Society and Materials (SAM) Conference

19th Society and Materials
(SAM) International Conference

Abstract submission is now closed.
The detailed program will be published soon.

University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
May 6 – 7th, 2025

About SAM19

The 19th Society and Materials (SAM) International Conference will take place on May 6-7, 2025, in the historic buildings of University of Alcalá in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.

This conference serves as a global forum for discussing new methodologies, concepts, and issues connecting materials and society from various perspectives, fostering interdisciplinary research and innovation.

For more than 19 years, SAM conferences have been an international forum for exchanging on new methodologies, new concepts and new issues that connect materials and society from different perspectives, ranging from social to engineering sciences, from thermodynamics over life cycle assessment to ethics and economy..

As such, they are a laboratory for thought and for knowledge experiments, which have produced about 800 papers and introduced some of the best intuitions in these areas. Issues and questions sitting at the heart of contemporary societal challenges and of expected paradigm shifts are also being covered as a kind of application lab. 

Disciplines like Material Flow Analysis or Life Cycle Assessment have traditionally been an important part of the meetings, focusing mainly on new directions and methodologies, but with room also for innovative case studies.    

Other important thematic pillars are approches rooted in social science, economics or materials science, being the focus of SAM Conferences  always on pluridisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity. Works that combine different disciplines or approaches in an innovative way are therefore particularly welcome.

The 19th edition should reflect the same level of curiosity, inquisitiveness, intellectual boldness and innovative thinking as the previous ones!

Main conference themes

  • New developments in Life Cycle Assessment, Material Flow Analysis and other methodologies
  • New social, economic, environmental and sustainability indicators
  • Internalization of societal and environmental externalities into the economy
  • Eco-design and eco-innovation
  • Circular economy and sustainable business models
  • Responsible research and innovation on materials
  • Governance, public and social engagement
  • Gender issues, material culture and society
  • Open science, citizen science, scientific citizenship and materials research
  • SSH contributions about energy and materials, including History, Geography, Archeometallurgy, Humanities, Archeoanthropology, etc.

 Key Dates

  • Abstract Submission Deadline: December 31, 2024 – Extended until Jan 31, 2025
  • Acceptance Notification: March 14, 2025
  • Registration Deadline: March 31, 2025
  • Conference Dates: May 6-7, 2025

Jean-Sebastian Thomas Award

In memoriam of Jean-Sébastien Thomas, who contributed to the success of SAM conferences, ArcelorMittal created in 2015 the Jean-Sébastien Thomas Award and it comprises a trophy, certificate and financial reward to the best presenter at SAM conferences.

All the presentations and all posters at SAM19 will be evaluated in real time by the SAM Scientific Committee and a winner will be announced at the end of Day 2.

The posters will be voted by all conference participants and the best poster will be recognized publicly at the end of the conference.

Contact Information

For inquiries, contact the SAM Organizing Committee:

Email:

sam.conference@arcelormittal.com

sam.conference@uah.es

Jean-Pierre Birat: jean-pierre.birat@ifsteelman.eu