Una Europa - Bio-Fabrication and Structural Integration

This workshop is open for applicants, please use the yellow "Register" button on the right. Deadline: 29th of August 2026. 

This workshop is the fourth of four Una Europa mini-workshops, meant to bring together Una researchers, with a focus on junior faculty (tenure track, assistant and associate professor level). It offers an opportunity to meet Una colleagues, showcase ongoing research and research aims, and identify possible collaborations within the Una Europa alliance.

Bio-fabrication and advanced material processing sit at the foundation of modern biomedical engineering, bridging the gap between synthetic constructs and living systems across multiple scales. Inspired by the complex structure of natural tissues, structural integration relies on the precise integration of advanced manufacturing, engineered hydrogels, and bio-inspired materials to recreate native biological functions. These systems display complex behaviors, both individually and together: examples include high-fidelity 3D-printed soft scaffolds for tissue engineering, stimuli-responsive hydrogels designed for targeted drug delivery systems, biomimetic interfaces that guide cellular behavior, and bio-hybrid constructs integrated into next-generation medical devices.

During this workshop, particular emphasis will be placed on the advanced fabrication and 3D printing of soft materials for biomedical applications, principles of regulation and adaptation in engineered hydrogels, and the mechanical and biological matching of translational bio-interfaces. By exploring these themes, the workshop aims to uncover how cells and synthetic matrices work together to balance resilience and compliance in response to physiological stimuli, and how these principles can be used to develop the next generation of tissue engineering scaffolds, adaptive implants, responsive drug delivery systems, and functional medical devices."

All participants are provided with accommodation at “Tulip Inn Leiden” for the 2 nights, courtesy of our local Una Europa team at Leiden University  Also included are lunch tickets for Thursday and Friday, and a workshop dinner. Under Una Europa rules, travel costs must be borne by the sending universities, institutes, or research groups. If no finances are available, an application for support can be made to the workshop organizers. Funds for this, however, are very limited.

What about costs and funding? 

There are no registration fees for this programme. Leiden University will arrange two nights’ accommodation, two lunches, and a workshop dinner for you. 

Remaining travel costs should be covered by your home institution. Please check with your local Una Europa team for available funding opportunities. 

If no local funding is available and you still wish to participate, you may apply for limited travel funding from Leiden University. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

To be considered for funding from Leiden University, please follow these steps: 

1. Check with your local Una Europa team about funding possibilities. 

1. If they are unable to cover your travel costs, you should still apply for the workshop of your choice. 

1. If you are selected for a workshop, you can then apply for travel funding from Leiden University. Your request will be evaluated at that stage. 

Please note: The Leiden University team cannot respond to individual funding questions before the selection process has been completed. 

EC acknowledgement (kan helemaal onderaan op de pagina geplaatst worden) 

This event is initiated as part of the Una Europa for Researchers activity under Una.Futura.

Please note: the maximum number of participants will be about 20. Participation is limited to researchers affiliated with universities that are part of the UNA Europa network (see https://www.una-europa.eu/about ). In the event of oversubscription, priority will be given to a balanced representation of the Una partners, as well as to junior faculty.