1st General Meeting of MecaNano Network

By Andrew Johnston & Megan Cordill

A European collaboration of more than 77 organizations and research centers from 24 countries has set out to make significant progress in the testing, simulation and characterization of materials at the nano-scale.

Doing so will facilitate the production of materials with improved performance and durability in order to meet some of today’s most pressing environmental and industrial challenges.

That is the goal of the recently-formed European Network for the Mechanics of Matter at the Nano-Scale (MecaNano).

Funded under the Horizon Europe programme as a European Cooperation in Science & Technology (COST) action, MecaNano recently celebrated its first General Meeting at IMDEA Materials Institute in Madrid, Spain.

The event brought together stakeholders from the network’s participating institutions to discuss the most recent scientific progress in the nanoscale materials field and the plan future actions.

By combining the expertise of its participants, from experimentalists to simulation, data management and machine learning experts, MecaNano aims to overcome the different bottlenecks limiting the exploration of mechanical size effects.

This week’s meeting was one example of the numerous opportunities to interact and collaborate, e.g. through dedicated workshops, symposia and summer schools, or by funding the mobility between participants, that MecoNano provides participants.

The topics covered by speakers throughout the two-day event focused on mechanical size effects and nanoscale deformation mechanisms, as well as experimental and simulation research.

“This week´s General Meeting provided an opportunity to generate knowledge at the nanoscale, where all properties originate, and using it to develop the next generation of stronger, more durable and more environmentally friendly materials,” said IMDEA Materials Institute Deputy Director, Prof. Jon Molina.

First General Meeting of COST Action CA21121
26-27 Apr 2023 Madrid (Spain)