4D Materials Design and Additive Manufacturing Conference 2026
will be organised by Dublin City University, Ireland
Event Links
The 5th international 4D Materials Design and Additive Manufacturing Conference 2026 (4DMDA 2026) is organised by Dublin City University and the 4D Printing Society. The conference will showcase the latest developments and technologies in smart materials, metamaterials, intelligent designs, modelling, additive manufacturing, and 3D/4D printing. It seeks to address current concerns in the further development of 3D/4D printed devices and provides a forum for internationally recognised experts and young scientists working in the fields of smart materials, metamaterials, advanced design, modelling and simulation, and 3D/4D printing technologies to present their work.
This conference is scheduled to take place on July 9-10, 2026, in Dublin City University, Ireland.
4D Materials Design and Additive Manufacturing Conference 2026 aims to bring together the most recent research on a variety of exciting topics such as (but not limited to):
Design methods for smart materials and additive manufacturing using computational techniques (artificial intelligence, optimisation, geometric reasoning, etc.).
Development of new functional and active materials.
Characterisation methods for functional and active materials.
Design of metamaterials and metastructures, lattice generation strategies.
Advanced additive manufacturing techniques of smart materials (multi-material techniques, hybrid additive manufacturing, closed-loop 3D printing, bioprinting, etc.).
Advanced modelling and simulation (mechanics of materials, constitutive modelling, shape memory effects, multi-physics, stimuli-responsive, coupling effects, etc.).
Industrialisation and applications (health, sport, aerospace, automotive, defense, civil, etc.).
The 4D Printing Society invites abstracts and papers from researchers, students, and working professionals from academia as well as industry within the scope of the conference topics.
A half-day workshop / training school will also be held one day before the conference (July 8, 2026) for students, early-career researchers, and professionals interested in advanced materials and manufacturing.
Presentation Format – Pecha Kucha Style
All presenters, except plenary and keynote speakers, are requested to prepare a 6-minute Pecha Kucha-style presentation, followed by 4 minutes for questions and discussion. Pecha Kucha (Japanese for “chit-chat”) is a dynamic presentation format that emphasises visual storytelling through images rather than text-heavy slides. Presentations should consist of 20 slides displayed automatically for 20 seconds each, resulting in a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
Presenters are encouraged to use the suggested 4DMDA2026_Suggested_Template-Pecha Kucha.
Please visit Pecha Kucha format and presentation tips for further information.
Speakers are invited to submit 1-page abstract. Please use this template: 4DMDA-2026_Abstract_Template.
To attend the conference as a speaker, please submit your 1-page abstract (1 PDF file including title, list of authors, affiliations, maximum of 1000 words, and keywords) via the following submission tab no later than 12 June 2026. Abstracts will be peer-reviewed, and authors will be notified of acceptance/revision/rejection. At least one author of every accepted abstract must register for the conference via the Eventbrite online payment. Please check the registration section. Non-submitters are also welcome to attend the conference as audience members.
All participants are invited to submit their high-quality full-length papers, short communications, and reviews for peer-review and publication in the follwoing journals:
4D Printing (hybrid: standard subscription (free of charge) and open access options)
Smart Materials and Structures (hybrid: standard subscription (free of charge) aand open access options)
International Journal of AI for Materials and Design (open access with full waivers for article processing charges)
International Journal of Bioprinting (open access with half waivers for article processing charges)
Materials (open access with full waivers for article processing charges)
Designs (open access with half waivers for article processing charges)
Journal of Composites Science (open access with half waivers for article processing charges)
We look forward to receiving your abstracts and full-length journal papers. For further information regarding the publication process, please contact: info@4dprintings.com or mahdi.bodaghi@ntu.ac.uk.
Four speakers will be selected for the Best Presentation Awards presented at the end of the conference. The judging panel comprises four directors from the 4D Printing Society. Awards will be based on the quality of both the written abstract and the presentation. The winners will receive a Commemorative Crystal Award together with an official certificate from the 4D Printing Society recognising the “Best Research Work Presented – 4D Materials Design and Additive Manufacturing Conference 2026”.
The 4D Printing Society will also recognise four Outstanding Leaders from across the globe whose significant and consistent achievements have shaped the global advancement of 4D materials and printing. They will be formally honoured at the conclusion of the conference and will receive Honorary Crystal Awards in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the field.
Important Dates:
Submission for Abstracts Opening: 12 January 2026
New! Abstract Submission Deadline: 12 June 2026
Early bird (Student / General) Registration Deadline: 23 April 2026 (passed)
New! Regular (Student / General) Registration Deadline: 15 June 2026
Conference Days: 9 – 10 July 2026
Conference Programme:
Final information and presentation schedule will be announced in June.
Workshop / Training School Programme:
11:00-12:00: Digitisation of the additive manufacturing process
12:00-13:00: 4D printing of metals and polymers
13:00-14:00: Lunch
14:00-15:00: Materials characterisation techniques
15:00-16:00: Insights and trends in 4D printing
16:00-17:00: Lab tour
For registration, please see registration section below.
Gala Dinner on 9 July 2026 (Irish Dine & Dance Experience)
The conference gala dinner will take place at Johnnie Fox’s Pub, one of Ireland’s oldest and most famous traditional Irish pubs, located in the beautiful Dublin Mountains. Established in 1798, the venue offers a unique Irish atmosphere with traditional food, live music, and Irish dancing performances.
The evening will provide delegates with a relaxed social and networking experience in a traditional Irish setting.
Transportation from DCU to Johnnie Fox’s Pub is arranged for registered participants. The gala dinner and transportation costs are already included in the conference registration fee.
Keynote Speakers
Binyang Song, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Keun Park, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
Barbara Previtali, Politechnico Milano, Italy
Sankhya Mohanty, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
Denis Dowling, University College Dublin, Ireland
Inam Ul Ahad, Dublin City University, Ireland
Mohammad Elahinia, University of Toledo, US
Thomas Niendorf, University of Kassel, Germany
Dermot Brabazon, Dublin City University, Ireland (Executive Chair)
Mahdi Bodaghi, Nottingham Trent University, UK (Co-Chair)
Ali Zolfagharian, Deakin University, Australia (Co-Chair)
Technical Committees
Local Organising Committee
Ms. Joan Kelly (Manager)
Dr. Inam Ul Ahad
Dr. Ronan McCann
Dr. Lorna Fitzsomines
Dr. Mercedez Vazquez
Dr. Brian Freeland
Dr. Tanya Levingston
International Scientific Committee
Dermot Brabazon, Dublin City University, Ireland
Ali Zolfagharian, Deakin University, Australia
Mahdi Bodaghi, Nottingham Trent University, UK
Frédéric Demoly, UTBM, France
Eva Blasco, Heidelberg University, Germany
Giulia Scalet, University of Pavia, Italy
Ian Gibson, University of Twente, Netherlands
Ana Paula da Fonseca Piedade, University of Coimbra, Portugal
Carlos Sánchez Somolinos, Spanish National Council of Research (CSIC), Spain
Kristina Shea, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
Jerry Qi, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
David Rosen, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
Keun Park, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
Qi Ge, Southern University of Science and Technology, China
Falguni Pati, IIT Hyderabad, India
Wiwat Nuansing, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand
If you require a visa to attend the conference and need an invitation letter to support your application, we are happy to assist you.To request an invitation letter, please contact us at info@4dprintings.com & mahdi.bodaghi@ntu.ac.uk with your full name, home address, organisation address, passport number, nationality, and other relevant details after registration so the organiser can provide an invitation letter to help facilitate your visa application process,
Dublin City University, Polaris Building, Glasnevin Campus, Dublin 9.
Ha’penny Bridge
Dublin Coastline
Canoeing on Liffey
Accomodation
1. DCU rooms – Please note this is on the DCU ALL HALLOW CAMPUS (Code for booking: 4DMDA2026)
2. Skylon Hotel (Code for booking: 4DMDA2026). For this hotel, please see below steps to book with this code:
On the home page click BOOK NOW
Guest will first need to choose the valid dates , one or two of the valid dates.
Type in the code above ( in the promo code field below the dates)
3. Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport
The registration is open now and fees for speakers and audiences are listed below:
Fees:
- Early bird (Student): €500
- Early bird (General): €650
- Regular (Student): €600
- Regular (General): €750
- Invited speakers: €325
- Workshop / Traning School: €200
- Additional abstract submission: €200
- Accompanying guest (Dinner ONLY:) €100
Registration fees include conference attendance/documentation, welcome reception, coffee/tea breaks, lunch, Gala Dinner.
Be sure that at least one author/delegate, or audience member registers to attend the conference using the online registration system. Each abstract must have at least one author/delegate registered, with the payment received by the registration deadline (see Important Dates) to avoid being withdrawn from the conference. Authors are allowed to submit additional abstracts for an extra charge of €200.
Registrations are being taken via the following Link or a bank transfer if preferred.
Conference Refund Policy.
