The GAMS2026 conference sessions/ themes are:

Track 1: Digital Discovery & Intelligent Design

Focus: Leveraging computational power to accelerate the R&D cycle.

• AI & Machine Learning: Neural networks for property prediction and generative models for inverse materials design.
• Multiscale Modeling: Simulations ranging from Density Functional Theory () to Molecular Dynamics () and Finite Element Analysis ().
• Digital Twins: Virtual replicas of materials used to predict performance and aging in real-world conditions.
• Informatics: High-throughput screening and automated laboratory workflows.

Track 2: Functional, Smart Materials & Responsive Surfaces

Focus: Materials that change their properties in response to external stimuli.

• Stimuli-Responsive Systems: Surfaces reacting to pH, temperature, light, moisture, or magnetic fields.
• Self-Healing Materials: Autonomous repair mechanisms for coatings and polymers.
• Metamaterials & Photonics: Engineered periodic structures for the manipulation of light, sound, and electromagnetic waves.
• Shape Memory Alloys & Polymers: Materials with "structural memory" for actuators and deployable systems.

Track 3: Surface Engineering & Functionalization

Focus: Enhancing the physical and chemical properties of material interfaces.

• Deposition Technologies: , , Atomic Layer Deposition (), and Thermal Spray.
• Surface Modification: Plasma treatments, ion-beam implantation, and laser surface texturing.
• Tribology & Wear: Mechanisms of friction, lubrication at the nanoscale, and wear-resistant coatings.
• Metrology: Advanced characterization of thin films and surfaces

Track 4: Materials Sustainability & Circular Economy

Focus: Aligning material development with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

• Bio-based Innovations: Natural fiber composites, cellulose-based materials, and bio-polymers.
• Green Manufacturing: Solvent-free synthesis, low-energy fabrication, and additive manufacturing (3D/4D Printing).
• Circular Design: Recyclability-by-design, material recovery from waste, and life-cycle assessment ().
• Safe-by-Design: Minimizing toxicity and environmental impact from the synthesis stage.

Track 5: Materials for Extreme Environments

Focus: High-performance solutions for the world's harshest conditions.

• Aerospace & Defense: Ultra-high-temperature ceramics, radiation-shielding materials, and lightweight structural alloys.
• Corrosion & Oxidation: Protective coatings for deep-sea exploration and chemical processing plants.
• Nuclear Materials: Surfaces and bulk materials resistant to high neutron flux and thermal stress.

Track 6: Quantum, 2D & Electronic Materials

Focus: The fundamental building blocks of the next digital revolution.

• 2D Heterostructures: Beyond graphene—MXenes, Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (), and van der Waals solids.
• Quantum Materials: Topological insulators, superconductors, and quantum dots for computing and sensing.
• Nano-electronics: Materials for spintronics, memristors, and neuromorphic computing.

Track 7: Materials for Energy & Environment

Focus: Technologies for a clean, resource-secure future.

• Energy Storage: Next-gen battery electrodes (solid-state, Li-S, Na-ion) and supercapacitors.
• Energy Conversion: Catalysts for green hydrogen production (water splitting) and perovskite solar cells.
• Environmental Remediation: Functional surfaces for carbon capture, air filtration, and water purification.

Track 8: Biomaterials, Bio-interfaces & Drug Delivery

Focus: The intersection of materials science, the life sciences, and advanced therapeutics.

• Advanced Drug Delivery: Nanocarriers (LNPs, micelles), stimuli-responsive release systems, and targeted delivery to specific tissues or cells.
• Medical Implants: Biocompatible alloys, ceramics, and drug-eluting coatings for orthopedics and dentistry.
• Tissue Engineering: 3D scaffolds for regenerative medicine and bio-instructive surfaces.
• Bio-sensing & Diagnostics: Materials for wearable health monitors, lab-on-a-chip, and point-of-care diagnostics.
• Antimicrobial Surfaces: Coatings designed to prevent biofilm formation and bacterial growth.