Welcome & Conference Scope
A welcome note from the Conference Chair on the themes and focus of SuMAT 2027.
Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the 2027 Sustainable Materials Summit, a gathering inspired by the conviction that materials science & engineering, responsible manufacturing and new business models must advance hand in hand, creating unique opportunities for research and industry.
The conference’s programme brings together researchers and industry leaders who are redefining how metals, polymers, and complex devices are designed, used, and recycled and how the growing demand for critical elements can be met, with new scientific insights and engineering best practise.
Across our sessions, you will see how circular alloy design is moving from concept to manufacturing, with recycled and low-grade feedstocks becoming a foundation rather than an afterthought. Battery and electronic‑waste recycling are entering a new phase of industrial maturity, driven by sharper process control, smarter separation technologies, and a better understanding, direction and circularization of critical‑element flows.
Green‑steel pathways, in terms of hydrogen-based reduction, electrification, and low‑carbon solutions, are no longer experimental islands but emerging systems to be matured.
Non‑ferrous alloys, particularly key materials made of aluminium, copper and nickel are being re‑imagined with business-ready sustainability metrics embedded from the first thermodynamic calculation to the science of ‘dirty’ alloys to the final life‑cycle assessment.
Magnet recycling and rare‑earth recovery illustrate how precision metallurgy can directly support geopolitical resilience and technological sovereignty.
Polymer sustainability is undergoing a renaissance, with both chemical and mechanical recycling, bio‑derived monomers, and advanced sorting technologies converging into workable industrial ecosystems.
Artificial intelligence and data science are accelerating all of these developments, enabling us to see patterns in materials behaviour, waste streams, and process optimisation that were previously inaccessible.
We are delighted to welcome you to a summit where rigorous science, engineering creativity, and human responsibility meet.
Core topics
The conference will be held from 08- 10 September 2027 in Düsseldorf, Germany, in a hybrid format that opens it to colleagues joining from anywhere in the world.
We look forward to welcoming you in Düsseldorf in 2027.
Best regards,