ISPO 2025

ISPO is a significant event that gathers leading experts, researchers, and professionals from around the globe to discuss the latest advancements, innovations, and challenges in silicone polymer chemistry and technology. As one of the only conferences in this field, it provides an unparalleled platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration.

Register for ISPO here

Practical information:

ISPO 2025 will be hosted from 30 June - 2 July 2025 at the Comwell Borupgaard hotel in scenic Snekkersten, Denmark (approximately 45 minutes north of Copenhagen via train).

The event will offer a unique space for sharing ideas and cutting-edge innovation in silicon polymer chemistry and will feature presentations from leading international experts from the field.

Important Deadlines:

Carlsberg Foundation Scholarships for Young Researchers application deadline: 7 March 2025
Early Bird registration deadline: 21 March 2025
Abstract submission deadline: 21 March 2025
Regular registration opens: 22 March 2025
Final registration deadline: 29 May 2025

Carlsberg scholarships for young researchers

Abstract submission

Program and speakers

ispo2025 sponsors

Early Bird registration (until 21 March 2025)

Conference Only, including lunches and dinners (30 June - 2 July)

Student (MSc, PhD): 3.250 DKK

Regular: 4.200 DKK

Conference + 3-night accommodation

Student (MSc, PhD): 5.050 DKK (shared accommodation)

Regular (shared accommodation): 6.000 DKK

Regular (private accommodation): 7.500 DKK

Conference + 4-night accommodation

Student (MSc, PhD): 5.650 DKK (shared accommodation)

Regular (shared accommodation): 6.600 DKK

Regular (private accommodation): 8.600 DKK

Regular registration (21 March 2025 - 29 May 2025)

Conference Only, including lunches and dinners (30 June - 2 July)

Student (MSc, PhD): 3.900 DKK

Regular: 5.040 DKK

Conference + 3-night accommodation

Student (MSc, PhD): 6.060 DKK (shared accommodation)

Regular (shared accommodation): 7.200 DKK

Regular (private accommodation): 9.000 DKK

Conference + 4-night accommodation

Student (MSc, PhD): 6.780 DKK (shared accommodation)

Regular (shared accommodation): 7.920 DKK

Regular (private accommodation): 10.320 DKK

If you wish to book accommodation for an accompanying guest, this is possible for a booking fee. Please email ISPO2025@kt.dtu.dk for more information.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation requests submitted before 16th June 2025 are subject to a 20% cancellation fee. Cancellations made after 16th June 2025 are not eligible for a refund.

Poster / Presentation guidelines

If you have been selected to give a 20 or 30 minute oral presentation at ISPO 2025, you should have received an email with session details and program information from ISPO2025@kt.dtu.dk. Please allot 5 minutes of question times to your presentations.

The poster session on Day 2 will begin at 15:10 and end at 16:45. Posters may be maximum 135 cm tall and 90 cm wide.

The Venue

Comwell Borupgaard is a cozy old Danish manor located in beautiful nature not far from Copenhagen.

The scenic Snekkersten Harbor and surrounding beaches are within 10–15-minute walking distance. The regional train can be taken from Snekkersten Station direct to Copenhagen or 10 minutes north to Helsingør, one of Denmark's oldest market towns. There is also the opportunity to take a 10-minute bus trip (line 388) to the famous Louisiana Museum (open until 22:00 Tues-Fri). Other nearby attractions include the M/S Maritime Museum and Kronborg Castle (in Helsingør), and Egebæksvang Forest (16 min. walk from hotel).

Address:

Comwell Borupgaard

Nørrevej 80

3070 Snekkersten, DK

How to get there

If arriving by plane to CPH Airport (Kastrup): Take the M2 metro towards Vanløse St. to Nørreport Station (9 stops). Take escalators up from the metro platform and look for arrows towards train platforms (about 1 min. walk). Take regional (Re) train towards Helsingør St. to Snekkersten St. (11 stops). The hotel is located about 550m (5 min. walk) from Snekkersten Station on Nørrevej (see map below).

Alternatively, you can take one of the regional trains from the Airport (802, 803, 804, 805, Icl, or Öresundståg) to Copenhagen Central Station (København H) to catch the regional train towards Helsingør St. to Snekkersten St. (12 stops). The hotel is about a 5 min. walk from Snekkersten Station on Nørrevej.

The Rejsekort app can be used to check in and out at all departure stations and destinations. Tickets for DSB and DOT (metro) can also be purchased near the airport exit.

Stay updated

Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated with the latest news. Furthermore, we encourage you to connect with us on the ISPO LinkedIn page to stay updated on the latest news on invited speakers and conference activities.

Newsletter sign up email ISPO LinkedIn

Program

9.00	Welcome and opening of conference
9.15	Opening talk: Prof. Anne Ladegaard Skov, Technical University of Denmark, DK ‘Silicone polymers in an International and Danish context – where are we and where are we going?’
9.45	Coffee break
	SESSION 1 Silicones in healthcare and biology \| Chair: Andreas Kollnberger
10.15	Invited speaker: Associate Prof. Paul Zelisko, Brock University, Canada ‘Putting Biology to Work for Sustainability in Silicon(e) Chemistry’
10.45	Dr. Ingrid Rebane, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonia ‘Solvent-assisted degradation of silicone-based biofilm carriers’
11.05	Pavle Ramah, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘Michael-thiol addition-cross-linked PDMS as a polar platform for improved dielectrics via protein integration’
11.25	Dr. Herenia Espitia Armenta, Technical University of Denmark, DK ‘Soft Silicone Elastomers: Promising Alternatives to Current Breast Implant’
11.45	Lunch
	SESSION 2 Silicone from an Industrial point of view \| Chair: Dr. Louis Vovelle
13.00	Invited speaker: Prof. Wojciech Pisula, Evonik, Germany ‘Role of functional silica and metal oxide fillers on the properties of silicone elastomers’
13.30	Charles Olsen, Sciencey Products Incorporated, USA ‘A.I., Hallucinations in Technical Synthesis: A Review of Protocols for Validating LLM’s’
13.50	Dr. Andreas Steinmann, Elantas Europe GmbH, Germany ‘Heat resistant silicones for electrical insulation applications’
14.10	Heidi Lennon, Life Sciences, Saint-Gobain Life-Sciences, USA, ‘Precision Silicone Tubing in Final Fill Spallation Measurements’
14.30	Coffee break
	SESSION 3 Silicones in Energy Applications \| Chair: Associate Professor Paul Zelisko
15.00	Invited speaker: Dr. Andreas Kollnberger, Wacker Chemie AG, Germany ‘NEXIPAL® - Industrial manufacturing of electroactive polymer actuators’
15.30	Young invited speaker: Assistant Prof. Magdalena Skowyra, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘Fabrication pathways for dielectric elastomer fiber actuators’
15.50	Dr. Saul Utrera-Barrios, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘Optimized Silicone Rubbers for Next-Generation Energy Storage’
19.00	Dinner at Comwell Borupgaard

9.00	Plenary speaker: Prof. Craig Hawker, UC Santa Barbara, USA ‘Carbosiloxane Bottlebrush Networks for Enhanced Performance and Recyclability’ Chair: Assistant Professor Magdalena Skowyra
9.45	Coffee break
	SESSION 4 Sustainable silicone polymers and elastomers \| Dr. Adrian Bele
10.15	Invited speaker: Dr. Stefan M. Olsen, Hempel A/S, Denmark ‘Sustainable use of silicones; ship hull coatings’
10.45	Dr. Yang Chen, Neopara Materials Inc., Canada ‘Waste Tire Crumb Reduces Silicone GHG and Cost as a Reinforcing Filler’
11.05	Sofia Lindström, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘Metal catalyst-free and recyclable silicone elastomer’
11.25	Associate Professor, Daniel Portinha, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSA Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, CNRS, France ‘Depolymerization/functionalization of silicones a “Back-to-polymers” strategy to turn waste into up-cycled polymers’
11.45	Lunch
	SESSION 5 Silicone-based stimuli-responsive materials \| Chair: Professor Wojciech Pisula
13.00	Young Invited speaker: Dr. Adrian Bele, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Romania ‘Strategies for enhancing electromechanical conversion in silicone-based dielectric elastomer transducers’
13.20	Young Invited Speaker Dr. Mihaela Dascalu, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Romania ‘Towards the enhancement of the electromechanical performance of dielectric siloxane elastomers’
13.40	Leo Kershaw, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘Ionic liquid grafted silicone elastomers for low-voltage dielectric elastomer actuators’
14.00	Alessandro Pagani, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy ‘Mechanochromic soft robotic skin’
14.20	Mehdi Ben Belaiche, Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères (IMP) – INSA LYON, France ‘Dual hybrid crosslinking of silica-free silicones: Supramolecular interactions, hyperbranching and luminescence in one material’
14.40	Coffee break
15.10	POSTER SESSION
17.30	Tapas, drinks, and games in the garden at Comwell Borupgaard

	SPECIAL SESSION Honoring outstanding careers in silicone science and industry \| Chair: Professor Anne Ladegaard Skov
9.00	Introduction, Prof, Anne Ladegaard Skov, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
9.05	Plenary speaker: Prof. Mike Brook, McMaster University, Canada ‘Cooking with Mike: Food Grade Materials Can Make Silicones More Sustainable’
9.50	Invited speaker: Dr. Louis Vovelle, BGV4u Solutions, France ‘20 years (+) of Innovation in Silicones domains – Megatrends impact & collaborations’
10.20	Coffee break and celebration
	SESSION 6 Polymers and fabrication methods \| Associate Professor Joseph Furgal
11.00	Invited speaker: Associate Prof. Ada-Ioana Bunea, Technical University of Denmark ‘Two-photon polymerization: Material portfolio for micro 3D printing’
11.30	Dr. Michael Ford, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA ‘Formulation Development for 3D Printing’
11.50	Florina-Elena Comanici, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘Influence of Processing Conditions on the Properties and Applications of Gelatin-Silicone Elastomers’
12.10	Daniel Maher, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘4D printed multimaterial polymer microrobots for microscale pH sensing’
12.30	Lunch
13.30	Dr. Joseph Krumpfer, Wiley – Scientific Publishing: The roles of author, reviewer and editor and how to maximize success \| Chair: Dr. Frederikke Bahrt Madsen
14.30	Coffee break
	SESSION 7 Silicone chemistry and synthesis \| Associate Professor Ada-Ioana Bunea
15.00	Invited speaker: Associate Prof. Joseph Furgal, Bowling Green State University, USA ‘Explorations of the Silicone Lifecycle Loop with Chemical Recycling Processes’
15.30	Dr. Maria Cazacu, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry Iasi, Romania ‘Silicon-based building blocks in coordination polymers – effective tools for structural and property modification’
15.50	Dr. Cody Gale, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark ‘Ensuring Compatibility: The Key to Successful Development of Porphyrin- Polysiloxane Materials’
19.00	Conference dinner and prizes at Comwell Borupgaard;

Professor Michael Brook, Plenary Speaker

Michael Brook is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, at McMaster University.

Prof. Brook has been recognized with honors and awards for both his research and teaching accomplishments. Prof. Brook was made a Distinguished University Professor at McMaster University in 2017 and has recently received the 2023 Macro Group UK Medal for Outstanding Achievement.

Prof. Brook is an expert in silicon, silica, and silicone chemistry. His current research includes three main areas: making silicones more sustainable by incorporating natural products, using catalyst-free click chemistry for silicone elastomers, and recycling used automobile rubbers with silicones.

Professor Craig Hawker, Plenary Speaker

Craig Hawker is a professor in the Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.

Prof. Hawker is a world-renowned chemist specializing in new polymer synthesis strategies and the fabrication of nanostructured materials for applications in biomaterials and energy research.

His recent research on synthesizing siloxane-based copolymers and borosiloxane networks will be highly interesting for the silicone community and represents a pathway for future recyclability.

Joseph Furgal, Invited Speaker

Joseph Furgal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Center for Photochemical Sciences at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, where he received the 2022 BGSU Outstanding Early Career Investigator award.

Assoc. Prof. Furgal focuses on using hybrid (silsesquioxane and siloxane) based materials for the development and fundamental chemical understanding of photo-active architectures in the areas of switches, triggers, separations, sensors, self-healing, and environmental remediation.

His research builds on fluoride-catalyzed silicon bond rearrangements and light-driven dynamic covalent chemistries to develop new materials with uses from health care to space exploration.

Paul M. Zelisko, Invited Speaker

Paul M. Zelisko is an Associate Professor at Brock University, Department of Chemistry, Ontario, Canada.

Assoc. Prof. Zelisko works on the development of novel silicone materials for drug delivery and biomaterials, with focus on the field of silicon biotechnology.

His research team specializes in examining the interactions of silicon-based species with biological molecules for the development of green reaction methodologies. Furthermore, his research involves the synthesis and application of silicon-based coatings to a number of substrates including aluminum, steel, and both biologically-based and synthetic polymers.

Wojciech Pisula, Invited Speaker

Wojciech Pisula is the Director of Applied Technology Silicones, Evonik, and Professor in the Department of Molecular Physics at the Lodz University of Technology, Poland.

Prof. Pisula’s main research focus includes supramolecular structures of self-assembly systems and their implementation in electronic devices with applications in the field of silicone polymers in soft robotics, electronics, and energy generation and sensing.

Stefan M. Olsen, Invited Speaker

Stefan M. Olsen is currently the R&D manager of Marine Technology and Innovation, Hempel, Denmark, and holds a PhD in technical chemistry from the Technical University of Denmark.

Stefan has worked with the development of fouling release systems at Hempel for more than 15+ years. His team has furthermore worked with shaping and implementing a sustainability strategy in R&D at Hempel. He will provide insight into the sustainability of silicones from an industrial point of view.

Ada-Ioana Bunea, Invited Speaker

Ada-Ioana Bunea is an Associate Professor, at the National Centre for Nano Fabrication and Characterization, Technical university of Denmark.

Assoc. Prof. Bunea has a highly interdisciplinary background, with knowledge in chemistry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and applied micro- and nanotechnology.

Bunea specializes in functional materials using microtools and micro-surfaces for applications in biosensing, medicine and the energy sector. She has experience with multiple fabrication tools for cleanroom fabrication, 3D printing, cell culture, surface modification and characterization. Her research provides new perspectives on advanced production methods and uses of silicone polymers

Invited Young Speakers:

Adrian Bele - Early Researcher - Inorganic Polymers Department of "Petru Poni," Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi, Romania

Mihaela Dascalu - Researcher - Inorganic Polymers Department of "Petru Poni," Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi, Romania

Magdalena Skowyra - Assistant Professor - Technical University of Denmark

Social Events

evening picnic

On the second day of the conference (Tues, 1 July), there will be a social barbeque and picnic in the gardens at Comwell Borupgaard, with the opportunity to walk down to the nearby harbor and beaches. We will have outdoor games and team challenges, including the Nordic game ‘kongespil,’ ladder golf, pétanque, and more!

GaLa Dinner

We will wrap up ISPO 2025 with a special gala dinner at the hotel Comwell Borupgaard on the final evening of the conference (Weds, 2 July). Here we will award prizes for best presentation and poster and thank our speakers. We will will also recognize those that helped make ISPO 2025 a success!

SPA, FITNESS, and Running / walking trips

Remember your swimming and running gear if you would like to engage in some of the coordinated social activities. The ocean is within walking distance and the hotel offers relaxing day spa facilities and fitness room that can be accessed for free by guests of ISPO. There is also robe and sandal rental available for a small fee.

Each day of the conference, we will have either a morning running or walking group. The running route is 5 km long and starts and finishes at the conference venue. For most of the running time, the participants will enjoy delightful views from the coastal promenade and a gentle morning breeze coming from the Baltic Sea. If you are not keen on running, but still want to enjoy the breeze, you can join the walking trip of 3.5 km. Details for the walking and running groups will be shared at conference registration on the first morning (Monday).

Carlsberg Foundation Scholarships for Young Researchers

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Carlsberg Foundation, we are pleased to offer eight Scholarships for Young Researchers to attend ISPO 2025. Four master’s/PhD students and four postdocs will be awarded scholarships that cover recipients’ registration fee, hotel accommodation for four nights (shared room with two twin beds), and all meals. Some recipients may also be offered the opportunity for a presentation or poster. Recipients are responsible for travel costs to and from the conference.

The deadline for applying for one of our Carlsberg Stipends for Young Researchers has already passed. Scholarship recipients will be notified by March 14th.

Organizers

The Danish Polymer Centre (DPC)

Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

Contact

Please feel free to reach out!

If you have any questions or require further information regarding the workshop or our newsletter. We look forward to your participation and engagement. If you want to opt out of more information from this conference, please also let us know.

Email: ispo2025@kt.dtu.dk

13th International Workshop on Silicone-Based Polymers