Emerging Concepts & Design for Sustainability (ECDS 2026)
Date
18–20 November 2026
Subject areas
Education , Sustainability , Environmental , Energy , Human Health
Location
Paris, France
For decades, industrial progress was measured by our ability to reshape the natural world to fit human needs. This strategy led to a higher standard of living, but it also resulted in a linear "take-make-waste" model that has reached its ecological limit. Humanity is now entering a phase where the definition of progress must change. It is no longer enough for engineering and the life sciences to solve isolated technical problems; they must now work toward the restoration of natural systems. The challenge is to build a future where technological advancement does not happen at the expense of the environment, but rather as a functioning part of it.
This shift requires a total realignment of how we approach research and development. "Design for Sustainability" is the essential framework for this transition, acting as the connective tissue between chemistry, biology, and data science. It is not just a secondary requirement for modern projects, it is the foundational starting point. By integrating the life sciences with advanced material engineering, we can move toward a truly circular economy. This means developing materials that are biodegradable by design and industrial processes that run on renewable loops. Realizing this vision is the only way to ensure that our technical breakthroughs contribute to a resilient and stable global ecosystem.
The organizers are pleased to announce the second edition of the "Emerging Concepts & Design for Sustainability" (ECDS) conference, in collaboration between le Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (Le Cnam, SATIE Lab),ÌýUniversité Paris Cité (ITODYS Lab), Université de Rouen Normandie (CARMeN lab), and IEREK. ThisÌýevent is intended to establish a new platform for high-level scientific exchange. The conference will take place in Paris, fromÌýNovember 18th to the 20th, 2026, at Le Cnam in Paris. This venue has spent centuries at the center of technical innovation, making it the perfect location for a meeting focused on the next wave of sustainable science.
Conference Scope
ECDSÌýis designed to bring together researchers, industrial engineers, and policymakers to discuss the convergence of material science, the life sciences, and the digital transition. Our objective is to move beyond conventional academic boundaries and address the messy, real-world complexities of ecological restoration. Discussions will span a wide range of topics, from green chemical manufacturing, bio-based, porous, and bio-inspired materials to renewable energy conversion and storage, sensing devices, and the role of AI in managing critical resources and ensuring the health of our water and soil systems.
Statement of Purpose
The conference aims to host an interactive forum for swapping unconventional ideas and solving evolving technical difficulties. Through a mix of technical sessions and professional networking, we hope to build a spirit of long-term cooperation and rigorous inquiry. As the global community navigates the friction between industrial growth and planetary health,ÌýECDSÌýaspires to act as a catalyst for the specific, transformative designs that will define a resilient future.
Main Topics:
1. Life Sciences Innovation and Sustainable Concepts
This topic addresses low-impact, responsible innovation in life sciences, from greener protocols to ethical translational pathways.Ìý
2. Water, Soils and Environmental Resilience
This topic focuses on advanced treatment, real-time monitoring, and nature-based approaches to strengthen environmental resilience.
3. Bio-based, biomimetic Materials and Sustainable Biotechnologies
This topic highlights bio-based conversion routes, biomimetic materials, and waste valorization for sustainable biotechnologies.Ìý
4. Emerging Porous Architecture for Sustainable Technologies
This topic covers advanced porous materials and their sustainable synthesis, processing, stability, and end-of-life performance.
5. Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage
ÌýThis topic targets low-carbon energy vectors, conversion routes, and materials enabling storage and efficient thermal management.Ìý
6. Green Industrial Processes
ÌýThis topic emphasizes cleaner manufacturing through green chemistry, safer synthesis, and source-level pollution prevention.Ìý
7. Recycling and Circularity of Critical Materials
This topic addresses circular strategies for critical materials, from recycling performance to traceability and LCA.
8. Digital Transition and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability
ÌýThis topic covers low-carbon digital approaches and AI methods supporting sustainable design, operation, and assessment.
9. Devices, remote sensing and AI-driven technology
This topic focuses on sensing systems and AI pipelines for in-situ/remote monitoring, robustness, and security.
Deadlines
Downloads
Event details
Cnam | Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers
Robert Faure Amphitheatre, Cnam | Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, 292 Rue Saint-Martin, Paris, F-75003, France
Najla Fourati
Le Cnam
SATIE Laboratory, UMR CNRS 8029 Cnam, 292 rue Saint Martin, 75003 Paris, France