MATTRIS ’26 by A3TS: Three Days in Dunkirk at the Heart of the Sustainable Industry

From July 1 to 3, 2026, the Kursaal in Dunkirk hosted the 52nd A3TS Congress and the MATTRIS ’26 trade show.

For the first time, the European trade show for heat treatment and surface engineering made its home in the Hauts-de-France region, overlooking the North Sea and situated at the foot of France’s largest industrial and port complex.

For three days, industry representatives, researchers, equipment manufacturers, laboratories, and students from some 15 countries came together around a common theme: materials and their processing in the service of a sustainable industry. Decarbonization, energy efficiency, the electrification of transportation, hydrogen, alternatives to hazardous substances, and artificial intelligence applied to manufacturing processes: the program addressed the cutting edge of the transformations currently underway in the sector.

MATTRIS ’26 by the Numbers

• 65 presentations · 10 themes · 16 sessions

• 65 exhibiting companies

• 250 conference attendees · 15 countries represented

• 3 plenary sessions · 2 roundtable discussions · 3 plant tours

• 220 guests at the FRAC Grand Large gala evening

Relive MATTRIS ’26 in pictures

Three days of conferences, trade shows, and meetings, condensed into one minute. Edited and directed by Anaïs Culot

Dunkirk: A Strategic Choice

Steel, aluminum, manganese alloys, specialty long steel products, nuclear power, LNG and hydrogen terminals, offshore wind power, and gigafactories in the “Battery Valley”: within just a few dozen kilometers, the Dunkirk region brings together the vast majority of the challenges facing the materials industry today.

That is what motivated the choice of venue. A conference dedicated to treatments that support a sustainable industry had everything to gain by being held where industrial decarbonization is not just a scenario but an ongoing project.

The plenary conferences

The opening morning, held in the Jean Bart Amphitheater, set the tone for this year’s event: four complementary perspectives on decarbonization, corrosion, and the emergence of artificial intelligence in manufacturing facilities.

How can we decarbonize society and the steel industry in the second half of the 2020s?

Jean-Pierre BIRAT - CEO, IF Steelman

From Understanding Corrosion Mechanisms to Accelerating the Discovery of Materials: The Role of Electrochemical Techniques

Vincent VIVIER - CNRS Research Director, Director of the Surface Reactivity Laboratory (Sorbonne University)

Generative AI in Business: The Operational Reality in 2026

Nacim IHADDADENE - Faculty Member and Researcher, JUNIA

The Conference in Ten Themes

The conference: 65 presentations, ten themes

In addition to the plenary sessions, 65 presentations —divided into fifteen parallel sessions —took place in the Jean Bart Auditorium and the Poséidon, Neptune, and La Vigie rooms over the course of two full days. The presentations, delivered in both French and English, were accompanied by subtitles.

The main thematic sections of this edition:

• Heat treatments: low-pressure carbonitriding, boronizing, laser hardening, continuous or batch furnaces, energy efficiency of equipment

• Alternatives to Substances That Pose Risks to Health and the Environment: Trivalent Chromium, Replacement of Hard Chromium Plating, Cyanide-Free Electrolytes, and Laser Treatments as Alternatives to Chemical Processes

• Data Science, AI, and Numerical Simulation: Control of carburizing processes, anomaly detection, digital twins for quenching and tempering, and edge computing

• High-Performance Coatings: PVD, MCrAlY coatings for aircraft turbines, coatings for molds and dies

• Additive Manufacturing and Post-Processing: Forced-Circulation Chemical Polishing, Electropolishing Using Deep Eutectic Solvents, Thinning of Internal Structures

• Characterization and Metrology: Micro-pins on carbonitrided parts, in situ analysis of surface energy, statistical quantification of parameters

Two roundtable discussions, one fundamental question

What energy sources and technologies are available for low-carbon heating of metallurgical products? Photos: Carl Ypreeuw

Held during the trade show, the two MATTRIS ’26 panel discussions built on the event’s central theme by focusing on the concrete decisions made by manufacturers:

• Roundtable 1: What Energy Sources and Low-Carbon Technologies Are Best Suited for Heat Treatment Furnaces?

  Wednesday, July 1, 4:15 p.m.

  Gas, electricity, hydrogen, waste heat recovery, AI-assisted control: the discussion focused on the real trade-offs that manufacturing facilities face, balancing technological maturity, energy costs, and regulatory timelines.

  The panel brought together, around the table, participants who did not share the same interests, and that was what made it so interesting:

  • The two major energy providers face off: Laurent Lantoine (GRDF) and Yann Gibori (EDF),

  • an oven manufacturer with Philippe Maetz (Aichelin Holding GmbH),

  • an industrial user, Stéphane Decobert (Ascodunes), and

  • an expert in waste heat recovery, along with Antoine Meffre (Ecotechceram).

• Roundtable 2: What Are the Key Drivers for a Sustainable Industrial Strategy in Materials Processing?

  Beyond the processes, there’s the question of strategy: where to start, how to finance it, how to bring a supply chain on board, and how to measure results.

  Around the table:

  Alizé Faye (HEF Groupe), Solenn Madec (Socomore), Valérie Zimmer (Cronite Mancelle), and Gérald Mazué (Aalberts Surface Technologies)—a surface treatment specialist, a specialty chemicals formulator, an equipment manufacturer, and an international operator—represent the entire value chain from start to finish.

  Moderated by Aurélie Achille (FORVIA) and Pierre Bruchet (A3TS)

Meet the Exhibitors

Held in conjunction with the conferences, the MATTRIS ’26 trade show brought together 64 exhibiting companies at 68 booths in the Reuze Hall of the Kursaal, which overlooks the sea. Equipment manufacturers, subcontractors, laboratories, suppliers of consumables, and engineering firms presented their solutions in six major areas:

• Furnaces and equipment for heat treatment

• Surface treatment and coating

• Measurement, Control, and Regulation

• Heat treatment and surface treatment processes and services

• Specialty chemicals and consumables

• Research, R&D, engineering, and consulting

The exhibition space also featured a regional booth and the Hauts-de-France Surface Treatment Industry, as well as the event forum where the awards ceremonies were held.

The A3TS Innovation Award Presented to HIVELIX and ELSYCA for GranulX

Open only to exhibitors, the Innovation Award recognizes a company whose development efforts directly contribute to the industry’s performance. The award ceremony took place late in the afternoon on Wednesday, July 1, at the trade show forum, just before the exhibitors’ cocktail reception.

The 2026 award was presented jointly to HIVELIX and ELSYCA for GranulX.

Tribofinishing is one of those processes in which the operator’s experience has long served as the standard. We know what works, but rarely why: the workpiece, the media, the vibration amplitude, and the cycle time form a system whose behavior is adjusted through successive trials.

GranulX offers a solution for calculating this. It is a GPU-accelerated discrete element method (DEM) simulation software designed specifically for tribofinishing processes. For industrial cases involving several million particles, it predictscollision energy, surface coverage, andimpact angle by working with real-world part geometries, non-spherical media, and taking vibrations into account. In other words, it allows you to optimize a process before starting tests, rather than after.

GPU acceleration is what makes this approach feasible. Until now, a DEM simulation on this scale was limited to research applications; here, it becomes a debugging tool that can be used in an industrial setting. The tool is presented at the advanced prototype stage.

Simulation · GPU-Accelerated DEM - Contact: Baptiste Fedi (HIVELIX) - contact@hivelix.io

Three other entries were in the running: AVF Technologies Europe’s SmartFurnace Design Platform, Buehler’s NEO TERRA metallographic preparation system, and WorldWide Plating’s training and consulting services.

Participants and the winner of the 2026 A3TS Innovation Award - Photo: Carl Ypreeuw

The 2026 A3TS Thesis Awards

The highlight of the second day, the thesis awards ceremony, was held on Thursday, July 2, at the trade show forum, in front of the assembled conference attendees and exhibitors.

Each year, the A3TS honors two doctoral dissertations in materials processing, selected for their scientific quality and industrial significance. The 2026 awards recognized dissertations defended in 2025.

Federico LISSANDRELLO

SeeLab - Laboratory of Surface and Electrochemical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano

His research focuses on electrolytic phosphating as an alternative to conventional zinc phosphating in cold-forming processes. This topic is representative of what the industry is currently seeking: to replace an established treatment with a less resource-intensive and less effluent-generating method, without compromising performance—in this case, the coating’s durability under the stresses of forming.

Loïc CHOSSEMIER

LaBoMaP - Burgundy Laboratory of Materials and Processes, Arts et Métiers, Cluny Campus

His work focused on developing hybrid treatments that combine a PVD-deposited titanium layer with a nitriding step, in order to obtain a truly adherent primer layer for anti-wear coatings. This approach capitalizes on the complementary nature of surface treatment and thermochemical treatment rather than simply combining them.

Ph.D. students: The call for nominations for the 2027 Thesis Awards, which will be presented in Orléans, will open in January. Please spread the word!

Students in the program take center stage

Two highlights were dedicated to them on Thursday afternoon.

Masterpieces in "Materials Processing"

The A3TS Awards, which recognize masterpieces created by young people in training, honored two graduating classes fromMarie and Louis Pasteur University this year:

• Master 2 in FTS - Formulation and Surface Treatment

• GOAL 3

These projects, presented to industry representatives gathered at the trade show forum, give students a rare opportunity: to present a technical project to those who may one day employ them.

The photo contest, sponsored by LAM PLAN

The 2026 theme , “Capturing Materials Science Practices for Tomorrow’s Young Generation,” invited students to photograph not the material itself, but the process: controlling a bath, quenching, and mechanical testing. The results speak volumes about what these programs truly teach.

🏆 First Prize: The Renaissance of White Metal

Léo GILBERT, Mathis CARREZ, Lothaire LAGARRIGUE, and Benyamin TALLA, BTS in Materials Processing, Lycée Rouvière, Toulon

🔧 Technical Specifications: Evaluating a quenching fluid's ability to cool a workpiece: the drasticity test

Kyllian ROUSSEL and Maël PHAM CONG, 2nd-year students in the BTS Materials Processing program at Lycée Jean Mermoz, Saint-Louis

📢 Communication Award: The Resilience Test: When a Hammer and Binocular Magnifier Reveal Materials’ Impact Resistance

Theoman GOURI, 2nd year of the BTS in Materials Processing, Lycée Jean Mermoz, Saint-Louis

🎨 Aesthetics Award: Copper in Lace

Flavie BAYLE and Rayan MAGHRAOUI, BTS in Materials Processing, Lycée Rouvière, Toulon

Also in the running:

• Chemical Analysis of an Acid Pickling Bath — Hafsa EZZAAME, Jean Mermoz High School, Saint-Louis

• Tempering: An Ancient and Irreplaceable Practice — Lucas FORESI-MEUTELET and Dalian MESSARA, Jean Mermoz High School, Saint-Louis

The prizes consist of gift certificates for laboratory supplies, funded equally by A3TS and LAM PLAN: €800 for first place and €400 for each of the other three prizes.

The competition was organized by a team bringing together representatives from education and industry: Fabrice Turpin (Grenoble School District), Imane Dhaouadi (Toulon School District), Séverine Roger (A3TS), Frédéric Meunier (Oerlikon), and Jérôme Seureau (LAM PLAN), and judged by an expanded panel comprising Marie Troutot (President of LAM PLAN), Véronique Vitry (A3TS), Sylvain Batbedat (Bodycote), and Anne-Sophie Mazé (Director of UITS).

Thank you to our partner LAM PLAN for its commitment and contribution.

Congratulations to all the participants, and see you in 2027 for the next edition!

Job Fair: The Industry Is Hiring

On Thursday morning, the Job Dating area in the exhibition hall brought together job seekers and companies in the industry. It’s a simple format—no prior appointment needed—that allows both visitors and students to meet recruiters directly.

Job openings in the industry are available year-round on the association's website.

An evening overlooking the North Sea

The gala evening at FRAC Grand Large - photo credit: Carl Ypreuuw

On the evening of Thursday, July 2, 220 guests gathered at the FRAC Grand Large - Hauts-de-France, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Lacaton & Vassal, overlooking the harbor.

From the Belvédère, the view takes in the North Sea, the port facilities, and the city all at once: it would be hard to find a more fitting setting for a conference dedicated to materials and energy. Blending industrial heritage with contemporary design, the evening offered participants the opportunity to socialize—an experience that, year after year, contributes significantly to the value of MATTRIS.

Factory Tours

Friday Morning: Dunkirk's Industrial Sector, Seen from the Inside

The final morning was devoted to site visits. Every year, this is one of the most popular parts of the conference—and this year was no exception: attendees gave it the highest rating in the entire satisfaction survey.

Four sites, four different perspectives on the region’s industrial landscape:

ASCODUNES — Leffrinckoucke

Special long steel products: heat treatment, hot rolling, finishing

Based in Leffrinckoucke for 110 years, the facility processes long steel products for the nuclear, defense, energy, and aerospace industries, featuring an integrated process from rolling (80 to 313 mm) to finishing, as well as an in-house ISO 17025-certified laboratory.

Photos below: @Ascodunes

COMILOG DUNKERQUE — Eramet Group

Silicomanganese Production

Comilog Dunkerque, a subsidiary of Eramet, meets 23% of France’s demand for silicomanganese for the steel industry. A new €42 million furnace (78,000 metric tons per year) paves the way for decarbonization, with trials using biochar and the eraLow™ label.

Photos below: @Comilog-Eramet

Photo on the right: A look at the industrial and port complex

France’s third-largest port, with 17 km of facilities, a key player in the “Battery Valley” and in Europe’s decarbonization efforts, committed to its CAP 2030 plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Ascodunes, Comilog, and the Port of Dunkirk for the warm welcome they extended to our participants!

See you in Orléans in 2027

MATTRIS 2027 will be held in Orléans on June 2–4, 2027. The scientific program will be based on the topics you have most strongly supported: artificial intelligence and process modeling, decarbonization and energy efficiency, characterization and metrology, wet surface treatments, and electrodeposition.

Exhibitors, sponsors, and prospective speakers: Registration will open soon.

Thank you to our sponsors, our partners, the scientific committee, the session chairs, and all the speakers, without whom this 52nd edition would not have taken place.

Thank you also to Écosystème D and the stakeholders in the Dunkirk area for their warm welcome.