Celebrating Excellence: Materials Week Europe 2026 Award Winners

This year’s Materials Week Europe Awards celebrated the people and companies redefining what’s possible in materials science, from graphene breakthroughs to circular economy leadership. Here are the 2026 winners shaping the industry’s future.

Materials Innovation of the Year

Winner: OCSiAl

OCSiAl takes home the OmniChain Vanguard Award for ground-breaking work with its TUBALL™ graphene nanotubes. This cutting-edge technology pushes the limits of conductivity and performance in silicones giving formulators a genuinely transformative tool to create the next generation of advanced materials.

Sustainability & Circularity Leadership Award

Winner: Elkem

Elkem earns the Guardian of Sustainability Award for leading with credibility and action. Through its Circle portfolio and responsible innovation in silicone manufacturing, Elkem is proving that circularity isn’t just an aspiration, it’s a practical, scalable business reality.

Collaboration Excellence Award

Winner: Albert Invent

The Alliance Force Award goes to Albert Invent, a company redefining how R&D teams work together. By capturing and connecting knowledge across projects, Albert Invent empowers organisations to innovate faster, make smarter decisions, and avoid reinventing the wheel-turning collaboration into real competitive advantage.

Start-Up of the Year

Winner: Altrove

Altrove wins the NovaSpark Award for showing what the future of materials R&D looks like. Combining AI with lab automation to design alternatives under Net Zero constraints, Altrove exemplifies the potential of faster, smarter, and more sustainable innovation.

People’s Choice Award

Winner: Sylvie Fonteneau, Dow

Sylvie Fonteneau’s keynote captured the heart of this community. Her message on driving sustainability at scale – connecting decarbonisation, circularity, and manufacturing reality was clear, actionable, and deeply inspiring, making her the standout voice of 2026.

Rising Star Award

Winner: Thomas Batigne, Lynxter

As the youngest confirmed speaker at this year’s event, Thomas Batigne receives the Rising Sentinel Award for representing the next generation of innovators. As co-founder of Lynxter, he’s already redefining modern manufacturing and this recognition celebrates both his early achievements and his forward-looking impact.

Looking Ahead

Congratulations to all the award winners of Materials Week Europe 2026! Your work continues to drive progress and possibility across the materials community. We can’t wait to see what new breakthroughs, partnerships, and ideas emerge in the year ahead and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for Materials Week Europe 2027.