ABOUT

Emerging 2026 – School on Functional Advanced Materials for Emerging Applications is a two-day international summer school that will take place on 1–2 July 2026 at ICMAB in Barcelona, Spain.

The school will bring together leading researchers and experts to deliver plenary lectures on key topics in functional materials, nanoscience and related interdisciplinary fields. The program is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive overview of current advances, emerging trends, and future directions in materials science.

Building on the success of previous editions, including the 2021 DOC-FAM school, Emerging 2026 returns as an in-person event, offering a unique opportunity for direct interaction, discussion and networking with distinguished scientists and fellow participants.

The school is aimed at PhD researchers and early postdocs, as well as anyone interested in gaining deeper insight into cutting-edge research in functional advanced materials.

Participants will benefit from:

High-level plenary lectures by internationally recognized researchers
Exposure to a broad range of emerging topics
Opportunities for discussion and scientific exchange
Networking in an engaging, collaborative environment

TOPICS

Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering
Photonics
Electrochemistry
On-surface synthesis of atomically precise nanostructures. Integration in devices
Magnetism and spintronics

SPEAKERS

Plenary

Romain Quidant

Full Professor

ETH Zürich

Maria Rosa Palacin Peiró

Research Professor

Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona

Giovanni Finocchio

Associate Professor

University of Messina

Gabriela Borin Barin

Research Scientist

Empa

João Mano

Full Professor

University of Aveiro

PROGRAMME

July 1–2

Emerging Summer School

Two-day programme with plenary lectures, DocFam+ talks, poster session, alumni roundtable, prizes and closing.

Day 1

July 1

Morning

09:00 – 09:15 Welcome and introduction to the Emerging Summer School
09:30 – 10:30 Romain Quidant — Shining a light on life’s smallest building blocks
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00 Rosa Palacin — Back to the future: beyond Li-ion batteries
12:00 – 13:30 DocFam+ talks
13:30 – 15:00 Lunch

Afternoon

15:00 – 16:00 Giovanni Finnochio — High performance spintronic devices
16:00 – 17:00 DocFam+ talks

Day 2

July 2

Morning

09:30 – 10:30 Gabriela Borin Barin — Atomically Precise Graphene Nanoribbons: From Single Molecules to Functional Devices
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00 João F. Mano — Tissue engineering strategies inspired by nature
12:00 – 13:00 DocFam+ talks
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch + Poster session

Afternoon

15:00 – 16:30 Career Roundtable with DocFam Alumni
16:30 – 17:30 Prizes and closing

VENUE

Emerging 2026 will be held at: Sala d’Actes Carles Miravitlles, Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

Located within the campus of the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, the venue offers a modern auditorium equipped for scientific events, providing an ideal setting for lectures and discussions.

Barcelona is a vibrant, international city known for its strong scientific ecosystem, rich cultural heritage and excellent transport connections, making it an attractive destination for participants from around the world.