3rd IPPT_TWINN International Conference on Metal Replacement and Lightweight Polymer Composites Successfully Brought Together Science and Industry
On June 4 and 5, 2025, the Faculty of Polymer Technology (FTPO) held a two-day free international conference on composite materials in Slovenj Gradec, bringing together more than 90 participants and experts from academia and industry. Participants from more than ten countries attended the event in person and online.
The conference offered a rich program with four thematic clusters on the first day and four research-oriented clusters on the second day. The conference was opened with a welcome address by the Dean of the Faculty of Polymer Technology and head of the IPPT_TWINN project, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Blaž Nardin. Over the course of two days, 46 professional and scientific contributions were presented. They focused on current challenges and development opportunities for composite materials in sectors such as the automotive, aerospace, and sports industries, construction, energy, recycling, and sustainability. Participants learned about numerous technological innovations, research projects, and industrial examples of good practices.
The first day of the conference focused on industrial applications and presented best practices in the mobility, construction, aviation, and sports equipment sectors. The highlight of the day was the plenary lectures by Prof. Gion Andrea Barandun (OST, Switzerland), who spoke about the versatility of composites, and Dr. Niccolò Pini (Doroangus Consulting, Switzerland), who presented strategies for recycling composite materials. The day ended with a dynamic panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges facing the European composite industry.
The second day was more research-oriented, with 26 scientific presentations by international researchers and invited experts. The keynote plenary lectures were given by Prof. Paolo Andrea Carraro (University of Padova, Italy), who presented strategies for designing and monitoring composite structures under load, and Dr. Martin Schlummer (Fraunhofer IVV, Germany), who presented dissolution methods for recycling composites. The program for the second day also included presentations in the fields of new material development, sustainable production, and advanced testing methods.
The event was enriched by invited lectures on material development, new production processes, circular economy, and testing and predicting the behavior of composites. The conference also provided an opportunity for in-depth panel discussions on the future of the European composites industry, networking, and the exchange of experiences.
In addition to the exceptional lectures, there were also organized B2B meetings, open education on research project funding opportunities, a tour of the laboratories of the Faculty of Polymer Technology, and a conference dinner, which further encouraged cooperation between stakeholders.
The successful conference once again demonstrated the importance of linking research and industry on the path to sustainable solutions for the future.