Keynote speakers

Jean-Benoît Le Cam, University Professor at the Rennes Institute of Technology, is renowned for his work on polymers, which he carries out with his team at the Rennes Institute of Physics. He specialises in the study of the thermomechanical behaviour and durability of elastomers. He heads the ELAST-D3 laboratory (Continental - University of Rennes - CNRS), which aims to develop new approaches to the science of elastomer materials for the decarbonisation of mobility. This result shows that partnership research/promotion and scientific excellence are not mutually exclusive, quite the contrary.

Conference Title & Abstract :

Experimental thermomechanics and energetic behavior of elastomers: revisiting rubber elasticity, viscosity, stress-softening, strain-induced crystallization and energy stored

Prof. Hassan Hannache is a prominent academic in Materials Engineering, currently a professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir. He obtained his PhD from the University of Bordeaux 1, France. Over his career, he has held key roles, including Director of the Engineering and Materials Laboratory and the Thematic Research Center "Materials & Energy" at Hassan II University - Casablanca. His research focuses on composite ceramic matrix materials, geopolymer and adsorbent materials, and the valorization of Moroccan natural resources. Prof. Hannache has published extensively on topics such as phosphate glass fibers, resilient geopolymers, and innovative composite materials for adsorption applications. An accomplished inventor with multiple patents, he has received several awards, including the Hassan II Grand Prize for Innovation, and continues to advance the field through research and international collaborations

Conference Title & Abstract : 

Phosphate-Based Geopolymers: current advances and Key Challenges

Said Gmouh is a professor at Hassan II University in Casablanca, working within the LIMAT Laboratory. His research focuses on organic chemistry, nanotechnology, and materials science, with significant contributions to flame retardant coatings, antibacterial nanofibers, and polymer membranes. He has played a key role in advancing sustainable materials, particularly through collaborations that integrate chemical processes with engineering applications. Dr. Gmouh's work is widely recognized, and his publications are highly cited, showcasing his influence in polymer science and material design.

Conference Title & Abstract :

Functionalization of Textile Materials with Ionic Liquids:

Toward Advanced Technical and Smart Textiles

Claude Stolz's research focuses on the evolution of non-linear mechanical systems (plasticity, fracture, damage) and the homogenisation of heterogeneous media. Claude Stolz has taught at several Grandes Ecoles and universities, as well as at graduate and postgraduate level in France and abroad. He has also worked as a consultant for major French industries such as Dassault-Aviation and PSA. Claude Stolz, Director of Research at the CNRS, was awarded the Académie des Sciences' thematic and quadrennial prize (2004): Henri de Parville, Arthur du Fay and Emilie Hamel.

Conference Title & Abstract :

Moving layers and graded damage coupling with elasto-plasticity

Issam is a tenured full professor ("professeur ordinaire") at Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanics from Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), a M.S. ("D.E.A.") in Applied Mechanics from Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan (France) and a M.S. ("ingénieur principal") in Civil Engineering from Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Tunis (Tunisia). Issam was also a post-doc at University of California at Santa Barbara. He is the author of a book and more than 80 scientific papers, the advisor of several Ph.D. theses and the principal investigator of a number of funded research projects. He is regularly invited to give talks at various conferences and teach graduate-level courses in different countries. Issam’s expertise is on nonlinear mechanics of solid materials and structures, computational mechanics of materials and multi-scale modeling of heterogeneous materials in a broad sense (e.g., composites with a polymer matrix reinforced with short, long or continuous fibers). Issam’s professional experience is both in academia and industry. Indeed, he has consulted for several companies and was a member of technical staff at Centric Engineering Systems in Palo Alto, California. In May 2003, Issam co-founded e-Xstream  engineering with Dr. Roger Assaker and assumed the position of Director of R&D. The company develops the Digimat software suite for multi-scale modeling of composite materials and structures. In September 2012, it was acquired by MSC Software, which is now part of Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence Division.

Professor Laurence Brassart graduated with a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the Université catholique de Louvain in 2007, and with a PhD in Engineering Sciences from the same university in 2011. She then successively held postdoctoral positions at Harvard University (Fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation) and the Université catholique de Louvain (Chargé de Recherche FNRS). From 2015 to 2019, Laurence was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Monash University (Melbourne). She joined the Department of Engineering Science at Oxford in August 2019. Laurence’s research focuses on the development of original constitutive models and micromechanical approaches for a broad range of engineering materials, including polymers, soft materials and energy materials. She is particularly interested in multiphysics and multiscale aspects.

Conference Title & Abstract :

Micromechanical modelling of rubbery networks: discrete and continuum approaches

Dr. Roberto Santoprete graduated in physics at the University of Pisa (Italy). During his PhD at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and the Max Planck Institute of Berlin (Germany) he investigated by atomistic simulations how mechanical deformations affected the electronical and optical properties of semiconductor nanostructures. Then, during his postdoc at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris (France), he worked on the process of growth of semiconductor nanostructures by simulating the impact of the experimental condition inside a plasma reactor.
Since 2005 he has been working at the L’Oréal Research & Innovation labs in France as a research engineer first and as a research associate and project leader since 2018. His work focuses on fundamental and applicative aspects of the (1) biomechanics of the skin and the underlying tissues, in relationship with longevity or with the sensory perception, (2) the mechanics of slender structures and its applications to the control of the human hair shape and movement, (3) the thin film damage on soft substrates and its application of the lastingness of cosmetic coatings on skin.

Conference Title & Abstract

Face biomechanics as a key player for aging perception

Oscar Lopez-Pamies is the Colonel Harry F. & Frankie M. Lovell Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which he joined in 2011. He received his B.A. degree in Mathematics and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in  2001 and 2002, and his Ph.D. degrees in Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania and Ecole Polytechnique (France) in 2006. His research focuses on the development of mathematical theories and associated numerical methods to describe, explain, and predict the mechanical and physical behavior, stability, and failure of solids. He is the recipient of a number of academic honors, including the Young Scientist Prize from the European Mechanics Society in 2009, the NSF CAREER award in 2011, the Journal of Applied Mechanics award in 2014, and the Young Investigator Medal from the Society of Engineering Science in 2017.

Conference Title & Abstract :

Nucleation and propagation of fracture in viscoelastic elastomers: A complete phase-field theory

Professor Hervé Di Benedetto received his Diploma of Civil Engineer from the "Ecole Nationale des TPE" (ENTPE, University of Lyon) and his PhD from the University of Grenoble, France. Currently he is Professor at ENTPE, University of Lyon. He is also, since 2011, visiting Professor at the University of Quebec (ETS). He is member of “Laboratoire de Tribologie & Dynamique des Systèmes” (LTDS, UMR CNRS 5513) where he is leading the team “Geomaterials and Sustainable Constructions”. Prof. Di Benedetto’s research activities focus on the study of mechanical, thermo-mechanical behaviour of geomaterials and road, railways and airport structures, including experimental and modelling aspects. He is working in the fields of soil mechanics and infrastructure engineering. He has been the supervisor of more than 50 PhD students and of many research projects. He is the author of more than 200 publications. He is Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal “Road Materials and Pavement Design” (http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/trmp20). Professor Di Benedetto is a well know expert, which is frequently invited or keynote speaker for international conferences. Among others, he delivered the 3rd Bishop Lecture of the Int. Soc. of Soil Mech. and Geotech. Eng. (ISSMGE). He Chaired Technical Committee 101 of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) from 2009 to 2013. He was President from 2013 to 2015 of the International Society of Asphalt Pavement (ISAP), and is co-founder and present President of the Steering Committee of the European Asphalt Technology Association (EATA). He was from 2009 to 2014 international representative of the Board of the Association of Asphalt Pavement Technologists (AAPT). He is a Fellow and officer member of the Technical Advisory Committee of “International union of laboratories and experts in construction materials, systems and structures” (RILEM), Convener in charge of cluster F.

Giuseppe Saccomandi is full Professor of Mathematical Physics at the Dipartimento di Ingegneria of the University of Perugia. He was educated at the University of Perugia. He has held positions at the University of Roma La Sapienza and the University of Perugia, University of Lecce. He has held visiting appointments at University Paris VI (1991), University of Virginia (1999, 2001), French CNRS (2005, 2006) and Univeristy of Aix-Marseille (2012). His research interests are in rational mechanics (mechanics of continua and nonlinear elasticity) and applied mathematics (molecular biology and biomechanics first), in which fields he has authored or co-authored four invited book chapters, over 160 publications in refereed archival journals, seven chpaters in books, a textbook and numerous Conference Proceedings papers. Saccomandi is a member of the Gruppo Nazionale di Fisica Matematica of Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica and the International Society for the Interaction of Mechanics and Mathematics (ISIMM). He also coordinated three courses at the International Center for Mechanical Sciences (CISM) of Udine and three mini-workshops at Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach. He is contributing editor for the International Journal of Nonlinear Mechanics and in the editorial boards of Int. J. of Engineering Science, Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids, Advance in Mechanics and Mathematics, Frontiers in Materials. He has served as guest editor for for Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, IMA J. of Applied Math and Acta Applicandae Mathematica. He was national coordinator of a PRIN 2004 and a PRIN 2009 project.

Conference Title & Abstract :

What is really significant about looking for a mathematical model of nonlinear elasticity?

Noureddine DAMIL is a Professor of Higher Education, holding a Ph.D. from Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris 6, 1984) on cellular buckling of thin structures, and a State Doctorate from Hassan II University of Casablanca (1990) on bifurcation theory and structural analysis. Since 1984, he has been a professor at the Faculty of Sciences Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University, and served as an Associate Lecturer at Paul Verlaine University of Metz (1987-1988), with multiple invitations to lecture at Paul Verlaine University and the LMA in Marseille. He has held several academic leadership roles, including Head of the Thematic and Research Unit "ISMEC" at ECC, member of the Scientific Council for the "Complex Systems and Interactions" Research Center, and elected member of the ECC Research Council. He is also a founding member of the Engineering and Materials Laboratory at Hassan II University. Prof Noureddine DAMIL served as Vice-President of Hassan II University (2011-2019) and Vice-Dean of Ben M'Sik (2004-2010), and was the President of the Moroccan Society of Mechanical Sciences (SMSM). He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied and Theoretical Mechanics, published by SMSM. His research expertise includes computational mechanics, buckling, wrinkling, instabilities, and structural elements like beams, plates, and shells. His work focuses on theoretical and numerical methods for instabilities in solids, developing numerical algorithms for nonlinear problems (including Asymptotic Numerical Methods), multiscale modeling using Fourier series, and micro-macro modeling of polymers through micromechanics.

Conference Title & Abstract : 

A micromechanical model for hyper-elastic rubber-like materials

and numerical resolution by the ANM algorithm

Prof. Heng Hu is a Changjiang Distinguished Professor at Ningxia University in China and a Hongyi Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Wuhan University in China. In 2006, he received his Ph.D. in solid mechanics from University of Lorraine in France. Subsequently, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Ecole Polytechnique in France. He joined Wuhan University in 2008 and Ningxia University in 2024. His main research interests include data-driven computational mechanics, multi-scale modeling and simulation of composite structures, and buckling and wrinkling of thin-walled structures. Currently, Prof. Hu serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal of Composite Structures, and a general council member of the International Association of Computational Mechanics (IACM).

Conference Title & Abstract :

Quantum Computing Enhanced Data-Driven Computational Mechanics for Composite Structures

Patrick Le Tallec is a professor of mechanics at Institut Polytechnique de Paris. His field of research is concerned with applied mathematics and computational mechanics with applications to industry, transport and biomedical engineering. His current interests focus on the simulation of complex contact problems, of nonlinear multiscale structures, of architectured materials and on the multiscale modelling and analysis of soft materials. A graduate from Ecole Polytechnique, Le Tallec holds a Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from The University of Texas at Austin (1980), and a thèse d’Etat in applied mathematics from Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris (1981). His full career has been in academics. He has served as a professor of applied mathematics at Université of Paris Dauphine, Research Director and Group Leader at INRIA (French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology), a professor of mechanics at Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, Vice President for Education, holder of the chair André Citroën and head of the Laboratory of Solid  Mechanics. Le Tallec has been a visiting professor in various international universities including University of Wisconsin at Madison, University of Minnesota, University of Colorado at Boulder, Stanford University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and University of Wuhan in China. He has directed more than 40 Ph.D. students and authored seven books together with more than eighty refereed papers in international journals. He has been a longtime collaborator with industrial companies such as Michelin, PSA Group or Dassault Aviation and is a scientific advisor at French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. Le Tallec has also served as president of the French Society of Applied and Industrial Mathematics. He was editor of the International Journal of Numerical Methods in Engineering and is member of the editorial board of Computer and Structures and of Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering and AMSES. He received a CISI award in Scientific Computing and the Prize Blaise Pascal of the French Academy of Sciences. Le Tallec is Chevalier des Palmes Académiques, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite.

Conference Title & Abstract :

Impact of nonlinear viscoelastic models on the prediction of contact forces involving elastomers in large deformation

Yves Renard has made significant contributions to the field of numerical methods, particularly in finite element analysis and contact mechanics, while holding a professor position at INSA Lyon. His work includes the development of a high-order extended finite element method for cracked domains, enhancing computational accuracy in engineering applications. He introduced a new fictitious domain approach inspired by the extended finite element method, broadening the applicability of these techniques. Additionally, he co-authored the open-source library Getfem++, facilitating finite element methods across various applications. Renard has researched hybrid finite element methods for the Signorini problem, mass redistribution methods for elastodynamic contact problems, and crack tip enrichment in the XFEM. His innovations extend to variants of Nitsche’s method for contact problems and generalized Newton’s methods for addressing frictional contact issues in elasticity. He has also contributed to automated finite element modeling of multiphysics problems and has advanced the theoretical framework and numerical solutions for frictional contact problems with Coulomb friction, enriching the understanding of elastostatics and elastodynamics.

Conference Title & Abstract :

Shape optimization of an elastomer rolling structure taking into account contact and friction