With around 80 contributions – including six plenary lectures, an invited Rising Star Lecture, 40 technical presentations, 19 posters, 11 poster pitch presentations, and two company presentations – the conference offered a diverse program.

Impulses from research and application
The conference was opened by the three chairs Prof. Dr. Aránzazu del Campo Bécares (INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials), Prof. Dr. Chris Eberl (Fraunhofer IWM), and Prof. Dr. Markus Kästner (TU Dresden).

The six plenary lectures by Dr. Marie-Eve Aubin-Tam (TU Delft), Prof. Dr. Dennis Kochmann (ETH Zurich), Prof. Dr. Vera Meyer (TU Berlin), Prof. Dr. Edoardo Milana (University of Freiburg), Dr. ir. Johannes T. Bas Overvelde (TU Eindhoven), Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck (University of Freiburg) and Prof. Dr. Silvia Vignolini (MPI for Colloids and Interfaces).

Another highlight was the workshop Programmable Materials in Application – Potentials and Hurdles. Here, the possibilities and limitations of programmable materials were discussed, which take on system functions through their internal structure and thus open up new approaches to resource efficiency and sustainability.

Award for young scientists
Three outstanding works were honored with the Best Poster Award:

1. Jara Saluena (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) – Photophysiological Strategies to Enhance Mycelium-Based ELM

2. Rosanne Schmachtenberg (INM) – Accelerated Engineering of Living Wood Composite Materials

3. Robin Wilhelm (KIT) – Development of ELM Fiber Meshes with Chemically and Temporally Distinct Compartments

Networking and dialogue
In addition to the presentations and poster sessions, the breaks, exhibition areas, and conference dinner at Hamburg's Elbspeicher offered numerous opportunities for scientific exchange and new collaborations.

Thanks to the program committee
Special thanks go to the chairpersons Prof. Dr. Aránzazu del Campo Bécares, Prof. Dr. Chris Eberl, and Prof. Dr. Markus Kästner, as well as the program committee Prof. Dr. Leonid Ionov (University of Bayreuth), Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber (INM), and Prof. Dr. Cordt Zollfrank (TU Munich), who put a lot of effort into putting together an awesome scientific program.

In conclusion, NextGen Materials 2025 has impressively demonstrated how the combination of scientific excellence, interdisciplinary dialogue, and creative approaches will shape the future of materials science. All contributions will remain available to participants on demand on the event platform for another 14 days.