A Scientific Dialogue
The scope of the Formula XII Conference was wide, including all aspects of Formulation Science and Technology, from the most theoretical to the most applied. It was a multidisciplinary and multisectorial conference, attracting interest from both academia and industry. Their aim was to foster dialogue and cooperation and promoting collaboration among researchers and technologists, with ground-breaking ideas for innovative and sustainable formulations, alongside the latest advancements in machine learning and in silico modelling.
The scientific programme of the conference included six plenary lectures, one Gordon Tiddy memorial lecture and five keynote talks, alongside with 48 contributed oral presentations and 68 posters, encompassing all aspects of Formulation Science and Technology. The conference was attended by approximately 180 participants, with gender balance (50/50) and a good representation of both academia and industry (approximately 70/30). Cutting-edge research and emerging trends in formulation were presented, opening new frontiers and fostering scientific collaboration.
Importance of Formulation
The formulation field is about combining components to obtain the desired structures and to achieve the targeted product performance. In a broad sense, formulation is about designing products for specific applications in a safe, effective and cost-efficient manner. Appropriate combination of ingredients allows structured liquids, colloidal dispersions, soft materials or aerosols with well-defined performance in their technological applications to be obtained. It is a highly multidisciplinary field of great interest to both academia and industry, since advances in formulation often have a strong impact on everyday life. Commercial formulations are present in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paints and coatings, cleaning products and detergents, foods, lubricants, pesticides and fertilizers, among many others.
