26th POLYMER NETWORKS GROUP Meeting Dresden, June 21-25 (2026)
Greetings of the Conference Chairs
Dear Colleagues,
It has now been 50 years since the Polymer Networks Group emerged with the goal to connect researchers working on this intriguing class of materials. Over the decades, the Polymer Networks Group meeting has been at the core of connecting a large network of scientists all over the word leaving a footprint in many countries across the globe. For the anniversary, the meeting returns back to the region where everything started. It is our special pleasure and honor to organize the 26th Polymer Networks Group Meeting in the beautiful City of Dresden, Germany.
Midway between Prague and Berlin, Dresden is one of the most dynamic cities in central Europe. Dresden combines the splendor of a royal residence with the vibrant nightlife of a big university city. Numerous high-tech companies and scientific institutions are integral parts of the city. Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) is one of the German Excellence Universities and the largest (by number of students) University of Technology in Germany. The city hosts the enormous number of 11 Fraunhofer Institutes, 3 Max-Planck Institutes, 1 Helmholtz Research Center and 4 Leibniz-Institutes, including the Leibniz-Institute of Polymer Research (IPF), which is the local organizer of the current meeting.
The Polymer Networks Group Meetings provide an outstanding platform to connect with researchers from many different fields encompassing all scientific aspects of polymer networks and gels. These topics range from synthesis, characterization, properties, technical applications, and recycling, and span the field of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and medicine. The key sessions of the meeting and the invited talks will address some of the most pressing problems and the most dynamically advancing directions of recent research. We hope that with your valuable contributions and insights at the PNG2026 in Dresden, you can help us push the field to the next level.
Michael Lang and Sebastian Seiffert,
Conference Chairs
The Polymer Networks Group
Founded in 1975, the Polymer Networks Group is an independent international organization for the promotion of international contacts and stimulation of research in the important field of polymer networks. This is mainly done through biannual meetings, which, during the past decades, have brought into contact a large number of scientists and engineers from many countries, and stimulated scientific exchanges between the East and the West. For more information about the Polymer Networks Group, please visit our homepage.
Topics
This conference targets any kind of research related to synthesis, structure, properties, and applications of polymer networks and gels. Key sessions with at least two invited speakers per topic are:
Advanced Synthesis & New Architectures
Amphiphilic Gels & Networks
Bio-Medical Applications
Dynamics, Dynamic Networks & Self-Healing
Elasticity and Fracture of Gels, Elastomers & Composites
Hydrogels & Ionogels
Microgels & Soft Colloids
Network Defects & Defect Engineering
Sensors, Actuators & Responsive Materials
Vitrimers, Sustainable Materials & Recycling
Additional sessions might be organized depending on submissions or recent scientific discoveries.
Important dates
2025-09-01: Abstract submission and registration opens
2026-03-27: Abstract deadline (late submissions may still be accepted as posters until final registration deadline)
2026-04-03: Acceptance notification
2026-04-10: Registration deadline (early bird)
2026-05-08: Final registration deadline (no late abstracts and no registration after this deadline; important: no on-site registration)
2026-05-25: Final program online
2026-06-21: Welcome reception and start of conference