From October 20-24, 2023, the 11th International Conference on Advanced Fiber and Polymer Materials (ICAFPM2023), with the theme of “Better Fiber, Better World”, was held in Songjiang, Shanghai. Experts from 28 countries and regions around the world, including 20 academicians, jointly discussed the latest research progress in the field of advanced fibers and polymer materials. The conference has 17 sessions covering topics such as “High Performance Fibers and Composites”, “Optoelectronic Functional Fibers and Porous Polymers”, “Smart Fibers and Wearable Technologies” and so on.
The conference was co-sponsored by the State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University and the College of Materials Science and Engineering. Prof. Elsa Reichmanis, member to the National Academy of Engineering of US and professor of Lehigh University, Prof. Zhang Xi, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, director of the Polymer Division of the Chinese Chemical Society, and President of Jilin University, co-chaired the Academic Committee of the conference, and Prof. Zhu Meifang, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, academician of TWAS, director of theState Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, and dean of the College of Materials Science and Engineering of the university, served as chairman of the conference.
（Award ceremony of the Fourth Qian Baojun Fiber Award)
At the opening ceremony, the winners of the fourth Qian Baojun Fiber Award, the first science award for fiber research in domestic academia, were announced. Professor Cheng Zhengdi, member to the National Academy of Engineering of US, was awarded the Qian Baojun Fiber Award for Outstanding Contributions for his pioneering work in applying the theory of polymer sub-stability to understand the structure and dynamics of high-performance polymer fibers. Prof. Christian Muller of Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and Prof. Yang Shuguang of our university received the Qian Baojun Fiber Award for Young Scholars for their outstanding work in the fields of wearable electronics, energy technology, and multifunctional adaptive fibers, respectively. Prof. Seeram Ramakrishna of the National University of Singapore and Prof. Wu Hui of Tsinghua University, who have made significant contributions to the development of electrostatic spinning technology and the industrial-scale production of ceramic fibers, were honored the Nominee of Qian Baojun Fiber Award for Outstanding Contributions and the Nominee of Qian Baojun Fiber Award for Young Scholars respectively.
With the goal of “building an international authoritative scientific award in the field of fiber, and promoting the development of education and science and technology in the field of fiber materials on a global scale”, Qian Baojun Fiber Award is intended to recognize and reward domestic and foreign experts who have made creative contributions in the field of fiber materials, and young scholars with high potentials. It has become one of the most influential international academic awards in the field of fiber materials and enjoys a high international reputation.
(Presentation of the “Advanced Fiber Materials” Highly Cited Author Award, Best Reviewer Award, and Best Publicity Award)
The Highly Cited Author Award, the Best Reviewer Award, and the Best Publicity Award for Advanced Fiber Materials (English) were also presented at the conference. Jointly sponsored by Donghua University and Chinese Materials Research Society, the journal fills the gap for high-level transformative fiber frontier journals domestically and internationally, and was selected in September 2021 as one of the “New Journals with High Starting Point in China’s Action Plan for Excellence in Scientific and Technological Journals”, and in June 2023, the latest impact factor of the journal was released by Credo Vantage with a value of 16.1.
Smart fibers and wearable technology, biomedical fibers and polymers, fibers and devices for information, chip and ai technology ...... Experts and scholars from all over the world focused on the trend of the development of advanced fibers and polymer materials and the forefront of research, and engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions.
Prof. Feng Xinliang, Member of the European Academy of Sciences, Member of the German National Academy of Sciences, and professor of Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics and Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, gave a lecture on “Advances in Organic 2D Crystals”.
Professor Antonio Facchetti, member of the European Academy of Sciences, member of the National Academy of Inventors, co-founder and CTO of Flexterra, and professor at Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), shared his thoughts on the development of new materials for flexible and stretchable organic and inorganic electronic devices.
Prof. Park Ki-Dong, member of theKorean Academy of Science and Technology and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Ajou University, Korea, reported on his team’s development of horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed in-situ formation of hydrogel materials around the theme of “Therapeutic Platforms for Injectable Hydrogels”, and in-depth exploration of its applications in various biomedical fields such as therapeutic delivery, and stem cell therapy among others.
During the conference, Prof. Wu Zhishen, member of the Engineering Academy of Japan, member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, expert in the field of structural health monitoring science and technology, and professor of Southeast University, Jan C. M. van Hest, member of the European Academy of Sciences, member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, winner of the Spinoza Prize of the Netherlands (2020), professor of Eindhoven University of Technology, Prof. Arne Thomas ofTechnical University of Berlin, Wang Jiagong, member of Asia Pacific Academy of Materials, member of the Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Science, Singapore, and professor of National University of Singapore, Professor Lu Yan from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy, Professor Zhang Yaopeng from Donghua University exchanged ideas and shared their insight into “Key Technological Achievements in the Scale-up, Performance, and Standardization of Continuous Basalt Fiber Industry”, “Several New Methods for Effectively Implementing Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)”, “Fine Control of Surface Characteristics and Physical Properties of COFs Materials”, “Energy Storage and Conversion Devices Based on One-Dimensional Nanoporous Fibers”, “Large-Scale Synthesis of Cathode Materials with Clear Structures for Battery Manufacturing”, “Research Progress on Silk Fibroin Fiber, Functionality, and Smart Materials”, etc.
(Live scene of the Expo)
During the conference, ICAFPM2023 Expo was also staged, which was co-sponsored by theState Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials at Donghua University, the College of Materials Science and Engineering of Donghua University, CAE Member and Expert Achievement Exhibition and Transformation Centre, and the Shanghai Consulting & Academic Activities Center for Academicians of Chinese Academy of Engineering. More than 40 enterprises participated in the Expo, displaying medical devices, advanced encapsulation materials, bacteriostatic fiber products and high-temperature purification furnace, conveyor belt, spinning machine and many other products and professional equipment, deepening the communication and cooperation between scientific research and enterprises, and greatly promoting the penetration and popularization of fiber products, instrumentation and testing equipment.
