Invited speakers

Ivan Petrov is a Principal Research Scientist at the Materials Research Laboratory and Professor of Materials Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Physics at Linköping University, Sweden, and has held visiting professorships in the UK. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and his research focuses on thin-film physics, surface science and engineering, and nanostructural and nanochemical analysis. He has published more than 350 scientific papers, which have received over 27,000 citations, with an H-index of 84, and serves as an Editor of Surface and Coatings Technology. He is a Fellow of AVS and has received several prestigious international awards, including the Bunshah Award, the John Thornton Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Taiwan Association of Coatings and Thin Films.

Alicja Kazek-Kęsik is a Professor at the Silesian University of Technology, Poland, where she received her MSc and PhD in Chemical Technology and her habilitation in Chemical Engineering. Her research focuses on plasma electrolytic oxidation and surface modification of metallic biomaterials, particularly titanium and its alloys for biomedical applications such as bone fixation devices and dental implants. She is a co-author of more than 80 scientific publications, 15 Polish and 2 European patents, and has an h-index of 25. She has participated in more than 10 nationally funded research projects, serving as Principal Investigator of four projects, and has received several awards from Polish scientific and governmental institutions. She currently coordinates the Priority Research Area “Materials of the Future” at the Silesian University of Technology and serves on the Council of the National Science Centre (NCN), where she chairs the Commission of Science and Technology.

Bih-Show Lou is a Distinguished Professor at Chang Gung University, Taiwan, whose research focuses on plasma-assisted surface engineering, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, advanced biomaterials, and nanomaterial characterization. Her expertise includes advanced plasma deposition technologies such as High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS), plasma electrolytic oxidation, high-entropy alloy coatings, and cold atmospheric plasma for biomedical and antimicrobial applications. Her recent research focuses on biofunctional coatings for orthopedic implants, multifunctional protective coatings with improved corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, and advanced electrocatalytic materials for sustainable energy technologies. She has published more than 250 SCI-indexed journal papers and has been continuously recognized among Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists since 2020. Prof. Lou has received numerous research awards and has delivered invited and plenary lectures at major international conferences.

Cyril Popov is a professor at the Institute of Nanostructure Technologies and Analytics (INA), University of Kassel, Germany, leading the Nano Diamond Group. He received MSc in Chemical Engineering in 1990 and PhD in 1994 from the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia, Bulgaria. In the period 1995-1997 he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan and at the Central Laboratory of Photoprocesses (currently part of the Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, working on preparation and investigation of novel materials in the ternary system B-C-N. In 1998 he joined the Institute of Nanostructure Technologies and Analytics at the University of Kassel, Germany. During his early stage career, he was granted Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Humboldt (Germany) and Marie-Curie (EC) Fellowships. His research interests cover deposition, characterization, nanostructuring and applications of nano- and ultrananocrystalline diamond films and monocrystalline diamond for biomedical and quantum applications.

Gregor Primc conducts interdisciplinary research in gaseous plasma science, focusing on the interaction of plasma radicals with organic and inorganic materials and the development of plasma technologies and diagnostic systems. His recent research includes plasma-assisted seed germination and disinfection, as well as the purification of water contaminated with microorganisms, particularly viruses, and pharmaceutical residues. He is the founder and director of the spin-off company Plasmadis d.o.o., established in 2014, where he leads the development of advanced plasma diagnostic sensors. His research has resulted in numerous scientific publications and patents, including two patents that have led to the development of commercial products. Dr. Primc regularly presents his research at international scientific conferences and workshops as an invited speaker.

Kerstin Thorwarth conducts research on functional thin-film coatings for biomedical, diagnostic, and advanced technological applications. Her expertise includes implant coatings designed for controlled osseointegration, wear-resistant and antimicrobial surfaces, as well as smart surgical instrument coatings, including electrode-enabled “smart drill” systems for real-time tissue detection. She also develops functional coatings for biochip and diagnostic applications, including piezoelectric films for SAW biochips and fluorescent coatings for high-resolution calibration targets. A major focus of her work is the development of scalable and reproducible PVD processes, combined with advanced surface characterization and high-throughput materials screening. Her research aims to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale materials development and industrial commercialization of next-generation functional thin films.

Koichi Takaki is a Professor at Iwate University, Japan, whose research focuses on pulsed power technology and its applications in environmental, agricultural, food, and materials engineering. His research includes the design and development of compact pulsed power generators and their applications in agriculture and the food industry. He also investigates pulsed-power discharges for gas and water remediation, with a focus on plasma-based environmental technologies. Another major area of his research is pulsed glow discharge plasma and its application to the surface modification and functionalization of materials. His work contributes to the development of advanced pulsed-power and plasma technologies for sustainable environmental and industrial applications.

Konstantin Kostov is a Professor at São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil, specializing in plasma physics, cold atmospheric plasma, atmospheric-pressure discharges, and plasma-based surface modification. His research focuses particularly on the development and application of cold atmospheric plasma jets for microbial decontamination and the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms. His work also addresses biomedical and dental applications of plasma, including the treatment of oral infections and the development of plasma-based therapeutic approaches. He has contributed to the development of flexible and low-cost atmospheric-pressure plasma jet devices with antimicrobial activity, supporting their potential use in medical and dental applications. His research has been published in leading journals including Plasma Processes and Polymers, Surface and Coatings Technology, PLOS ONE, IEEE Transactions on Radiation and Plasma Medical Sciences, and Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing.

Miran Mozetič received the Diploma Engineer Degree in Physics from the University of Ljubljana in 1988 and a Ph.D. Degree in Electronic Vacuum Technologies from the University of Maribor in 1997. He served as an engineer at the Institute of Vacuum Technology and Electronics, Ljubljana, between 1988 and 1995 and as the Head of the Plasma Laboratory at the Institute of Surface Engineering and Optoelectronics, Ljubljana, between 1995 and 2003. Since then, he has been with the Jozef Stefan Institute. He has been serving as the Head of the research unit since 2009, currently involving about 30 researchers and technicians. He has co-authored over 400 scientific papers and holds 30 patents in the field of plasma technology. His H-index is 65, and his current research interests are the application of highly nonequilibrium states of reactive gases for tailoring the surface properties of solid materials. He has chaired the Plasma Science and Technology Division of the International Union IUVSTA since 2022. He received several prizes and awards, the most recent being the Plasma Innovation Prize from the Division of Plasma Physics of the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies.

Nevena Puač is a leading researcher in plasma science, with expertise in low- and atmospheric-pressure plasmas, plasma diagnostics, and their applications in biology, medicine, environmental protection, and agriculture. She was the Action Chair and Scientific Representative of the COST Action CA19110 “PlAgri – Plasma applications for smart and sustainable agriculture” (2020–2024) and has participated in international multidisciplinary projects on plasma treatment of wastewater. Her recent research focuses on plasma–liquid interactions, plasma treatment of plants and seeds, sustainable agricultural applications, and the degradation of pharmaceutical and other contaminants in water. She has led major national research projects in Serbia, including the APPerTAin-BIOM project on atmospheric-pressure plasmas for the production of biologically relevant reactive species in biomedicine. Her research has been published in leading international journals, including Plasma Processes and Polymers, Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, Science of the Total Environment, and Plants.

Nikola Škoro is a researcher in plasma science specializing in low- and atmospheric-pressure plasmas and their applications in environmental, biological, medical, and materials research. His expertise includes plasma treatment of liquids for decontamination and the generation of plasma-activated water and media, as well as plasma processing of sensitive surfaces such as graphene, polymers, and textiles. He also works on plasma-based biological and medical applications, electrical plasma characterization, power measurements, and advanced optical diagnostics using spatially and temporally resolved emission spectroscopy and ICCD imaging. His recent research includes cold atmospheric plasma treatment of water and organic contaminants, degradation of persistent pollutants such as PFAS, and plasma–liquid interactions for agricultural applications. His work has been published in journals including Plasma Processes and Polymers, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Frontiers in Physics, and Horticulturae.

Sven Ulrich is a leading expert in thin-film and plasma technologies and serves as Deputy Head of the Institute for Applied Materials Physics (IAM-AWP) and Head of the Department of Composites and Thin Films. His research focuses on PVD and PECVD technologies, magnetron sputtering, High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS), functional and protective coatings, thin-film analysis, and plasma diagnostics. His scientific work includes the development and characterization of advanced coating systems, including amorphous carbon and TiC-based nanocomposite coatings, as well as the investigation of thin films and surface properties of advanced materials. Prof. Ulrich is President of the German Vacuum Society (DVG) and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Institute for Surface and Coating Technology (IFOS). His research has been published extensively in leading international journals, including Journal of Applied Physics and Surface and Coatings Technology.

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Darina Manova is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) in Leipzig, Germany, specializing in thin films, PVD processes, and advanced surface modification. Her research focuses on low-energy ion implantation, ion-beam-assisted thin-film deposition, and in-situ X-ray diffraction for studying phase formation and structural changes during ion bombardment. She has extensive expertise in the nitriding of chromium-containing metallic alloys and in the depth-resolved analysis of modified surface layers. Her research also addresses the tribological and corrosion properties of metallic materials and thin films, with particular emphasis on the relationship between surface structure, phase formation, and functional performance. Her work has been published in international journals including Journal of Applied Physics, Materials, Advanced Engineering Materials, and Plasma Processes and Polymers.

Peter K. Petrov is a Principal Research Scientist at the Department of Materials and a Royce Technology Platform Lead for Diverse thin film device materials (Henry Royce Institute). He is the director of the Thin Film Device Manufacture facility, which provides the lead UK Universities and industrial partners with facilities for nano-scale thin film deposition, device patterning, and electrical characterisation. In 2024, Dr Petrov received the prestigious Henry Royce Institute Award for Innovation by a Technical Professional. This award recognises the crucial impact that technical professionals make in advancing our technology and understanding of the material world. (The award is administered by IOM3 on behalf of the Henry Royce Institute.)

Vera Marinova is a Professor at the Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IOMT-BAS), leading a group on 2D materials for application in optics and photonic. She received MSc in Optics and Spectroscopy from Physics Department, Sofia University, Bulgaria and PhD degree in 2000 from Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. After that she joined Photonics Department, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (NYCU) as post-doctoral researcher (2000 -2004), following by Flemish Fellowship for Senior Post-Doctoral researcher at Antwerp University, Belgium. Since 2008, she become visiting professor at the Electrophysics Department, NYCU, Taiwan where currently she is an Adjunct Professor. Her research interests are in the field of synthesis of nanolayers and functional oxide materials and their implementation in optical devices such as liquid crystal displays, spatial light modulators, flat optical elements, etc. She is a Fellow of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE), OPTICA, Material Research Society (MRS) and European Material Research Society (E-MRS). Vera is member of AcademiaNET, Women in Optics and Women in Science societies.

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