POLYMAT at Science Week 2026: exploring the world of materials

From 4 to 7 November, Tabakalera (Donostia) hosted the EHU Science Week – Zientzia Astea. Once again, POLYMAT, CFM, DIPC and CIC nanoGUNE shared the stand “Exploring the World of Materials” (“Materialen munduan barrena”), where school groups on weekday mornings and the general public on Friday afternoon and Saturday discovered how the properties of materials are designed at the nanoscale.

Visitors played with superhydrophobic sand, shape-memory metals, cornstarch that behaves like a solid and a liquid, iridescent butterflies, colour-changing liquid crystals and polymers that become invisible in water. This year the stand also featured a superconducting levitating train, and the workshop “Eskalatu zure mundua” on Saturday.

Many thanks to the POLYMAT researchers who volunteered: Ander Leiza Balda, Irati Celada, Unax Roldan Rosas, Claudia Azabal Martin, Marc Frederic Malter, Andrea Cid, Danilo Figueroa, Paula García Foronda and Hayam Abdelgawad, together with our Outreach Manager Beñat Olave. Thanks also to the volunteers and outreach teams of CFM, DIPC and CIC nanoGUNE for making this shared stand possible once more.