Interdisciplinary Research in International Dialogue: A Review of EnFI 2026 and the 3rd International SIIRI Symposium
Science connects: Around 135 researchers from diverse research disciplines and from across the world gathered in Hannover for EnFI 2026 and the 3rd International SIIRI Symposium.
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Keynote speaker Fadi Aldakheel during the discussion session moderated by SIIRI spokesperson Meike Stiesch.
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Bisruta Chowdhury presents her award-winning poster.
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On 7 and 8 July 2026, the 18th Conference on Engineering of Functional Interfaces (EnFI)) was held together with the 3rd International SIIRI Symposium at the Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE) in Hannover. This event for early-career researchers addressed current research topics at the interface of medicine, engineering sciences and information technology, with a focus on functional interfaces and implant surfaces, and brought together 135 national and international participants from science and research.
The two-day scientific programme included four keynote lectures, flash talk sessions and poster presentations. The programme opened with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fadi Aldakheel and his lecture Physics-Based Machine Learning for Computational Engineering Across Scales. Prof. Dr. Masahiro Kunimoto presented Electrochemical Deposition for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces: Principles, Applications, and Analysis. PD Dr. Jennifer Ernst provided insights into From Lost Limb to Restored Connection: AMI and other Mechanoneural Interfaces for Human-Machine Integration. The keynote series concluded with Prof. Dr. Christine Ruffert and her lecture Microfluidics, Cells and Organoids.
In the flash talk sessions and poster sessions, the early-career researchers presented their current research in the four sessions Electrochemistry, Analytics and Sensors, Materials, Structures and AI, Biomedical and Systems Engineering and Microfluidics, Cells and Organoids. The different formats promoted scientific exchange and networking among participants from diverse research disciplines.
At the end of the first conference day, a joint evening programme was held at the Water Sports Club Altwarmbüchen, including sports activities and a barbecue. The occasion was also used to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the EnFI conference series. The second conference day concluded with awarding the Poster Prizes to Madita Zach (FH Aachen/Jülich), Bisruta Chowdhury (RWTH Aachen) and Flavia Di Scala (Maastricht University). In addition, for the first time, the EnFI Research Collaboration Award in memory of Dr. Kasper Eersels was received by Ana I. Furtado (Maastricht University).
Further insights into the scientific programme are available in the Book of Abstracts of the joint event.
Photo gallery EnFI/SIIRI Symposium 2026
