presentations
09:30–09:35 Welcome by Symposium Chairs
09:35–09:45 Welcome by FEMS President
09:45–10:00 Introductory Lecture I: Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership
Dr Wide (to be confirmed)
10:00–10:30 Introductory Lecture II: Machine Learning for Microstructure Analysis: From Academic Research to Industrial Practice
Dr Martin Müller, Saarland University & Material Engineering Center Saarland, Germany
10:30–10:45 Coffee Break
Examples of Applications of AI in Materials Development
10:45–11:15 Title: AI projects in collaboration with industry (TBC)
Speaker: Dr Werner Ecker, Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH (MCL), Austria
11:15–11:45 Title: TBC
Speaker: Pietro Del Sorbo, Safran Composites, France
11:45–12:15 Title: AI-empowered design for additive manufacturing of bioinspired, smart and living biomaterials and biodevices
Speaker: Prof. Andrés Diaz Lantada, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain
12:15–12:45 Title: TBC
Speaker: Dr Gabriel Fricout, ArcelorMittal, France
12:45–13:45 Lunch and Networking
Afternoon
13:45–15:30 Panel Discussion
Key challenges and opportunities for AI in Material Science and Industrial Processes
Participants: All previous speakers + Amaya Igartua (Spain), Pierre-Jean Krauth (France), Paula Vilarinho (Portugal)
Moderation: A. R. Boccaccini and G. Hackl
15:30–16:15 Industry-Academia Bilateral Meetings (mix and match) and Coffee
16:15–17:00 Conclusions and Next Steps
Participation is free of charge.
Registration will open soon.