Casablanca to host 7th Biohydrogels conference, a first for Africa
Biohydrogels 2026 brings about 200 researchers from 20 countries to Casablanca on Oct. 29–31, the organisers say, the first edition held in Africa.
Casablanca will host the seventh international conference on biohydrogels, “Biohydrogels 2026”, from Thursday, October 29, to Saturday, October 31. It is the first time the scientific series has come to Morocco or anywhere in Africa, after six earlier editions held in European cities.
About 200 participants from 20 countries are expected at the International Center for Events and Conferences of Casablanca (ICEC). The gathering will bring together university professors, researchers, young scientists and industry representatives.
Organisers and programme
The event is organised by the Faculty of Sciences Ben M’Sik of Hassan II University of Casablanca and the Moroccan Society of Hydrogels. Partners include the Faculty of Applied Sciences in Beni Mellal, the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques in Fez and France’s University of Nantes.
Over three days, the programme includes 11 keynote lectures, 70 oral presentations and 30 scientific posters, alongside six scientific sessions, two workshops and two round tables.
Professor Mohammed Barrada, who chairs the conference and heads the Moroccan Society of Hydrogels, said hosting the meeting in Casablanca reflects how far the Moroccan scientific community has developed and its ability to build links between researchers from different continents. He said he looked forward to welcoming participants for three days of scientific exchange and academic debate.
Speakers from eight countries
Invited researchers and experts come from Morocco, Poland, the United Kingdom, Singapore, France, Canada, the United States and Jordan. Among them are Abd al-Karim al-Qadi, Beata Katschmariuk-Szczepańska, Vitaly Khutoryanskiy, Ali Asgar Bhojwani, Pierre Weiss, Sophie Lologé, Adel Akoush, Ayat Bouzid, Katesh V. Katti, Nadia Boutaleb, Sidi A. Ben Sharif and Khaled Al-Duraiwi.
Sessions will cover smart hydrogels, nanotechnology, drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, wound healing, 3D bioprinting and sustainable materials.
The organisers also hope to strengthen cooperation between research institutions and the health and industrial sectors, as hydrogels and functional biomaterials find growing use in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and environmental protection. Young researchers and doctoral students will have room to present their results and discuss them with international experts.
A series launched in 2007
The Biohydrogels series began in 2007 in Viareggio, Italy, at the initiative of the late Professor Rolando Barbucci (1942–2021) of the University of Siena. Later editions went to Florence, Nantes and Davos. The network is coordinated by the Society for Biohydrogels, founded in Nantes on March 6, 2015, to link basic research, applied research and clinical applications.
The Moroccan Society of Hydrogels was set up in Casablanca at the end of 2025 as a non-profit scientific association based at the Faculty of Sciences Ben M’Sik. It aims to use hydrogels as a lever for research, technological innovation and advanced training, and to raise the international profile of Moroccan research on advanced materials.
