The AZTERLAN Metallurgy Research Center is part of the Organizing Committee of the 18th National Materials Congress (CNMAT 2026), which will be held in Portugalete (Biscay) from June 16 to 19, 2026. The event is organized by the Spanish Society of Materials (SOCIEMAT), together with the University of the Basque Country (EHU), with the collaboration of the Higher Polytechnic School of Mondragon University and the BRTA member technology centers AZTERLAN and Tekniker. The congress will be one of the most important scientific forums in Spain in the field of materials science and engineering.
AZTERLAN, represented by Dra. Enara Mardaras, Head of the Corrosion and Protection of Metallic Materials research line is also actively involved in the scientific development of the Congress, as well as in the organizing committee of the symposium “Corrosion and Surface Protection Methods,” which will be held as part of the event.
“Our goal is to bring together researchers, technologists, universities, and companies in the sector to discuss current and future challenges in the field of materials through high-interest scientific and technical content.” Among the areas of knowledge to be addressed at CNMAT 2026 are: structural materials and tribology, composite materials, high-entropy alloys, functional materials for ICT and energy, additive manufacturing, corrosion and protection methods, hydrogen, and surfaces, fields in which AZTERLAN maintains strong and relevant research lines..
“Iron Bizirik” initiative to bring the steel industry closer to society
As a novel initiative compared to previous editions, CNMAT 2026 will host the “Iron Bizirik” event, aimed at highlighting the steel industry—an area of materials science and engineering that has been one of the driving forces of the Basque Country’s economy for centuries.
With the aim of bringing this important sector closer to society, “Iron Bizirik” will include activities such as TxikiMAT, aimed at primary school students to “introduce them to the wonderful world of materials”; guided tours of sites considered part of the industrial heritage and of current steel plants; conferences focused on the challenges the industry faces looking toward the future; and a roundtable discussion dedicated to the history of the steel industry in the Basque Country from a shared scientific-technological and industrial perspective.
