Training Event 8 in Trondheim

From 15 to 19 June 2026, the METRAMAT project members travelled to Trondheim, Norway, for the project’s eighth Training Event, hosted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Fatigue of additively manufactured metals

The week opened with two full days of hands-on training on the fatigue behaviour of metallic materials fabricated via additive manufacturing. Led by Professor Nima Razavi, the sessions covered fatigue testing methods, failure analysis, and the specific challenges that come with qualifying additively manufactured metal parts for structural use — a topic directly relevant to several of the DCs’ ongoing research.

Teambuilding, project updates, and DC presentations

Wednesday brought a change of pace with a teambuilding activity on the water — kayak polo — before the group travelled to NTNU’s Gløshaugen campus for an afternoon of project updates and DC presentations, followed by a project dinner in the evening.

Thursday was dedicated to the project’s governance and scientific progress: a Supervisory Board meeting brought together Nima Razavi, Varvara Kouznetsova, Valentina Zega, and Ondřej Rokoš to review progress and align on next steps, followed by a full day of presentations from all ten doctoral candidates on their individual research.

The week closed on Friday with a training session on scientific communication and writing, equipping the DCs with tools to better share their research with the wider community.

Stepping out of the comfort zone

Beyond the technical programme, Training Event 8 was also about the METRAMAT community itself. As the consortium put it, the week was a reminder that doing research is about pushing borders and stepping outside your comfort zone — as much on a kayak as in the lab. Thanks go to Nima Razavi and Amir Hossein Mirzaei for organising both the scientific programme and the social activities that brought the group together.

METRAMAT Training Event 6 was a great week in Eindhoven! On Nov 24 it started with an Industrial Masterclass at ASML, a really eye-opening event in multiple ways. The next 2 days were reserved for Technical Work meetings and discussions on project deliverables. Of course with ample time for nice dinners and social activities (skating) in the evenings. The last 2 days were reserved for the Entrepreneurships course TU/e’s Knowledge Transfer Office. In 4 groups, the DC’s translated their metamaterial technical solution into a business idea, which they pitched for a jury. A great experience in entrepreneurial development, shaping business models, understanding IP and refining story telling. A big thanks to the trainers and organizers: Micha Steur (ASML),  Jeanne ter Bogt and Varvara Kouznetsova,Trudi Sonderkamp and Jesse Scholtes (jury), and the KTO-trainers Monique Greve, Fons Sweegers, Sebastiaan Huntjens and Natasa Marsic

We had an incredible week at the METRAMAT Training Event 3! The event kicked off at KU Leuven on Jan 27 with insightful courses on time and project management, as well as advanced technical sessions on Additive Manufacturing, Laser Powder Bed Fusion, and metrology.

The week continued with an exciting industrial day in Eindhoven, where we visited Additive Industries, KMWE, and the BIC campus. Our Doctoral Candidates (DCs) not only deepened their academic knowledge but also explored how these concepts apply to real-world industrial challenges.
Beyond the classroom, our DCs enjoyed building relationships, sharing dinners, traveling together, and staying at the same hotel. This blend of learning and camaraderie made the event truly special.
We’re all eagerly anticipating the next training event, scheduled for the week of May 19 in Milan.

A big thanks goes to our hosts:
Brecht Van Hooreweder,  Claus Claeys and Elke Deckers at KU Leuven and Sandra Poelsma @ Additive Industries and Rob van Loon @ KMWE