International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies

International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies
Name	International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies
Abbreviation	MATTCON (informal)
Established	1985
Frequency	biennial
Venue	Singapore (frequent)
Discipline	Materials science
Organiser	National University of Singapore (frequent host)

Contents

International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies is a major biennial scientific meeting convening researchers, engineers, and industrialists in materials science, solid-state physics, and applied chemistry. The conference brings together participants from institutions such as National University of Singapore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge and national laboratories like Argonne National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Delegates include members of professional societies such as the Materials Research Society, The Electrochemical Society, American Physical Society, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

History

The conference traces origins to collaborative initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region during the 1980s that linked universities such as National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, University of Tokyo, Tsinghua University, and University of Sydney with research centers like CERN-adjacent materials programs and national facilities including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Early editions featured keynote speakers from institutions such as Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, California Institute of Technology, and Seoul National University and coincided with regional science diplomacy efforts involving organizations like the Asia-Europe Meeting and intergovernmental initiatives led by the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Industry. Over subsequent decades the meeting expanded scope and international participation, attracting delegations from European Commission research projects, Japan Science and Technology Agency, National Science Foundation (United States), and industry partners including Intel Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Toshiba Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Program tracks encompass experimental and theoretical work across nanomaterials, biomaterials, electronic materials, and energy materials, with sessions drawing presenters from University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, Peking University, Seoul National University, and University of Oxford. Typical topical clusters include semiconductor heterostructures linked to research at Bell Labs, perovskite photovoltaics related to efforts at EPFL, and two-dimensional materials research resonant with groups at National Institute for Materials Science and Columbia University. Interdisciplinary symposia often reference collaborations with institutes such as Max Planck Society, Fraunhofer Society, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Korea Institute of Science and Technology. Workshops address characterization methods anchored by facilities like Diamond Light Source, Advanced Photon Source, and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

The conference is administered by rotating organizing committees drawn from sponsoring institutions including National University of Singapore, A*STAR, University of New South Wales, and Indian Institute of Science. Scientific advisory boards have included luminaries affiliated with MIT, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, and University of Tokyo; operational partnerships have involved Singapore Economic Development Board and international societies such as Materials Research Society and Royal Society of Chemistry. Funding and sponsorship historically come from governmental research agencies like National Research Foundation (Singapore), European Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and corporate sponsors including Applied Materials, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, and Siemens AG.

Milestones include special sessions on high-temperature superconductors following breakthroughs at IBM Research and Johns Hopkins University, focused symposia on graphene inspired by work at University of Manchester and Columbia University, and dedicated panels on perovskite solar cells after advances from EPFL and University of Oxford. Noteworthy editions hosted plenaries by researchers affiliated with NREL, Riken, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Joint satellite meetings have been organized with conferences such as International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, and themed workshops tied to projects funded by Horizon 2020 and bilateral initiatives with Australian Research Council.

Selected papers presented at the conference are published in proceedings volumes and special issues of journals edited in collaboration with publishers connected to American Chemical Society, Nature Publishing Group, Elsevier, and Institute of Physics. Contributions often appear in peer-reviewed outlets including Advanced Materials, Nature Materials, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Physical Review Letters, and Applied Physics Letters. Conference abstracts and extended papers are indexed by services such as Web of Science, Scopus, and the American Institute of Physics indexing platforms; data and supplementary materials have been archived in repositories linked to Dryad (repository), Figshare, and institutional repositories at National University of Singapore.

The meeting confers awards and honors often sponsored by partners such as Materials Research Society, Institute of Physics, Royal Society, and corporate entities like Samsung Electronics and Intel Corporation. Categories typically include best paper awards, young investigator prizes recognizing early-career researchers from institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles, KAIST, and University of Toronto, and lifetime achievement recognitions for scientists associated with Max Planck Society, CSIR, and major national laboratories. Award ceremonies have highlighted contributions aligned with prize programs such as the MRS Medal and international fellowships supported by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

Over its history the conference has facilitated collaborations that contributed to advances in photovoltaics, catalysis, superconductivity, and two-dimensional materials, linking investigators from University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, Stanford University, Peking University, and Tsinghua University with industrial R&D at Samsung Electronics, Intel Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation. Outcomes include cross-institutional projects funded by National Science Foundation (United States), European Research Council, and national research agencies that advanced techniques at facilities like Diamond Light Source and Advanced Light Source. The meeting has influenced curriculum and training programs at host universities such as National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and fostered translational research partnerships leading to patents overseen by technology transfer offices at MIT, Stanford University, and University of Cambridge.

Category:Materials science conferences