Trends in Nanotechnology 2022: a lively and activity-packed event in Albania

by Virginia Greco

Between 3 and 7 October, representatives of research centres, companies and other institutions met in Tirana (Albania) to share their scientific activities and results, to discuss progress in current projects, as well as to shape future policies and initiatives. A huge delegation of the ICN2, which is one of the organisers, participated in the conference and satellite events.

After the success of the first edition, the Trends in Nanotechnology International Conference was held again this year in Tirana (Albania), from 3 to 7 of October. The ‘updated’ name TNT2022-nanoBalkan was inaugurated, with the aim of underlinining the objective of creating a meeting point and a privileged stage for technological centres and industries in the Balkan region, where they could showcase their activities and establish new collaborations with other European and international institutes. This event –organised by the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), the Phantom Foundation, and the Academy of Sciences of Albania & NanoAlb, with the support of the Albanian Government— combined high-level scientific talks, covering a broad range of current research in nanoscience, with strategic and project kick-off meetings, discussions on policies and new initiatives, as well as an industrial forum and exhibition.

The conference opened with a welcome ceremony hosted by the chairs of the Organising Committee: Antonio Correia, from Phantom Foundation, and ICREA Prof. Arben Merkoçi, leader of the ICN2 Nanobioelectronics and Biosensors Group, who has also been the key player in launching this new conference and strengthening ICN2 relations with Albania, the Czech Republic and the Balkans in general. Many authorities participated in this ceremony, including Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, President of the Albanian Academy of Science Skënder Gjinushi, Albanian Minister of Education and Science Evis Kushi, Albanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Frida Krifca, Deputy Mayor of Tirana Municipality Keti Luarasi, and Deputy Head of Mission at the Spanish Embassy in Tirana Arnau Formiguera.

After the official opening, scientific talks took centre stage. The event comprised a plenary session running across the four days and a series of parallel sessions or satellite meetings that took place starting from the second day. Many group leaders, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD students from the ICN2 attended the event, contributed presentations or posters, and participated in strategic discussions.

Keynote talks in the plenary session were given by Prof. Pablo Ordejón, ICN2 director and leader of the Theory and Simulation Group, and group leaders Dr Klaas-Jan Tielrooij (Ultrafast Dynamics in Nanoscale Systems), Prof. Monica Lira-Cantu (Nanostructured Materials for Photovoltaic Energy), ICREA Prof. Stephan Roche (Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience), ICREA Prof. Sergio O. Valenzuela (Physics and Engineering of Nanodevices), ICREA Prof. Jordi Arbiol (Advanced Electron Nanoscopy), ICREA Prof. Dr Clivia Sotomayor-Torres (Phononic and Photonic Nanostructures), and Prof. Javier Rodriguez-Viejo (Thermal Properties of Nanoscale Materials).

Prof. Daniel Ruiz-Molina, leader of the Nanostructured Functional Materials Group, offered a keynote talk in the Industrial Forum, in which also Dr Gustavo Dalkiranis, postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Merkoçi’s group, gave a presentation about his work. A representative from the Albanian Ministry of Defence, Florensa Kovaci, participated in the forum, where she introduced the new Innovation Centre dedicated to research that her Ministry is building in Tirana.

A school of nanobiosensors dedicated to PhD students was held on the second day of conference, in parallel with the plenary session dedicated to graphene and 2D materials. Among the trainers were many current and former members of the ICN2 Nanobioelectronics and Biosensor Group, in particular, Dr Ruslán Àlvarez, Dr Andrew Piper, Dr Giulio Rosati, Dr Amadeo Sena, and Massimo Urban. PhD students had also the opportunity to present their activities in a special oral session and in the poster session. Few of them are pursuing their research work at the ICN2: Enric Calucho, Nerea de Mariscal-Molina, Celia Fuentes, Liming Hu, Gabriel Maroli, José Marrugo-Ramírez, Mayla Metitiero, Dr Marianna Rossetti, Gubakhanim Shahnazarova, and Qiuyue Yang.

The exhibition allowed research centres and companies to showcase their technologies and innovations, as well as to engage in new partnerships and collaborations. The ICN2 was present with a stand, where Andrés Cano, from the Business and Innovation Area, and Dr Virginia Greco, from the Marketing and Communication Department, were keen to provide information, establish contact and share the cutting-edge technologies developed in our institute.

The conference was also an occasion to lay the foundations for further cooperation between the ICN2 and the Albanian Academy of Science and to take stock of the ongoing NanoAlb project. The Albanian NanoScience and Nanotechnology Unit (NanoAlb), which was created at the end of 2019, is currently a virtual centre coordinating the activities in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology in Albanian universities in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro, but a new building where laboratories and offices will be located is under construction in Tirana. This project can count not only on strong support from the local government, but also on the deep involvement of the ICN2 and other centres in Barcelona. The discussion about the next steps to take involved Prof. Pablo Ordejón and Prof. Arben Merkoçi, as well as Prof. Lluís Rovira, director of CERCA (Centres de Recerca de Catalunya), the Prime Minister of Albania and other local authorities.

TNT2022-nanoBalkan also hosted two satellite events that involved a few of the institutes and researchers attending the conference. On October 5, the kick-off meeting of the SUSNANO project was held; funded by the EU, this project started in September 2022 and has the University of Tirana and the ICN2 as main actors. Strategic relevance for the ICN2 had the third edition of the ‘Workshop on Nanotechnologies for the 21^st century: Cooperation between Albania, Japan and Spain’, which took place on October 6. This initiative, strongly supported by Prof. Merkoçi, was launched in 2020 to boost collaborations between the institutes that leads research in nanoscience in the three countries.

The third edition of the Trends in Nanotechnology International Conference has been already announced and it will take place in autumn 2023 in Tirana. See you there!