Author: [email protected]

InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, organized the InnoRenew CoE International Conference 2026 (IRIC2026), which took place 5–6 November 2026 at the InnoRenew CoE building in Izola, Slovenia. This year, the conference focused on renewable materials and their use in creating healthy and sustainable buildings, while also placing special emphasis on supporting the career development of PhD students and early-career researchers.

International researchers and experts gathered in Izola to exchange knowledge and experience, present their research, and discuss innovative solutions for a healthier and more sustainable built environment.

Dr. Andreja Kutnar, department chair of InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, opened the conference and welcomed attendees saying: “I am very happy that we are hosting IRIC2026 in our building for the eighth consecutive year, bringing together excellent international researchers, PhD students, and early-career researchers to exchange knowledge and ideas across a wide range of scientific topics.”

The keynote address was delivered by Gijs Bruggink, who gave a presentation titled “Wood & Wellbeing: The Health Benefits of Timber Architecture”.

Gijs Bruggink has spent over 13 years working at ORGA architect, an internationally active architecture practice. He led the research team behind the Wood & Wellbeing report on the health benefits of building with timber. At IRIC2026, he presented his work on wood construction, biophilic design and the importance of designing healthy living and working spaces.

In addition to the keynote address, the conference featured thematic sessions on advanced manufacturing, materials, creativity and society, buildings and health. Participants had a chance to take part in two workshops:

• Michael Burnard workshop “Writing Research Questions and Hypotheses”
• Črtomir Tavzes workshop “Unlocking the Potential of Lower-Quality Wood through Innovative Utilization Pathways”

For the eighth consecutive year, the InnoRenew CoE International Conference provided a forum for the exchange of knowledge and discussion of new scientific developments and innovations in renewable materials that can be used in the built environment to improve human and environmental well-being. The conference also offered PhD students and early-career researchers an opportunity to present their work, exchange ideas, and connect with international colleagues.

The IRIC2026 was co-organized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth as part of Science month 2026.

Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM Materials research group leader, attended the 5th Edition of the Conference on Engineered Living Materials (ELMs), held 28-30 October at the Saarbrücken Campus, Germany.

Dr. Sandak delivered an oral presentation entitled “Encoding fungal growth into network architectures for ELM predictive design”, in which she presented progress in the development of living coatings investigated in the ERC project ARCHI-SKIN.

The conference brought together almost 200 researchers from diverse scientific disciplines to discuss fundamental principles, technological advances, and emerging real-world applications of Engineered Living Materials.

Dr. Ihab Malat, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher, participated in the A.M.I.I.H.U. Alumni Congress, held 15-16 October 2026 at IHU Méditerranée Infection in Marseille, France.

During the congress, Dr. Malat presented his research entitled “Aureobasidium pullulans at the Interface of Biotechnology and Biosafety: Perspectives for Engineered Living Materials”.

The presentation highlighted the biotechnological potential of Aureobasidium pullulans for developing innovative, bio-based engineered living materials, while also addressing important biosafety considerations associated with the use of microorganisms in material development.

The research contributes to the ongoing ERC-funded ARCHI-SKIN and EIC-funded REMEDY projects, which explore the integration of living systems into sustainable and functional materials for the built environment.

The congress was dedicated to microbiology, infectious diseases, science and innovation, bringing together alumni, researchers and professionals to exchange knowledge, share experiences and establish new connections.

The ARCHI-SKIN project, led by Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM Materials research group leader and representative of the University of Primorska, is featured in the new report by the European Research Council (ERC), “ERC Frontier Research on Biotechnology: From discovery to innovation”. The project is highlighted in the section on sustainable biomimetic and biomass technologies as an innovative approach to protecting materials from environmental degradation.

Researchers working within the ARCHI-SKIN project are exploring the potential of fungal biofilms as eco-friendly, self-healing coatings for protecting engineered surfaces. They are studying how fungal biofilms form and function and how these properties could be replicated in protective materials. Their research combines time-lapse microscopy, mathematical modelling and computational tools to develop a high-throughput screening system for identifying fungal candidates suitable for different surfaces.

The ERC report highlights the potential use of these coatings in the building sector, where they could help extend the lifespan of materials while protecting them from environmental degradation. In the future, fungal biofilms could also contribute to the breakdown of pollutants through bioremediation.

Funded by the ERC under Horizon Europe, ARCHI-SKIN runs from September 2022 to August 2027. Researchers are investigating how living fungal cells and bio-based ingredients can be combined to develop protective coatings for biomaterial, concrete, plastic and metal surfaces.

The full ERC report is available here.

Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM Materials research group leader, participated in the kick-off meeting of the new COST Action CA25136 Intelligent Soft Materials via Chemical Feedback Control at Materials Interfaces (INFORMat), held 28 September 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.

INFORMat brings together European experts to establish core principles for intelligent soft materials. While it is still unclear how to instill materials intelligence, feedback and self-regulation are recognized as crucial steps in developing stimuli-responsive materials toward intelligent, life-like materials.

By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, INFORMat will serve as a training ground for young researchers and innovators, widening participation and supporting the development of a cohesive generation of innovators in the emerging field of intelligent materials.

InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researchers participated in the Sustainable Waste Management in Materials Science (SWMMS 2026) conference, held 21-23 September 2026 in Poznań, Poland.

Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM Materials research group leader, delivered a plenary talk titled “Nature has no waste – rethinking materials design through living systems”, presenting research carried out within the ARCHI-SKIN, REMEDY, LIVEMAT and STAR projects.

Dr. Anna Sandak, delivered a keynote lecture entitled Engineered Living Materials as Integrated Bioprocessing Systems: From Living Cells to Resilient Cities.

In her talk, she explored engineered living materials (ELMs) from the perspective of integrated bioprocessing, focusing on fungal biofilms and microbial consortia that can be organised within materials to form living coatings, printable inks, and composite structures. These systems enable microorganisms to grow and produce their own structural matrices, creating functional materials directly during cultivation. By controlling growth conditions, formulation, and spatial organisation, living cells can be retained within the material, where they continue to perform functions such as sensing, regeneration, and bioremediation, reducing the need for extensive downstream processing while enabling materials that remain active over time.

The Biopartitioning and Purification Conference (BPP) has evolved from its original focus on aqueous two-phase partitioning to a broader platform covering diverse bioseparation techniques since BPP 2013 in Vancouver. Today, it brings together academia and industry to advance the separation of high-value bioproducts alongside topics such as biomass processing, waste valorisation, novel bioproduct development, technoeconomic analysis, life cycle assessment, and regulatory frameworks.

Dr. Anna Sandak delivered a keynote lecture titled “Living Interfaces: Fluid–Solid Interactions in Engineered Living Materials”, highlighting the emerging role of bio-based and living materials in fluid–solid interaction research.

The annual conference brought together researchers and innovators working on the modelling, testing and application of phenomena at the fluid–solid interface. Its broad scientific programme covered topics including combustion processes, renewable energy sources, flow through porous materials, catalytic combustion, filtration, fuel cells, turbine component cooling, energy storage systems and cost-effectiveness analysis.

The event combined an international practical course and scientific symposium, bringing together researchers to explore the complexity, formation and adaptive behaviour of microbial biofilms. The programme featured hands-on laboratory training, keynote lectures and scientific discussions, providing participants with opportunities to develop practical skills, exchange knowledge and connect with the international biofilm research community.

As part of the scientific programme, Dr. Černoša presented her research in an oral presentation entitled “Influence of Protective Oils on Biofilm Production and Morphology of Aureobasidium pullulans.” Her presentation explored how different protective oils influence biofilm production and morphology in Aureobasidium pullulans, contributing to a better understanding of fungal biofilm formation and its potential applications in the development of innovative living coatings.

The research is part of the ongoing European Research Council (ERC)-funded project ARCHI-SKIN, which investigates the potential of fungi and their biofilm-forming properties for developing novel living materials and protective coating solutions.

Participation in Biofilms’ON26 provided an opportunity to present ARCHI-SKIN research to the international scientific community while gaining further practical knowledge of biofilm research and exchanging expertise with researchers working in this rapidly developing field.