As antimicrobial resistance, hygiene demands and sustainability challenges continue to grow, advanced material solutions such as antimicrobial nanocoatings are gaining increasing attention. Yet, despite significant scientific progress, the path from laboratory innovation to real-world application remains complex, with only a limited number of solutions successfully reaching the market.

To address this, several leading EU-funded projects - RELIANCE, NOVA, NANOBLOC, SUPREME and MIRIA - are joining forces to organise a dedicated workshop at the Surfaces, Interfaces and Coatings Technologies (SICT) 2026 Conference in Prague.

Titled “Antimicrobial Nanocoatings: Aligning Innovation, Regulatory Compliance and Market Uptake,” the workshop reflects a shared ambition: to move beyond individual project results and collectively shape the future of antimicrobial surface technologies in Europe.

With many of these projects approaching completion, the timing is critical. The focus is no longer only on developing innovative materials, but on understanding how these innovations can be safely, sustainably and efficiently brought to market.

From science to application: addressing the full innovation chain

The workshop programme is designed to follow the full journey of antimicrobial nanocoatings:

• Smart material design and antimicrobial functionality, including modelling of nanoparticle–microorganism interactions
• Validation and performance, with insights from laboratory testing and sustainability assessments such as durability and nanoparticle release
• Scale-up and industrialisation, addressing real-world application challenges
• Regulatory compliance and standardisation, widely recognised as key barriers to market uptake

By bringing together expertise from research organisations, industry partners and regulatory perspectives, the workshop aims to identify shared challenges and opportunities across the field.

An expected key outcome of the workshop will be the development of a joint Position Paper on Safe and Sustainable Antimicrobial Nanocoatings. With this collaborative document, the participating projects intend to capture common scientific advances, remaining regulatory and standardisation gaps, priorities for future research and innovation and recommendations for policy and industry.

This joint effort marks an important step from parallel project activities towards a coordinated European cluster approach, strengthening the long-term impact and legacy of the participating initiatives.

Join the discussion

The workshop will take place on 7 May 2026 at SICT 2026 in Prague and is open to researchers, industry representatives, policymakers and all stakeholders interested in the deployment of antimicrobial materials.

Participants will have the opportunity not only to learn about the latest developments but also to contribute to defining what is still needed to make antimicrobial nanocoatings viable, scalable and compliant solutions in real-world applications.

Register to the event here