
Contents
WELCOME
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we invite you to the 3rd International Conference on Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications, held in Maribor, Slovenia, on 5 – 7 July 2023.
The conference is organized in the frame of AERoGELS COST Action (https://cost-aerogels.eu/) and the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, SLOVENIA.
This conference is the third in a row. The first one took place in February 2020 in Santiago de Compostela, and the second one in July 2022 in Athens.

AIMS & SCOPE
Aerogels are advanced, highly porous materials designed to meet the criteria of biomedical or environmental applications. They can be used as drug carriers, bone grafts, or wound dressings in biomedical applications and as insulators, absorbents, sensors, and catalysts in environmental applications.
This conference aims to assemble and integrate the most recent progress in aerogels’ scientific and technological knowledge. The focus will also be on networking, creating, and strengthening collaborations in the aerogel community through poster sessions, social events, coffee breaks, and meals.
Participants are invited to submit high-quality research works on several topics of interest, which include, but are not restricted to, the following areas:
- Aerogels for biomedical (pharmaceutical, regenerative medicine, cosmetics) and food applications
- Aerogels for environmental (pollutant detection, remediation) applications
- Bio-based aerogels from biorefinery and circular economy approach
- Modeling of aerogels
- Innovative processing technologies for aerogel-base materials
- Characterization techniques
- Life cycle and health risk assessments of nanostructured materials
- Scale-up and industrial uses of aerogels
- Other nanostructured materials (hydrogels, functional nanoparticles, dendrimers, zeolites, MOFs…) for biomedical and environmental applications
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Zoran Novak (Chair, University of Maribor, Slovenia)
Carlos A. Garcia -Gonzalez (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
Gabrijela Horvat (University of Maribor, Slovenia)
Amra Perva (University of Maribor, Slovenia)
Milica Pantić (University of Maribor, Slovenia)
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
Tatiana Budtova (Mines ParisTech, France)
Luisa Durães (University of Coimbra, Portugal)
Can Erkey (koc University, Turkey)
Marta Gallo (Politecnico di Torino, Italy)
Jozsef Kalmar (University of Debrecen, Hungary)
Falk Liebner (BOKU University, Austria)
Monica Neagu (Victor Babes Institute, Romania)
Patrina Paraskevopoulou (National and Capodistrian University of Athens, Greece)
Irina Smirnova (Hamburg University of Technology, Germany)
Željko Tomović (Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands)
PROGRAMME

Click here to download the full programme
PLENARY SPEAKERS
Prof. Ana Aguiar-Ricardo (Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Prof. Matjaž Finšgar (University of Maribor, Slovenia)
Prof. Igor Lacík (Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia)
Prof. Ali Ubeyitogullari (University of Arkansas, USA)
IMPORTANT DATES
Abstract deadline: 21 April 2023
Abstract decision: 19 May 2023
Early bird registration: 25 May 2023
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
We invite you to submit your abstract for an oral or poster presentation at the event. The abstract submission deadline is April 21, 2023.
Please fill in the template provided in this link and send it to aerogels2023@um.si.
A notification of acceptance will be sent before May 19, 2023.
The registration of the presenting author is mandatory.
CONFERENCE LOCATION

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME: University of Maribor, Rectorate, Slomškov trg 15, 2000 Maribor – Great Hall Vladimir Bračič
COFFEE BREAK: Anton Trstenjak Hall and Boris Podrecca Hall – 1st floor
TOURIST INFORMATION
The center of the Štajerska region in Slovenia is surrounded by the green forests of Pohorje, a sunny wine-growing region, and the Drava River that runs through the city. Maribor is a charming city with rich historic and cultural roots. The Guinness World Records tell the tale of rich wine tradition, the oldest vine in the world, which is found in the city center, as well as the wine roads in the vicinity.
For more information, visit: https://www.visitmaribor.si/en/
NEARBY AIRPORTS:
Graz (AT): 45min by car/taxi; 1h10min by train (Flughafen Graz-Feldkirchen – Spielfeld-Straß Bahnhof – Maribor)
Ljubljana (SI): 1h30min by car/taxi.
Zagreb (HR): 1h30min by car/taxi
For transportation from the airport to Maribor, you can also use the transportation option GoOpti: https://www.goopti.com/en/
TRANSPORTATION IN MARIBOR
If you are staying in a hotel or other accommodation in the city center, the venue will be within walking distance (10-15 min, see accommodation options below).
The best option to get around Maribor is city bus transport; the map is available here:
https://vozniredi.marprom.si/en-US
Another option is MBike; more info and a map is available here: https://www.mbajk.si/en/home
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Maribor offers a variety of hotels in a wide range of price categories (including youth hostels and B&B options). Early reservation of accommodation is strongly advised.

Some options are listed below and marked in the map. All the mentioned hotels are within walking distance (up to 10-15 minutes) of the conference venue.
B&B Hotel Maribor (3*) https://www.hotel-bb.com/en/hotel/maribor
S-hotel (3*) http://www.en.shotel.si/
Hotel Orel (3*) https://hotel.hotel-orel.si/en/
Hotel City Maribor (4*) https://www.hotelcitymb.si/en/
Hotel Piramida (4*) https://www.terme-maribor.si/en/hotels/hotel-piramida
Hotel Maribor (4*) https://www.hotelmaribor.si/en/
REGISTRATION AND FEES
Registration for the conference is free, but it is required for all participants.
For registration, please fill out the following FORM.

* reduced fees for all Action members registered on the Action website
Meals include lunches during the 3 days of the event, a welcome dinner, and a conference dinner for the conference participants; VAT is included.
SPECIAL ISSUE
An article collection will be hosted by Springer in the Journal of the Sol-Gel Science and Technology (IF 2.606) as the Topical Collection (TC): 3rd International Conference on Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications. The deadline for the submission will be mid of September, and the assigned editor will be John Bartlett.
CONTACT DETAILS
Conference secretariat: aerogels2023@um.si
SPONSORS
