IGNITE 2026 CONTENTS
The modernization of the congress cannot be based on a simple update of traditional topics.
The program must be structured around core pillars clearly aligned with the real medium- and long-term challenges facing the ceramic industry.
Five major thematic pillars are proposed, each with its own identity and the capacity to integrate both scientific and industrial contributions:
1. Real and competitive decarbonization
- Viable electrification of industrial processes
- Hydrogen: potential, technical and economic limits
- CO₂ capture, use, and storage
- Impact of energy costs on global competitiveness
- European regulatory implications
Key message: how to continue producing ceramics competitively in Europe.
2. Deep industrial digitalization
- Digital twins of kilns, production lines, and products
- Artificial intelligence applied to quality, creation, design, and maintenance
- Integration of process-product-customer data
- Industrial cybersecurity
Key message: data as a real competitive advantage, not just a trend.
3. Advanced ceramic materials and new applications
- High added-value technical and functional ceramics
- Development of new materials and multifunctional surfaces (photocatalytic, antibacterial, self-cleaning, sensorized, and active)
- Integrated ceramic systems for industrialized construction
- Advanced ceramic envelopes and hybrid solutions with high thermal, mechanical, and durability performance
- Integration of ceramics into digital building processes: BIM, parametric design, and industrial customization
- Industry–architecture–engineering collaboration for the development of new competitive construction solutions on an international scale
Key message: ceramics as an advanced technological material and a strategic solution for industrial transformation
4. Comprehensive sustainability and industrial circularity
- Real and scalable recycling
- Eco-design applied to industrial processes
- Life cycle assessment (LCA) as a strategic tool
- Traceability and digital product passport
Key message: sustainability as a condition for market access.
5. Industrial geopolitics and markets
- Global competition: China, India, etc.
- Trade and tariff policy
- Offshoring of production
- Critical supply chains
Key message: Technology cannot be separated from the geopolitical and economic context.