COATINGS 2026

– EXELISIS & MDRI Organise the COATINGS 2026 Conference

The COATINGS 2026 Conference, jointly organised by EXELISIS and MDPI, was successfully held in Athens, Greece, from 20 to 22 April 2026, bringing together the international coatings and surface‑finishing community for three days of scientific exchange, networking, and collaboration. The conference brought together over 120 registered participants from academia, industry, and policy, including representation from 60 RTOs and 40 SMEs. The programme featured 10 thematic sessions, enriched by 2 plenary and 7 invited speakers, and showcased a strong body of work with more than 50 oral presentations and over 50 poster contributions.

The scientific agenda addressed key challenges and advances in Safe and Sustainable‑by‑Design surface treatments and coatings, covering topics such as metallic and composite coatings, organic and hybrid systems, additive manufacturing surface finishing, thin‑film technologies, AI‑driven tools and simulations, SSbD approaches, and the phase‑out of substances of concern in line with evolving environmental regulations. Two full days of poster sessions provided an interactive forum for in‑depth discussion and knowledge exchange.

Beyond the technical programme, the conference included dedicated networking and social activities, fostering collaboration across disciplines, projects, and sectors, and reinforcing the role of COATINGS 2026 as a key platform for shaping a more sustainable future for surface‑finishing technologies.

COATINGS 2026 Chairs

Prof. Dr. Luca Magagnin | Prof. Dr. Eugenia (Éva) Valsami-Jones | Dr. Alexandros Zoikis Karathanasis