Announcements

1. Could you please briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Paulo Tavares. I am currently acting as R&D coordinator for Advanced Monitoring and Structural Integrity at INEGI, Porto Portugal. INEGI, the Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, is a research technological organization (RTO) focused on mechanical engineering topics. The R&D unit “Advanced Monitoring and Structural Integrity” develops methodologies for structural integrity appraisal based on both conventional techniques, such as accelerometers or electrical strain gauges, but also optical and imaging techniques, such as fiber-optic sensing with Bragg sensors or distributed sensing, laser speckle Interferometers for nanometer scale displacement and strain monitoring and imaging techniques such as digital image correlation. We also use passive and active, lockin, and IR thermography techniques on all bands of the IR, from Near IR (NIR) through Short-, Medium- and Long-Wave IR bands. The methodologies we develop, and use give us an edge in the analysis of phenomena in fatigue and fracture mechanics studies, very much in line with the analysis needs for the outstanding behavior of contemporary advanced metal technologies characterization.

2. What do you think of the development status and trends of open access publishing?
Open Access (OA) publishing came through as a definite step forward in knowledge broadcasting, by spreading free access to high-quality publications. But we need to ensure those high quality publication standards are continuously met and not put aside even for a split second, or otherwise we risk compromising that quality in favor of publishing facilitation, something we all know can be attractive for the publishing community on the short term but nefarious or, at least, wicked, in the long run. If we ever lose that perspective and let OA become a fast track to researcher publication indexes alone, the Research Community itself will disconnect from journal reading and all industry will pay dearly for that.

3. What is your impression of the Metals Journal?
Metals is highly regarded as an important journal in the field. On one hand, exactly because it does not dispense of its high-quality standards in exchange for that continuous paper flow, by keeping a highly demanding editorial team. On the other, because of its choice of subjects and Special Issues which reflect the most important contemporary topics of the field. Metals is a good example of a very focused journal, investing in the right aspects of publishing for a demanding scientific community.

4. What do you think will be the research hotspots in the field of metals in the next few years, and can you describe them to us?
Metal is the most recyclable substance on the planet. In our continuous search for decreasing environmental impact, the research for lighter but more resistant next generation steel or metals for specific applications, we clearly see several industries forecasting the reduction of polymers and keeping or increasing the use of metals. This single fact is very pertinent in technology R&D roadmaps around the globe and influences many activities related to manufacturing in different ways, such as condition monitoring research topics. fatigue and fracture mechanics, which progressed immensely from the initial studies during the first half of the last century, will continue to drive the interest of the industries and the research teams everywhere, due to the findings or necessary studies of new metals and their use or manufacturing technologies. Moreover, the huge leap forward of technologies related to power drivers, telecommunications, propulsion systems, fuel cells or H2 engines, to name a few, require a continuous flow of novel metallic materials and the necessary information thereof. Some metals we didn’t have a lot of use for just a few years ago are currently on the brink of insufficiency or disappearance altogether, according to recent reports of supplying corporations and unions. Such are the challenges that journals such as Metals currently must address, which is really a handful.

5. What is one reason you would encourage someone to submit an abstract?
I can give you several, but most importantly, to make a point, communicate a discovery, influence the research community towards an important aspect or reveal an aspect hasn’t been covered and which influences the view of others. These should be the most important drivers in research and a common guide to every researcher. Metals is the right place to do so.

6. What makes this conference different and worth attending?
For exactly the same reasons I encourage researchers to publish in Metals or submit an abstract to IOCME 2026–strive to make a difference and contribute to scientific progress.

Introduction of IOCME 2026:
Conference Date: 12–14 October 2026
Deadline for Abstract Submission: 11 May 2026
Deadline for Registration: 6 October 2026
Conference Chair: Prof. Dr. Antonio Riveiro Rodríguez, Department of Materials Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain

For more details, please visit https://sciforum.net/event/IOCME2026.
For any enquiries regarding the event, please contact iocme2026@mdpi.com.