Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher, attended the International Conference on Moisture in Buildings (ICMB 25), hosted by the University of Minho (UMinho), held 23-24 October 2025, in Guimarães, Portugal.
Dr. Anna Sandak gave a keynote talk on Architecture that grows: from Petri dish to the building façade. She discussed how “architecture that grows” uses living materials and biological systems to create adaptive and sustainable building façades. These façades can change their function and appearance in response to environmental conditions, offering insulation, energy generation and improved air quality. She highlighted the projects ARCHI-SKIN and REMEDY.
The ICMB 25 covered a wide range of subjects, offering in-depth examination of how moisture affects and interacts with different aspects of the built environment.
The 3rd Annual Meeting of the EIC Engineered Living Materials (ELM) Portfolio was held 1-2 October 2025, at the University of Primorska, InnoRenew CoE in Izola. The event brought together all projects within the ELM Portfolio, along with their collaborating researchers and industry partners, as well as external experts from across Europe.
The meeting started with opening remarks from Dr. Anna Sandak, REMEDY project coordinator, and Dr. Orsolya Symmons, European Innovation Council (EIC) Programme Manager in Health and Biotechnology.
Dr. Anna Sandak said: “I am honored to welcome you all here at InnoRenew CoE and to have the opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas about our projects dealing with engineered living materials.”
The EIC ELMs Portfolio is connecting projects funded under the Engineered Living Materials Pathfinder Challenge by the EIC, which began in November 2022. Through this initiative, the EIC aims to strategically position Europe at the forefront of the emerging Engineered Living Materials field.
Over the two days, coordinators and researchers presented progress updates on 10 ELMs portfolio projects – SUMO, BioRobot-MiniHeart, PRISM-LT, Bio-HhOST, Bioaction, ISOS, NextSkins, LoopOfFun, Fungateria, and REMEDY. Supported by 31.75 million euros from the European Commission, they are working on advanced solutions for diverse applications. This session was chaired by Dr. Barbara Gerratana, project officer for the ELMs Portfolio at the EIC.
The working group sessions covered topics of environment & sustainability, technology, path to market, communication, and regulation, providing space for progress reporting and open brainstorming with participants. There was also an important opportunity for early-career researchers, PhD students and postdocs to share their work in the flash talks and poster session. Moreover, the Ethical, legal and social aspects (ELSA) School was announced which will take place in July 2026 in Glasgow. All ELM Portfolio projects also recorded testimonials that will enrich the ELM Portfolio’s communication and promotion activities, helping to showcase the portfolio’s impact and reach a broader audience.
The annual meeting focused on important challenges in the translation of ELMs, such as regulatory and commercialization aspects of emerging technologies, societal and users acceptance and evolving ELMs within an ethical framework with the ELSA school and the training on effective communication, which was led by Rebeca Williams, a public speaking, storytelling, and presentation expert. Further it highlighted the unprecedented path to market, learning from early pioneers how to handle business challenges and gain support from investors for such special products.
The meeting concluded with updates from the EC Technology Council for Advanced Materials, a training session on MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, including testimonials from current fellows Dr. Karen Butina Ogorelec and Dr. Wojciech Pajerski, and an announcement of the 4th EIC ELMs Annual Meeting, which will be held 30th September – 1st October 2026.
The two-day event offered a rich program of scientific presentations, training, discussions, and networking opportunities, strengthening collaboration within the ELMs community.
he European Commission’s Research and Innovation Directorate-General organised a Reality Check on implementation aspects of Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation Framework Programme, as part of the Commission’s approach to better implementation and simplification. It focused on practical experience with Horizon Europe, aiming to collect feedback on implementation from external stakeholders and identify opportunities for simplification. Dr. Anna Sandak was among 5 panellists. She emphasized EIC portfolio approach and EIC business acceleration services, training, and coaching. However, she also pointed out current challenges the project calls are facing and suggested possible improvements. Besides her other researchers and innovators with extensive experience across the three main pillars of Horizon Europe shared their experiences with several Horizon Europe projects. The event brought together more than 800 participants offering a valuable platform for discussion and exchange of ideas. Watch here the video of the event and learn more about the Horizon Europe projects.
Four engineered living materials (ELMs) projects were presented at the NextGen Materials 2025 conference, held 23-25 September 2025 in Hamburg, Germany.
Dr. Anna Sandak delivered an oral presentation about the progress of the ERC ARCHI-SKIN project, and presented both a poster and a pitch on the EIC Pathfinder project REMEDY.
Dr. Wojciech Pajerski joined virtually, presenting the Biolumicoat and Livemat projects during the online poster session.
NextGen Materials 2025 brought together experts in materials science, engineering, computer science, and physics from both academia and industry to explore cutting-edge advancements in materials science.
This event is organized by the German Society for Materials Science (DGM), which is the largest scientific and technical society in the field of materials science and engineering in Germany.
Project REMEDY (Archibiome tattoo for resistant, responsive, and resilient cities), coordinated by Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher, was featured in the newly published EU-IN Horizon Scanning Report – Engineered living materials for in situ production of therapeutics by the European Medicines Agency.
The project was presented as one of the relevant examples from the ongoing EIC Pathfinder Challenge on Engineered Living Materials (ELMs), launched by the European Innovation Council (EIC).
The REMEDY project aims to develop an archibione tattoo that uses living microbes for functional decoration, biotherapeutic effects and sustainability benefits such as carbon sequestration and bioremediation. Remedy brings life to materials.
The REMEDY project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme (European Innovation Council), held its 1st progress meeting.
All project partners gathered online to discuss key project activities of each work package, discuss common challenges and plan for the project’s next tasks. Additionally, the financial aspects and reporting was presented.
The project REMEDY aims to achieve a breakthrough in fundamental research in microbiology and synthetic biology, transfer the know-how to materials science in the form of engineered living materials, and develop compatible biofabrication processes that allow personalised design in the architectural context.
For more information about REMEDY, visit the LinkedIn profile.
Dr. Wojciech Pajerski, InnoRenew CoE researcher, is attending the 50th World Chemistry Congress (50WCC), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
He is presenting the InnoRenew CoE’s sustainable research vision and bioinspired approach to materials science. Specifically, Dr. Pajerski is showcasing the institute’s efforts in developing Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) through the following projects:
REMEDY (Archibiome Tattoo for Resistant, Responsive, and Resilient Cities) – funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC)
ARCHI-SKIN (Bioinspired living skin for architecture) – funded by the European Research Council (ERC)
Biolumicoat (Bioluminescent microbial coating for architectural surfaces) – MSCA Seal of Excellence project supported by ARIS
REMEDY has received €50,000 in funding through the BOOST program – Bringing financial support to innOvation and pOrtfolio activitieS increasing impact, to enhance its involvement in EIC-supported research.
This funding supports REMEDY’s participation in PATH2ELMs, a strategic initiative aimed at aligning with the goals of the ELMs Strategic Plan. Through this initiative, REMEDY will actively contribute to key portfolio activities and help advance innovative technologies in the ELMs field. The PATH2ELMs consortium comprises four partners from three EU countries- Slovenia, Austria, and the Netherlands – including: InnoRenew CoE, Tiger Coatings, Graz University of Technology, and Xylhotrade. The initiative is structured into four key phases and will run until March 31, 2027.
We’re showcasing cutting-edge developments in engineered living materials and bioinspired technologies, supported by leading European and Slovenian research initiatives. Join us at LIGNA 2025 (26–30 May, Hannover, Germany), where InnoRenew CoE is proud to co-exhibit with Ledinek Engineering in Hall 27, Stand C20.
On 28 May 2025, REMEDY coordinator Anna Sandak participated in the Round Table discussion titled. Examples of Good Practices with Guests: A Moderated Discussion Featuring Short Presentations from Successful Project Applicants” during the EIC & EIT Info Day in Ljubljana. The event, co-organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation and SPIRIT Slovenia, brought together a dynamic mix of innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers keen to explore funding opportunities offered by the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) programmes for 2025. During the discussion, Anna shared key insights from the REMEDY project journey, highlighting challenges, lessons learned, and strategies for success. She joined other accomplished Slovenian EIC grant holders in providing practical advice and inspiration for the next generation of applicants seeking to make an impact through innovative projects. We sincerely thank the organisers and fellow panelists for their valuable contributions. This event reinforced the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continued innovation across the EU’s vibrant innovation ecosystem.
