FEMS - Federation of European Materials Societies

What FEMS - Federation of European Materials Societies does

FEMS - Federation of European Materials Societies is a non-profit European federation (AISBL) established in 1986 under the Belgian law of 25 October 1919, with headquarters in Boutersem, Belgium. It serves as the umbrella organization for 14 national materials science societies across more than 20 European countries, providing a unified platform for the European materials community spanning academia, industry, and policy. Its core product portfolio includes the biennial FEMS EUROMAT conference (held in Granada with SOCIEMAT in 2025, next scheduled for Graz with ASMET in 2027), the annual FEMS Junior EUROMAT for early-career researchers (Trikala, 2026), the open-access European Journal of Materials published in partnership with Taylor & Francis, a multi-tier awards programme (European Materials Gold Medal, Materials Innovation Medal, Materials Science & Technology Prize, Master Thesis Award, Communication Award), and industry-focused symposia on digital transformation in materials science.

The federation operates through a membership-based economic model: revenue comes from annual member society dues and from conference registrations, exhibition fees, and sponsorships tied to EUROMAT, Junior EUROMAT, and industry symposia. FEMS delivers on its mission through community-led, event-driven engagement, distributing programming via its 20+ member society network and the fems.org digital hub. The organization is small (2-5 staff), led by an elected President and Vice-President on two-year terms; Prof. Paula Vilarinho assumed the presidency in January 2026, succeeding Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini. In 2025 FEMS executed a notable expansion of international partnerships, signing MoUs with E-MRS, ESB, and TMS, and secured a seat at the European Commission's Technology Council for Advanced Materials, positioning itself as the recognized voice for materials science in EU policy formation around the forthcoming Advanced Materials Act.

Name

FEMS - Federation of European Materials Societies

Legal name

FEMS - Federation of European Materials Societies

Website

https://fems.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FEMS is a non-profit European federation established in 1986, serving as the umbrella organization for 14 national materials science societies across 20+ European countries. It organizes the FEMS EUROMAT and Junior EUROMAT conferences, publishes the European Journal of Materials with Taylor & Francis, runs a multi-tier awards programme, and engages with EU policy on advanced materials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Scientific Federation Services

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• Materials science federation
• Scientific conferences
• Academic publishing
• Professional awards
• Materials engineering society

Headquarters

HQ city

Boutersem

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: FEMS generates revenue through annual membership fees from its member societies across Europe. Member societies pay dues to belong to the federation.
2. Conference and event organization: Revenue generated from FEMS EUROMAT and Junior EUROMAT conference registrations, exhibition fees, and related event activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

FEMS is a non-profit European federation that coordinates the European materials science community through flagship biennial conferences (FEMS EUROMAT) and annual conferences for early-career researchers (FEMS Junior EUROMAT), industry-focused symposia, an open-access peer-reviewed journal (European Journal of Materials with Taylor & Francis), and a recognition programme including the European Materials Gold Medal, Materials Innovation Medal, Master Thesis Award, and other awards. Operations are sustained by annual membership fees from national materials societies and revenue from conference registrations and exhibitions.

Product overview

FEMS (Federation of European Materials Societies) is a non-profit European federation serving as the voice of materials science in Europe. The organization operates as a platform-plus-services model centered around its flagship conference series (FEMS EUROMAT and FEMS Junior EUROMAT), its open-access peer-reviewed journal (European Journal of Materials in partnership with Taylor & Francis), and a comprehensive awards programme recognizing excellence across the materials science and engineering community. Additional offerings include industry-focused symposia addressing digital transformation in materials science, a Master Thesis Award competition for early-career researchers, and regular newsletter communications. The portfolio is designed to serve the European materials community across research, education, industry, and policy dimensions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• European Journal of Materials: The official journal of FEMS, published in association with Taylor & Francis, providing a fully open-access platform for high-quality research in materials science and engineering.
• FEMS EUROMAT
• FEMS Junior EUROMAT

Products and services

• FEMS EUROMAT Conference Series The flagship biennial conference of FEMS bringing together researchers, engineers, industry representatives, and policymakers from Europe and beyond to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration, and discuss the future of advanced materials and processes.
• FEMS Junior EUROMAT A dedicated conference for students and early-career materials scientists and engineers, designed to inspire, develop, and celebrate the next generation of materials researchers through a dynamic scientific programme, engaging keynote sessions, and networking opportunities.
• European Journal of Materials A fully open-access peer-reviewed journal providing a high-quality research platform for materials science and engineering, published in association with Taylor & Francis. Achieved 2025 CiteScore of 6.1, ranked #83 out of 256 journals in Materials Science (Q2).
• FEMS Awards Programme Award programme recognizing excellence in materials science and engineering including European Materials Gold Medal, Materials Science & Technology Prize, Materials Innovation Medal, Master Thesis Award, and Communication Award for Excellence in MSE.
• FEMS Industry Symposia Industry-focused symposia series examining the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital technologies on materials science and engineering, bringing together leading experts from academia and industry.
• FEMS Newsletter Annual newsletter sent to subscribers bringing the latest activities and updates from FEMS, including conference highlights, award announcements, member society news, and strategic initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• CiteScore 6.1 achieved by European Journal of Materials in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and strategic.

• The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2025FEMS and TMS signed MoU to strengthen international cooperation with emphasis on supporting early-career researchers and fostering transatlantic engagement. Establishes joint Early Career Leaders International Scholar Programme where scholars present at each other's flagship conferences and visit research facilities. TMS Foundation provides up to USD 5,000 for TMS scholar traveling to EUROMAT; FEMS provides up to EUR 4,000 for FEMS scholar traveling to TMS Annual Meeting.
• European Society for Biomaterials (ESB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025FEMS and ESB signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster synergies between societies, encourage cross-disciplinary research, and promote joint activities. Framework includes promoting cross-disciplinary use of biomaterials research, coordinating conference schedules, organizing joint events including dedicated sessions at each other's conferences and webinars, and facilitating exchange of announcements and newsletters.
• European Materials Research Society (E-MRS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025FEMS and E-MRS signed MoU to strengthen and promote international collaboration based on principles of equality, reciprocity, mutual respect, and frequent interactions. Both parties will alternate in leading organization of joint symposia (E-MRS-FEMS Joint Symposium) held annually at FEMS EUROMAT conferences (odd years) and at E-MRS Spring meetings (even years).
• European Advanced Materials Academy (EAM Academy)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEMS congratulates the European Commission and EIT on launch of AMAcademy which aims to train 200,000 people by 2029. Key contribution to EU's Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership Strategy and forthcoming Advanced Materials Act (2026).
• European Raw Materials Academy (ERM Academy)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIT RawMaterials opened Call for Admission Requests to join Expert Database for ERM Academy and EAM Academy. These initiatives support EU's Critical Raw Materials Act, Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership, and Green Deal Industrial Plan.
• European Advanced Materials Initiative (IAM-I)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs Associate Member of IAM-I, FEMS co-signed Joint Declaration calling for ambitious FP10 budget. IAM-I joined 85 other European associations coordinated by EARTO and BusinessEurope.
• European Commission Technology Council for Advanced MaterialsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEMS President Prof. Paula Vilarinho participated in 3rd meeting of European Commission's Technology Council for Advanced Materials in Brussels. Presented FAME Workshop outcomes directly informing the forthcoming Advanced Materials Act.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Materials Research Society (E-MRS): E-MRS is the closest European peer to FEMS: a continental materials-science society that organizes its own Spring and Fall Meetings and has signed a 2025 MoU with FEMS to alternate joint symposia at EUROMAT and E-MRS meetings. Both federations cover overlapping materials science audiences across Europe.
• Materials Research Society (MRS): MRS is the leading US-based materials research society with comparable member-driven governance, flagship Spring/Fall Meetings and peer-reviewed journals. It serves the same materials science researcher audience as FEMS but in North America, making it a structural peer.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde (DGM): DGM is the German materials science society and a FEMS member society, organizing its own conferences (e.g., Materials Science and Engineering Congress) and journals. Its scale and event portfolio make it a directly comparable national-level peer within FEMS.
• European Society for Biomaterials (ESB): ESB is a European scientific society for biomaterials researchers that, like FEMS, runs flagship conferences and awards (including the George Winter Award given to FEMS's outgoing president). The two signed a 2025 MoU covering joint sessions and webinars, evidencing direct peer overlap in mission and community.
• The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS): TMS is a US-based professional society for minerals, metals and materials professionals with a similar federation-style structure, flagship annual meeting and journal portfolio. TMS and FEMS signed a 2025 MoU to exchange early-career scholars, evidencing direct comparability of mission and offerings.
• Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3): IOM3 is a UK-based professional body covering materials, minerals and mining with its own conferences, awards and Chartered status pathways. IOM3 is both a FEMS member society and an organization with peer-grade conference and recognition programs, hosting the 2025 Junior EUROMAT.

Emerging players

• European Chemical Society (EuChemS): EuChemS is a Europe-wide non-profit federation of chemical societies with similar governance, conference activity and EU policy engagement. It overlaps with FEMS at the interface of chemistry and materials science but is broader in scope.
• European Physical Society (EPS): EPS is a pan-European federation of national physical societies with overlapping member-society structure, conferences and policy engagement. It is an adjacent rather than direct peer since its core discipline is physics, but the federation model and EU policy role are highly comparable.

Others

• EIT RawMaterials: EIT RawMaterials is the EU knowledge and innovation community focused on raw materials and the partner of FEMS in the ERM/AM Academy initiatives. It is an ecosystem partner and potential co-funder of FEMS-aligned training, not a direct competitor.
• International Union of Crystallography (IUCr): IUCr is a global scientific union for crystallography with comparable federation-of-societies governance, congresses and journal operations. It is thematically adjacent to materials science rather than directly competitive, but its operating model parallels FEMS's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FEMS_EU
• Facebookfacebook.com/FEMS-Federation-of-European-Materials-Societies-173582003284977
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fems-eu
• Instagraminstagram.com/feuropeanmaterialssocieties

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FEMS - Federation of European Materials Societies