The 20th edition of the European Mechanics of Materials Conference (EMMC20) will be held in Florence (Italy) on May 27-29, 2026. Within this conference, Massimiliano Gei (University of Trieste - Italy), Giovanni Noselli (SISSA, Italy) and myself (Francesco Dal Corso, University of Trento - Italy) are organizing the symposium S7 – Mechanics of soft materials and structures (description reported below).
The deadline for abstract submission is December 21, 2025, and for early-bird registration is February 22, 2026.
We really hope you can join our Symposium and to meet you in Florence next Spring.
S7: Mechanics of soft materials and structures - Symposium description
Soft materials and structures are reshaping science and technology, driving innovations in biomedicine, soft robotics, programmable structures, and energy harvesting. With their unique capabilities—remarkable flexibility, the ability to achieve large deformations under minimal loads, and the potential for custom design through advanced fabrication—they are the building blocks of next-generation devices. Beyond their purely mechanical features, certain soft materials can also respond to multifield stimuli — such as dielectric and magneto-sensitive elastomers, electroactive polymers and hydrogels, and liquid crystal elastomers — thereby broadening their potential applications. Although each application possesses its own characteristic, the experimental, theoretical, and numerical methodologies to tackle research challenges in the area of soft materials and compliant systems are based on a common ground. This symposium will bring together researchers with shared interests in the theoretical, computational, and experimental mechanics of soft materials and structures, with the goal of sharing the latest research outcomes in the field.
Symposium organizers
Massimiliano Gei (University of Trieste, Italy)
Giovanni Noselli (SISSA – International School for Advanced Studies, Italy)
Francesco Dal Corso (University of Trento, Italy)