A Strong Commitment from the UGA

By hosting the 2026 edition in the heart of the Grenoble region, Université Grenoble Alpes reaffirms its position of excellence in materials science and engineering.

The UGA provides direct support for the organization of the conference, while mobilizing all of its constituent units, research facilities, and partner laboratories. This commitment helps raise the profile of the Grenoble scientific community’s work on an international scale.

Strong involvement of scientists from Grenoble in the organization

The success of MATÉRIAUX 2026 depends on synergy between UGA and its local partners. The university’s faculty members, researchers, and staff are deeply committed to organizing the event.

• Local Organizing Committee: The local steering committee is chaired by Benoît Coasne (DR CNRS, LiPhy / UGA) and brings together key members of the Grenoble laboratories to coordinate the welcome for thousands of conference attendees.
• Scientific Committee and Conferences: The UGA community is well represented on the scientific committee and among the co-chairs of the 14 thematic conferences (notably at LiPhy, the Néel Institute, SIMAP, etc.).

A plenary lecture presented by a UGA faculty member from LIPhy

Among the highlights of the scientific program, one of the plenary lectures will be given by Jean-Louis Barrat, a professor and researcher at UGA from the Interdisciplinary Physics Laboratory (LIPhy – UGA/CNRS) and an honorary member of the Institut universitaire de France.

His presentation, “Modern Simulation Approaches for Understanding Disordered Materials,” will highlight the contributions of cutting-edge computational and theoretical tools developed in Grenoble to unravel the structure and dynamics of complex solids.

Public Event and Local Attractions

In addition to high-level scientific discussions, MATÉRIAUX 2026 offers an opportunity to explore the region’s scientific and cultural heritage.

• Public Lecture: A session focused on science communication and outreach will be held on Wednesday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. to introduce the residents of Grenoble to the societal challenges associated with the materials of the future (energy transition, health, environment).
• Friday Afternoon Tours (Nov. 20): To wrap up the conference week, a program of scientific and cultural tours will give participants the opportunity to explore the major instruments and world-class laboratories at the Grenoble site, as well as the rich local cultural heritage.