Prof. Dr. Lucia Toniolo is a Full Professor of material science and technology at Politecnico di Milano (Italy) since 2013. She has been advancing the frontiers of sustainable materials and methods for the conservation of cultural heritage. In particular, she devoted her career to the development and optimization of coatings and nanocomposites for the conservation of historical stone materials and works of art. She is a member of the School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineering Teaching Materials for Sustainable Built Heritage. She is responsible for scientific Laboratory Materials and Methods for cultural heritage, dealing with innovative materials and methods for conservation. Since 2020, she has followed up with the establishment of E-RIHS, and in 2025, she was elected as Chair of the General Assembly of the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS ERIC). Since 2016, she has been appointed Fellow of the International Institute of Conservation (IIC, London, UK). During 2017–2020, she was appointed President of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society.

Prof. Dr. Toniolo has established herself as a leading voice in heritage science, having produced over 150 peer-reviewed publications in international journals and books and successfully supervising more than 20 master’s and PhD students.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Lucia Toniolo, who shared with us her vision for the journal, as well as her perspective on the field and on open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you accept the role of Section Editor-in-Chief?
I have long appreciated Coatings for its ability to connect fundamental surface science with real-world applications. In the context of cultural heritage, this connection is especially meaningful, as it allows scientific advances to directly support the preservation of artworks, architecture and archaeological remains, and historical materials in general. The opportunity to contribute to a platform that promotes rigorous, timely, and accessible research in this interdisciplinary area is particularly compelling.

2. What is your vision for this Section?
My vision is to establish this Section as a leading forum for innovative research on surface treatments for cultural heritage, purposely developed for this aim. I’d like to emphasize the necessity for a deeper understanding of materials and mechanisms—moving beyond simply assessing performance to exploring how coatings interact with original substrates over time. This includes durability, reversibility, compatibility, and long-term ageing. I also see sustainability as a key priority, encouraging the development of environmentally friendly, non-invasive, and conservation-appropriate materials.

3. What does the future of this field look like in your opinion?
The future lies in the development of advanced, multifunctional, and highly compatible coatings tailored for heritage conservation and artistic surfaces in a broader sense. We are moving toward smart and responsive systems capable of self-healing, protective adaptation, or controlled interaction with environmental factors. At the same time, advances in analytical techniques—such as high-resolution microscopy and non-invasive diagnostics—will allow us to design and evaluate coatings with unprecedented precision, ensuring both effectiveness and respect for cultural heritage materials.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in academic publishing?
Open access is particularly important in the cultural heritage field, where collaboration across disciplines and regions is essential. It ensures that conservators, scientists, and institutions worldwide—regardless of resources and use of the dedicated literature database—can access the latest research and can contribute to knowledge transfer in the sector. The rapid and transparent dissemination of knowledge is crucial for safeguarding cultural heritage and fostering global cooperation within an interdisciplinary community.