Smart Materials for Heat Transfer Innovations

Over the 2-day conference, more than 200 researchers, academics, and industry experts from leading universities and institutions around the world gathered for SMBEC 2026. The symposium featured over 50 high-quality presentations, showcasing cutting-edge research on smart materials for building energy efficiency, indoor environmental control, thermal energy storage, and more.

The symposium also hosted presentations from the SIMIACCI consortium, with contributions from Moisés Pinto, project coordinator (IST-ID), Christian Serre (CNRS), and Tarik Aboub (ESPCI).

One of the most inspiring aspects of the event was the growing convergence of expertise from materials chemistry, building physics, and building technology. This interdisciplinary engagement reflects the increasing recognition that smart materials can play a transformative role in creating more sustainable, resilient, and energy-efficient built environments. The lively discussions, exchange of ideas, and emerging collaborations throughout the symposium highlighted both the rapid progress and the exciting future of this field.

SMBEC 2026 served not only as a platform for sharing knowledge, but also as a catalyst for new partnerships, innovative research, and lasting international collaboration, with the field expected to reach new heights in the years to come.