Professor Young was educated at the University of Cambridge and became Professor of Polymer Science and Technology in Manchester in 1986. He was the founding Head of the School of Materials in the newly-formed University of Manchester in 2004, which is now the largest university materials department in the UK and the focus of major UK materials research initiatives. He is a Fellow of Royal Society (2013), Royal Academy of Engineering (2006) and Academy of Europe (2015). His main research interest is the relationships between structure and properties in polymers and composites. He has introduced of a number of revolutionary techniques that have given a completely new insight into the micromechanics of deformation in fibres and composites. In particular, he has pioneered the use of Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of deformation processes that take place at the molecular level. Over recent years he has extended this approach to the mechanics of deformation of graphene and other 2D materials in nanocomposites. His contribution in research has been recognised through numerous invitations to give Plenary and Keynote lectures at International Conferences and through the awards of the Griffith Medal (2002), Leslie Holliday Prize (2011), Swinburne Medal and Prize (2012) and Platinum Medal (2019) from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

Geoffrey Mitchell is Chief Scientific Officer at Visionary Equation lda, a high tech startup company based in Marinha Grande, Portugal , a researcher at the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development at the Polytechnic of Leiria in Portugal. He is Adjunct Professor at the Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, in Mysore India, Visiting Medical Physicist, Oxford University Hospitals Trust, Oxford UK and Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Reading in the UK. His eclectic research work bridges material science, physics, biology, chemistry, computer simulation and technology and he is passionate about the opportunities which arise in manufacturing. He has pioneered the development of in-situ time-resolving neutron and x-ray scattering procedures to evaluate the structural and morphological transformations involved during manufacturing including Reaction Injection Moulding, Thermoforming, 3D printing and Injection Moulding of semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymers and biopolymers. He plans to use this to develop a multiscale digital twin for injection moulding.   He has applied this approach to 3D printing to develop the concept of morphology mapping. He is actively engaged in the digitialisation of materials He is a strong advocate for Climate Change and the challenges of sustainability. He has edited a number of books, the most recent “Controlling the Morphology of Polymers” and “Electrospinning – Principles, Practise and Possibilities” with a second edition to be published in 2024. He currently writing a book in partnership with Professor Mahadevappa Kariduraganavar at Karnatak University in Dharwad India on “Design, Processing and Degradation of Plastics.

J. González began his scientific career in 1992 at the Complutense University of Madrid, where he studied cyclodextrin inclusion complexes. He earned his PhD at the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M), specializing in glass fiber-reinforced polymers. He completed research stays at several institutions, including Tampere University, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), and NIST, focusing on polymer science and materials characterization. He currently leads the AFM Laboratory at UC3M. In 2006, he founded the Polymeric Composite Materials and Interfaces research group (an official UC3M group), dedicated to the development of multifunctional thermoplastic materials. He pioneered a high-energy ball milling method to achieve uniform nanoparticle dispersion, enabling the design of materials with unique electrical and antibacterial properties. He has extensive experience in advanced nanoscale characterization techniques and has established close collaborations with internationally recognized groups, including the University of Salerno, University of Aveiro, UCSB, CWRU, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the University of the Basque Country, and the University of Navarra, among others. His current research focuses on developing polymer nanofibers via Solution Blow Spinning (SBS) for medical, electrical, and food packaging applications. He has published more than 125 SCI articles, led international, national, and regional research projects, and serves on several editorial boards in the field of polymer science.

Keynote talk title: Active Fibrous Materials Based on PLA/Magnetic nanoparticles Prepared by Solution Blow Spinning

Cyrille Boyer is an Australian Laureate Fellow and Professor within the School of Chemical Engineering, deputy-Head of School, postgraduate course coordinator, and co-Director of Australian Centre for Nanomedicine at the University of New South Wales. He is an associate Editor of European Polymer Journal and a member of Advisory Board of Advanced Materials, ACS Infectious Diseases, ACS MacroLetters, Polymer Chemistry, Journal of Polymer Science, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, Cell Reports Physical Science, Giant, etc.

His research has been recognized by several fellowships, including Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (ARC-APD), ARC Future Fellowship, and more recently, ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship (starting in 2023). He has received several prestigious research awards, including 2018 IUPAC-Polymer International Young Researcher award, 2018 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship, 2018 Award of Excellence in Chemical Engineering, 2016 ACS Biomacromolecules/Macromolecules Young Researcher Award, 2016 Journal of Polymer Science Innovation award, Le Fevre Memorial Prize awarded by Australian Academy of Science for chemistry, and 2015 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Science (one of the Prime Minister Prizes for Science). Since 2018, he has been listed as a Highly Cited Researcher in Chemistry or Cross-field by Clarivate and named as one of the Leaders in Polymers and Plastics in Australia by the Australian Newspaper.

Cyrille’s research interests mainly cover the preparation of functional macromolecules using photocatalysts, which find applications in various areas, including nanomedicine, advanced materials, and energy storage. In nanomedicine, his group designs new antimicrobial and anticancer polymers. More recently, he has implemented his photochemistry to 3D printing for the fabrication of 3D printed objects, enabling precise control over the nano- and macro-structure of 3D printed objects. He has coauthored over 440 articles.

Filomena Freitas is an Assistant Professor at the Chemistry Department of NOVA School of Sciences and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon (FCT NOVA), Portugal, and a Senior Researcher at the Biochemical Engineering Group (BIOENG), at UCIBIO, FCT NOVA. She has completed a PhD in Biological Engineering by  FCT NOVA in 2004. She has developed research on the development of upstream and downstream processes for the production of value-added microbial products, including polysaccharides and polyhydroxyalkanoates, as well as intellectual property development and technology transfer. Special focus is also given on the biological valorization of agro-industrial wastes/byproducts, aiming at implementing sustainable bioprocesses. She has over 110 papers published in international peer review journals, book chapters and International Patents, which have recently been granted in several countries.

Prof. António José Vilela Pontes is an Associate Professor at the Department of Polymer Engineering (DEP) and Director of the Institute of Polymers and Composites (IPC) at the University of Minho in Guimarães, Portugal. He earned his PhD in Polymer Processing and Design from the University of Minho, where he has built an accomplished academic and research career focused on polymer engineering, advanced manufacturing, and product development. Prof. Pontes is widely recognized for his expertise in injection molding, additive manufacturing, polymer composites, and the optimization of processing–structure–property relationships in polymeric materials. He has coordinated and participated in more than 45 national and international R&D projects, many in collaboration with industry, notably leading the Bosch–UMinho partnership since 2012. His work bridges academia and industry, promoting innovation in polymer technologies and sustainable manufacturing. Prof. Pontes has published over 250 scientific papers and around 20 book chapters, contributing substantially to the advancement of polymer engineering. In addition to his academic roles, he serves as Vice-President of PIEP (Polímeros Engenharia Innovation & Technology Center) and as CEO of DONE Lab, specializing in advanced product and tooling development.

Prof. Eliton S. Medeiros is an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) in João Pessoa, Brazil. He holds a PhD in Engineering and has a distinguished academic career, with over 148 scientific publications and more than 93,000 reads of his work.

His research focuses on nanomaterials, biomaterials, tissue engineering, and polymers. He is particularly recognized for his contributions to the development of nanofibers and polymeric materials for applications in energy, catalysis, and biomedical devices. Prof. Medeiros has also advanced innovative techniques such as Solution Blow Spinning (SBS) and Solution Blow Spraying (SBSp) for producing nanofibers and functional films.

He has international experience, including collaborations with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), enhancing his multidisciplinary perspective. Currently, he leads the research laboratory of Professor Roberto M. Torresi at UFPB, continuing to make significant contributions to materials science and its technological applications.

Prof. Branka Pilić is a Full Professor at the Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. She obtained her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Synthetic Polymers from the same institution, completing her PhD in 2006. With a distinguished academic career spanning over two decades, Prof. Pilić has become a leading expert in polymer science, focusing on biopolymers, biodegradable and functional materials, and nanofiber technology. Her research explores the development of sustainable polymer-based materials, including active and intelligent packaging, biocomposites with natural additives, and electrospun nanofibers for applications in filtration, medicine, and environmental protection. She leads the Advanced Sustainable Plastic Materials (ASPM) Group at the University of Novi Sad, which emphasizes eco-friendly innovations in materials engineering. Prof. Pilić has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and has participated in numerous national and international research projects, contributing significantly to the advancement of sustainable materials science in Serbia and abroad.