SYMPOSIUM 5: Next Generation Bioceramics and Biocomposites

Bioceramics and biocomposites are rapidly evolving from conventional implant materials into multifunctional platforms for regenerative medicine, implantable devices and advanced biomedical applications. Recent progress in composition design, ion functionalization, nanostructuring and hybridization with polymers and biomolecules is enabling materials with enhanced bioactivity, controlled degradation, antimicrobial and antiviral performance, drug delivery capability, and improved tissue integration. 

At the same time, additive manufacturing, biomimetic processing and bioinspired design are expanding opportunities for patient-specific, hierarchical and responsive systems. This symposium will bring together researchers from academia, national laboratories, industry and clinical practice to discuss emerging trends, translational challenges and future directions in next-generation bioceramics and biocomposites. 

Proposed Session Topics 

• Bioactive, resorbable, porous and hierarchical bioceramics and biocomposites for hard and soft tissue regeneration (joint with Symposium 9) 

• Osteoimmunomodulatory, pro-angiogenic and therapeutic ion-doped bioceramics for tissue repair, infection control and age-related bone regeneration 

• Additive manufacturing, injectable/self-setting systems and patient-specific scaffold design 

• Hybrid ceramic-polymer, ceramic-hydrogel and inorganic-organic composites with tunable mechanical, biological and degradation properties 

• Mesoporous, nanostructured and self-assembled bioceramics and composites with antimicrobial, antiviral and drug delivery properties 

• Surface engineering, coatings and interfacial design for implants, medical devices and biosensing applications 

• Smart, stimuli-responsive, biomimetic, electroactive, piezoelectric and conductive bioceramics 

• Light-emitting, magnetic and sensing bioceramics for diagnostics, stimulation and theranostic applications 

• In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, biomineralization, tissue-material interactions and clinically relevant validation models 

• Sustainable, eco-friendly and clinically translatable bioceramics and biocomposites, including scale-up and reproducibility challenges 

Symposium Organizers 

• Cristina Balagna, Politecnico di Torino, Italy 

• Katalin Balazsi, Center for Energy Research, Hungary 

• Hui-Suk Yun, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Republic of Korea  

• Sungho Lee, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan 

• Eva Hemmer, University of Ottawa, Canada 

• Akiyoshi Osaka, Okayama University, Japan 

• Antonia Ressler, Tampere University, Finland 

• Ashutosh Kumar Dubey, Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India 

Points of Contact 

• Cristina Balagna; cristina.balagna@polito.it 

• Katalin Balazsi; balazsi.katalin@ek-cer.hu 

• Hui-Suk Yun; yuni@kims.re.kr