The final conference of the Twinning NanoCAT project, was organised in Prague from June 22 to 27, 2025, within Cluster Meeting 2025, the third edition of the Cluster Meeting series. The event brought together the global scientific community to explore the frontiers of cluster catalysis science and related fields, including catalysis, reactivity, free clusters and supported clusters, atoms and nanoparticles, surface science, advanced materials characterisation and imaging down to the atomic scale, and the physical and chemical properties of nanoscale matter.
The conference program featured: 29 invited lectures by leading scientists in their respective fields, as well as 7 invited hot-topic talks presenting the most recent highlights. The event welcomed 99 participants from 18 countries, with strong representation from the Twinning consortium: 13 participants from HIPC, 5 from partner Ulm University, and 12 from partner TU Wien. The conference delegates represented 4 continents (Asia, Australia, Europa and North America) and 18 countries as follows: Australia, Austria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Netherland, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States of America. Notably, to promote the youngest generations of researchers and provide them with international exposure, 23 students contributed abstracts, of which 12 were selected for hot topic presentations. Additionally, 4 companies have sent their representatives as well. The conference was opened by the two lead-investigators of the NanoCAT project, Dr Hrušák, and Dr Habil Stefan Vajda, followed by the welcome notes of Prof. Martin Hof Dr. rer. nat., DSc., director of HIPC, setting an inspiring tone for the week-long gathering.
The scientific program featured a dynamic mix of formats, including:
- 29 invited lectures
- 7 invited hot-topic talks
- 28 hot-topic presentations selected from submitted abstracts
- 47 posters
- All posters were highlighted in the form of 2-minute flash talks preceding the poster sessions (odd- and even-numbered posters on Monday and Thursday, respectively)
The topical sessions focused on the state of the art as well as on emerging theoretical and experimental approaches in nanoscience, aiming to advance interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. The poster sessions, along with ample time for discussions during presentations, provided a platform for active scientific exchanges and outlined exciting future directions in the field, up to the establishment of new collaborations.
