The Materials Engineering Student Group (NeMat), organised the Materials Science Marathon (MSM) this Tuesday, March 26th. Professor Arlindo Oliveira, president of Técnico and Alar Kolk, president of the European Innovation Academy (EIA) attended the opening session as well as several entrepreneurs.

Cork, biomaterials, sustainability and materials in electronics were the main topics discussed in the panels. Carina Crucho, researcher at CQFM, and Sónia Ferreira, founder of BestHealth4u shared their views on the potential of nanoparticles. “Nanoparticles are quite versatile materials. They are a kind of superheroes”, said Carina Crucho. BestHealth4u developed a new generation of medical adhesives that protect the skin under continuous or critical usage. “Eighty percent of ostomised patients have skin problems due to the use of medical adhesives. Our product is ideal for general use and for long-term wear”, said Sónia Ferreira.

According to Manuel Amaral, member of MSM organising team, “this year we wanted to present recent projects that have been in the news and have been awarded”. MSM main goal is to share knowledge and, at the same time, inspire and motivate the participants.

This year’s edition captivated students from other universities which, according to Manuel Amaral, was easy: “Last year we had 162 participants which is great once we are a small course. This year we will have even more participants”. The results couldn’t be better. “Although we are still launching the Materials Science Marathon, we are trying to leave our mark. In terms of the participants feedback, it was really amazing”.