Past Events

The 16th annual ScSB meeting was held  21–24 March 2023 at Røros Hotell located in the historic small town of Røros in the middle of the snowy hills of Norway.

We welcomed 115 participants from 14 different countries across the world with some participants joining us all the way from India and Taiwan. In addition to the excellent keynote talks by our invited speakers and 2023 ScSB award winner Pekka Vallittu, 75 contributed abstracts were presented in 11 oral presentations, 10 rapid fire presentation and 64 interesting scientific posters.

One of our main aims to was to create a welcoming and laid-back environment for students and young investigators to interact with more experienced scientists and combine experience with enthusiasm. Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants, we believe we achieved our goal and we hope that everyone who attended ScSB2023 had some time to try out traditional Norwegian winter activities, connected with new people and potential future collaborators, and most of all, enjoyed their time in beautiful Røros!

Keynote speakers in 2023: 

• Jason A. Burdick, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
• Christine Selhuber-Unkel, Heidelberg University, Germany
• Peter Loskill, University of Tübingen, Germany
• Jose Oberholzer, University of Virginia, USA
• Brigitte Städler, iNANO, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Reidar Lund, University of Oslo, Norway

Organising ScSB2023 was a joint effort of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and University of Oslo, and was made possible with the generous support from the Research Council of Norway, Stiftelsen Biopolymer, Optics11life and HOUM.

ScSB 2023 abstracts were published in ARI Abstracts Periodical

The 2022 ScSB meeting was held from the 13^th to the 15^th of June 2022 at the hotel LIELUPE BY SEMARAH in Jurmala, Latvia.

This year's conference was organized by the Latvian Materials Research Society (LMRS) and Baltic Incentive Travel Ltd. in close cooperation with the Baltic Biomaterials Excellence Center (BBCE), Riga Technical University (RTU), and the Scandinavian Biomaterials Society (ScSB).

The conference brought 101 participants - researchers and industry partners - from 17 countries (Latvia, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Finland, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Czech Republic, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, The Netherlands, and Turkey) to gather and to share their latest findings and innovations regarding biomaterials. In total, there were 5 excellent keynote presentations, 28 oral presentations, and 44 poster presentations.

The ScSB 2022 abstracts were published in eCM journal: eCM Collection2/ScSB22

Keynote Speakers in 2022: 

• Prof. Aldo Bocconcini, Institute of Biomaterials, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
• Prof. Håvard J. Haugen, Department of Biomaterials, Univerity of Oslo, Norway
• Prof. João F. Mano, CICECO-Aveiro Institure of Materials, University. of Aveirio, Portugal
• Prof. Pamela Habibovic, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
• Assist. Prof. Shweta Agarwala, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark

Link to event

Facing the COVID-19 pandemic and its various effects, the Scandinavian Society for Biomaterials ScSB 2021 conference was held as a virtual event.

THE TOPIC of ScSB 2021 was dedicated to “Customized Solutions” in any kind of area connected with biomaterials. 

110 abstracts have been reviewed. Represented 19 countries: the abstract authors from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, The Netherlands, UK, Belgium, The United States of America and Turkey.
Each of the submitted abstracts was independently and carefully reviewed by members of the ScSB 2021 Scientific Committee. All abstracts were assessed by the same scientific criteria.

Keynote Speakers in 2021: 

• Mauro Alini, AO Research Institute Davos, Switzerland
• Simonas Grybauskas, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Vilnius University Zalgirio Hospital, Lithuania
• Catherine Le Visage, Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton, RMeS, Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Université de Nantes, France
• Christele Combes, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, France      
• Tom Coenye, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
• Wojciech Swieszkowski, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland

Link to event

The 2019 ScSB meeting was held at the Långvik Congress Wellness Hotel in Kirkkonummi, Finland, providing a tranquil atmosphere at the archipelago of Långvik in the midst of Finnish nature.

The 2019 ScSB annual meeting covered a wide range of biomaterial applications, right through from their use for studying fundamental cellular behaviours such as mechanotransduction, to their clinical applications in regenerative therapies. Material chemistry, synthesis, engineering, functionalisation and characterisation, as well as exploring their biological interactions and applications in tissue engineering were featured in the talks. Industrial partners were included, not only through an exhibition but also as integral contributors to our programme.

Key speakers in 2019

• Prof. David Mooney, Harvard University & Wyss Institute, USA
• Prof. Kristi Anseth, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
• Prof. Jonathan Knowles, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, UK
• Prof. Håkan Engqvist, Uppsala University, Sweden
• Prof. Heli Skottman, Tampere University, Finland
• Prof. Markus Linder, Aalto University, Finland
• Prof. Maria-Pau Ginebra, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain

Link to event

The 2018 annual meeting of the ScSB was held at held at Gullmarstrand Hotel & Conference, Fiskebäckskil, in the sunny and bladderwrack scenting west coast of Sweden. It was hosted by the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology and Department of Biomaterials, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University.

The scientific programme for ScSB 2018 had the underlying theme “Perspectives in biomaterials, past, current and future”. The meeting aimed to inspire discussions on what we have learned this far and where we are heading towards in Biomaterials science. Another key aim of this meeting was to create an opportunity for students and young investigators to interact also with more experienced scientists and to create informative dialogues.

Key speakers in 2018

• Prof. Marc Bohner, RMS Foundation, Switzerland 
• Prof. Stuart Goodman, Stanford University, USA 
• Prof. David Williams, Wake Forest School of Medicine 
• Prof. Henk Busscher, University of Groningen, Netherlands 
• Prof. Duncan Sutherland, Aarhus University 
• Prof. Tomas Albrektsson, University of Gothenburg 
• Prof. Ann Wennerberg,  Malmö University 
• Prof. Fredrik Höök, Chalmers University 
• Prof. Paul Gatenholm, Chalmers University 
• Dr. Marianne Liebi, Chalmers University 
• Prof. Bo Nilsson, Uppsala University, Sweden 
• Prof. Thomas Webster, Northeastern University, USA

ScSB annual meeting in 2017 was held at Ilsetra Hotel, which is built on the foundation of a 400 years old summer farm house high up in the Norwegian mountains. The hotel has ski-in and ski-out possibilities with of one of Norway’s largest ski resorts, Hafjell.

The scientific programme for ScSB 2017 bit into the underlying challenges faced by the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering and focussed on digging into some of the fundamental questions in biomaterial science. Of course, we did not forget the importance of networking and socialising with our fellow Nordic and international scientist in a relaxed setting either. One of the main aims of this meeting was to create an environment for students and young investigators to interact with more experienced scientist and to create a better dialogue between them. Time was also reserved for an after lunch skiing session during the conference to ensure that both our bodies and minds were kept in focus for the future challenges in biomaterials.

The Scandinavian Society for Biomaterials is proud to present its 9th annual meeting. The meeting will be held on the 1st to 3rd of June 2016 at the Reykjavik University in Reykjavik, Iceland. The aim of this meeting is to bring together experts in the field of biomaterials, tissue engineering and systems biology to further the use of biomaterials in tissue engineering and cellular therapy. The main purpose is to promote cross-fertilization of Biomaterials research in Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltic states, extending beyond the borders to the international community.

Biomaterials are very important when designing tissue engineering models, whether they are to be used for clinical purposes, drug discovery, to further the understanding of tissue and organ development. Massive amount of data can be created from these models and therefore there is a dire need to be able to interpret those data and model them using e.g. systems biology as a tool. Researchers, Industry and clinicians will have chance to meet and discuss among other question: How can biomaterials be used to create tissue engineering models? And what strategies can we impose?

The conference will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland a melting pot of culture, nature and exciting nightlife where the sun never sets and the party never stops. The venue are the beautiful locations of the newly established Reykjavik University (www.ru.is), situated close to the downtown area of Reykjavik on the shore of the only hot water beach in the world. One of the major aims of these meetings is to create an environment for students and young investigators to interact with more experienced scientist and to create a dialog between them.

The Scandinavian Society for Biomaterials is proud to present the 8th Conference. It will be held on 6 to 8 May 2015 in Sigulda, Latvia. The conference will bring together experts, scientists and clinicians to discuss the latest progress in the field of biomaterials. The main purpose is to promote cross-fertilization of Biomaterials research in Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltic states, extending beyond the borders to the international community.
The design of biomaterials seeks the best outcome for incorporation and function of an implant in the body. This task requires suitable analytical/testing methods, materials production, biological testing and translation for clinical use. Researchers and clinicians will join the discussion on the following topics:

• materials characteristics (composition, porosity, crystallinity);
• surface characteristics (topography, charge, chemistry);
• drug delivery;
• interaction with cells, bacteria or proteins;
• generation of tissue, organs or blood vessels;
• different processing and test methods.

Researchers typically include some element of design in their biomaterials research to achieve a better understanding. We look forward to your contribution.

Download the abstracts from 2015: eCM Volume No 29 - Supplement 1 - 2015

This intensive meeting aims to provide an overview to the interactions
between biomaterials and biological cells and tissue with emphasis on the biointerface. All aspects will be covered from biomolecule adsorption and cell adhesion to structured and/or chemically modied substrates including drug-eluting surfaces for tissue engineering and implantable devices. The meeting is aimed at a broad interdisciplinary audience.

MERGING BIOLOGY AND MATERIALS! A confernece for researchers and developers in public and private sectors.The event went great and the response of complements from participants has been overwhelming. We are confident that senior researcher, invited speakers, companies and PhD students gave great feedback after the conference. There are several early stage projects / collaboration that sprung out of the event. We thank all participants for their contributions!

Key speakers in 2013

• Prof. Alan J Russell, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
• Prof. Aldo R Boccaccini, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany 
• Prof. Peter Tompa, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
• Assoc. Prof. Alamelu Sundaresan, Texas Southern University, USA
• Assoc. Prof. Ólafur E Sigurjónsson, Reykjavík University, Iceland
• Dr Jiří Vondrášek, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic

Download the abstracts from 2013: eCM Volume No 26 - Supplement 2 - 2013

We presented two days of presentations and discussions of recent research results. The programme was very exiting, and we are glad that so many people took the opportunity to come to Uppsala for the meeting.

Most importantly, we hope that the spirit of the society will foster collaborations and formation of new research projects!

Key speakers in 2012

• Assoc. Prof. Duncan S Sutherland, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Prof. Jöns Hilborn, Uppsala University, Sweden
• Prof. Liping Tang, University of Texas Arlington, USA
• Prof. Marc Bohner, RMS Foundation, Switzerland
• Prof. Maria-Pau Ginebra, Technical University of Catalonia, Spain

The 4th Annual meeting of the Scandinavian Society for Biomaterials was held on May 4-6, 2011 in an old fishing village in Bohuslän on the Swedish west coast. The program put the spotlight on nanoscience and technology in biomaterials research and development. With plenary lectures from distinguished researchers, invited and contributed oral talks, poster sessions and corporate displays, we aimed to gather the latest biomaterials research in this area from both Scandinavia and the rest of the world. The schedule allowed for networking, social and relaxing activities. The venue was located directly at the sea on the island of Skaftö, with their famous “havsbad” (sea spa) waiting to be experienced.

We would like to thank our corporate partners and all of the participants for your contribution to this year’s meeting. We hope you had fruitful discussions, new contacts and a stimulating few days on the Swedish west coast.

Key speakers in 2011

• Assoc. Prof. Thomas J Webster, Brown University, USA
• Prof. Jan S Pedersen, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Prof. Ruth Duncan, Cardiff University, UK
• Prof. Joachim Spatz, University of Heidelberg, Germany
• Prof. Hans-Georg Kuhn, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
• Dr Sebastian A J Zaat, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Dr Gunnel Svensäter, Malmö University, Sweden

Abstracts from the SCSB annual events are published in eCM.