About the Conference

Natural fibers are renewable resources that have been used by humankind for millennia. In recent years, they have attracted increasing attention from both the scientific community and industry due to their abundance, competitive cost, favorable specific mechanical properties, and environmental benefits. The growing use of non-renewable and non-biodegradable synthetic materials, together with the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their production and disposal, represents an important environmental challenge for present and future generations. In this context, natural fibers, obtained from plants that absorb carbon dioxide during their growth, offer a highly attractive alternative. Furthermore, their processing generates mainly organic residues that can be valorized for energy production and other sustainable applications, while many natural fiber-based materials also offer important advantages at the end of their life cycle.

Driven by growing environmental awareness and the depletion of non-renewable resources, natural fibers are expanding their range of applications across several industrial sectors, including automotive, sports, architecture, construction, design, and many others. As a result, extensive scientific and technological research is being carried out worldwide, transforming these remarkable materials into sustainable, high-performance, and value-added products and contributing to the transition towards a greener future.

The valorization of natural fibers depends on the continuous improvement of production and processing technologies, the advancement of scientific knowledge, the development of innovative applications and products, and the creation of effective strategies to accelerate their transfer from research to the market.

Building on the success of ICNF2013, ICNF2015, ICNF2017, ICNF2019, ICNF2021, ICNF2023, and ICNF2025, held under the themes “Sustainable Materials for Advanced Applications,” “From Nature to Market,” “Advanced Materials for a Greener World,” “Smart Sustainable Solutions,” “Materials of the Future,” “Nature Inspired Sustainable Solutions,” and “Regenerative Solutions,” ICNF2027 will focus on “Driving Knowledge into Sustainable Solutions.”

ICNF2027 aims to explore the potential of natural fibers as key materials for the development of innovative and sustainable solutions for future generations, bringing together scientific knowledge, technological development, and industrial applications. Alongside the scientific sessions, the Natural Fibrenamics Award will be organized to promote and showcase innovative natural fiber-based products and solutions from around the world.

ICNF2027 – Driving Knowledge into Sustainable Solutions aims to be a global meeting point for researchers, industry professionals, innovators, designers, and everyone interested in the outstanding potential of natural fibers, promoting knowledge exchange, collaboration, and new opportunities for a more sustainable future.

Topics

The conference topics include: 

• New processes for natural fiber agriculture extraction and processing;
• Natural fiber reinforced biopolymers;
• Innovative natural fibers & structures;
• Functional natural fibers;
• Natural fiber modification techniques;
• Advanced fibrous structures based on natural fibers;
• Nanodimensional natural fibers;
• Natural fiber-based polymeric composites;
• Green composites;
• Natural fiber-based cementitious composites;
• Applications of natural fibers in high-end sectors;
• Analytics, modeling, and prediction of properties and behavior;
• Biomimetics;
• Product development based on natural fibers;
• Markets for natural fibers;
• Sustainability of natural fibers: life cycle assessment studies;
• Textile processing of natural fibers;
• Properties & characterization of natural fibers & structures;

 

Previous Editions

ICNF 2025 - 7^th International Conference on Natural Fibers
Regenerative Solutions

16^th  to 18^th June 2023 - Lisbon, Portugal

ICNF 2023 - 6^th International Conference on Natural Fibers
Nature Inspired Sustainable Solutions

19^th  to 21^st June 2023 - Madeira, Portugal

 

 

ICNF 2021 - 5^th International Conference on Natural Fibers
Materials of the Future

17^th  to 19^th May 2021 - Online

 

 

ICNF 2019 - 4^th International Conference on Natural Fibers
Smart Sustainable Solutions

1^st  to 3^rd July 2019 - Porto, Portugal

 

 

ICNF 2017 - 3^rd International Conference on Natural Fibers
Advanced Materials for a Greener World

21^st  to 23^rd June 2017 - Braga, Portugal

 

 

ICNF 2015 - 2^nd International Conference on Natural Fibers
From Nature to Market

27 to 29^th April - Azores, Portugal

 

 

ICNF 2013 - 1st International Conference on Natural Fibers 
Sustainable Materials for Advanced Applications

9 to 11th June 2013 - Guimarães, Portugal