Polymers | Polymers 2024 — “Polymers for a Safe and Sustainable Future” Conference Held on 28–31 May 2024
Polymers 2024, a conference held in Athens, Greece, from 28 to 31 May 2024, featured an event entitled “Polymers for a Safe and Sustainable Future”. Polymers 2024 is an international conference covering the latest progress and innovations in the fields of polymers for the production of new materials and additives for a safe and sustainable world. The conference aimed to explore the latest findings in the scientific field of polymers, with a particular emphasis on the synthesis of safe polymers with unique properties for human health and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the goal was to focus on green polymer chemistry and industrial approaches using bioresources to synthesize biobased and biodegradable polymers in addition to exploring safe and sustainable-by-design polymers using modeling, theory, and simulation, simultaneously investigating their chemical and physical properties for different applications. Clean, green, and efficient production processes were presented, while life cycle assessments, exposure, risk assessment, decontamination, and environmental remediation were also discussed. The conference also aimed to propose novel techniques for polymer recycling and reuse. The event provided a unique opportunity for polymer scientists from around the world to present their works, findings, and innovations in polymer chemistry and technology with regard to sustainable development and with respect to human life and the environment.
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Bikiaris, Section Editor-in-Chief of the journal Polymers and one of the chairs of the conference, made a speech for opening ceremony.
Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Bikiaris is a Chemist and Professor at the Chemistry Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. His scientific work includes more than 530 published papers, with over 23.600 citations and an h-index of 81 (Scopus). He is also the author of four chapters in international scientific books, and he holds 15 international and two Greek patents. He has participated in more than 64 research projects (national and international).
There were more than 300 attendees from 36 countries gathering at this conference. The conference provided a great opportunity for all attendees to interact with each other and to exchange academic ideas.
Poster Session
The two poster sessions took place on the second and third day of the conference. During coffee breaks, many attendees took this opportunity to exhibit their reseach achievements with poster presentations. It was a perfect occasion for Ph.D. students and young researchers to exchange academic ideas and broaden their scientific horizons.
Poster Session Award Ceremony
One of highlights of the conference was that two awards, Best Oral Presentation Award and Best Poster Award, were presented. The winners for these two awards were announced to recognize the most outstanding works presented during the event.
Sacha Pérocheau Arnaud was awarded the Best Oral Presentation Award for his talk on “Understanding additive degradation pathways and formation of Non-Intentionally Added Substances (NIAS) in polystyrene: impact on chemical structure and thermo-mechanical properties” (awarded EUR 600). Nidhi Gupta received the Best Poster Award for her work entitled “Stimulus-Responsive Bicompartmental Microcarriers For Dual Drug Delivery” (awarded EUR 500). These awards not only celebrate the achievements of the winners but also serve as inspiration and motivation for the rest of the attendees in regard to scientific excellence.
Editorial Board Members Meeting at the Conference
During the conference, the journal team invited Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Bikiaris, the chair of the conference as well as Section Editor-in-Chief of the journal Polymers, for an EBM meeting. Taking this opportunity, the journal team also invited 12 other EBMs who attended this conference as well.
Our Journal Relations Specialist made a presentation regarding journal history, journal achievements, and journal development.
It was a unique opportunity for the journal team to have a face-to-face discussion with so many EBMs who consistently support the journal’s development. The EBMs expressed their positive experience in regard to working with the journal and highly complimented the journal’s core service of fast publication. The fact that articles are published quickly under strict quality control has been recognized. Regarding journal development in the future, the EBMs provided several valuable suggestions:
- Exclusively promoting high-quality papers in different ways;
- Doing a deep analysis of hot topics that are of interest to researchers and building collaborations with them;
- Continuing to enhance quality control of each submission by collaborating with reviewers with high reputation.
Polymers will maintain its close collaboration with the Editorial Board Members and further engage with scholars across various disciplines to enhance the journal's visibility. Beyond maintaining our commitment to swift yet rigorous publication processes, we aim to diversify our collaboration efforts in various innovative formats.
