Pour la première fois en Afrique, Casablanca accueille le 7ᵉ Congrès international des biohydrogels avec la participation de chercheurs de 20 pay
The Faculty of Sciences Ben M’Sick of Hassan II University of Casablanca (UH2C) and the Moroccan Society for Hydrogels (MSH) will organize the 7thInternational Congress on Biohydrogels (Biohydrogels 2026) from 29 to 31 October 2026 at the International Corporate Events Center (ICEC) in Casablanca. The event is co-organized by the Faculty of Applied Sciences of Beni Mellal (USMS), the Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Fez (USMBA), and the University of Nantes (France).
The six previous meetings of the series took place in Europe: Viareggio, Italy (2007, 2009), Florence, Italy (2011), Nantes, France (2015), Davos, Switzerland (2017) and Nantes, France (2021). The Casablanca congress is therefore the first to be held in Morocco and on the African continent.
“Hosting Biohydrogels in Casablanca reflects the maturity of the Moroccan scientific community and its ability to connect researchers across continents. We look forward to welcoming colleagues from 20 countries for three days of rigorous scientific exchange.” — Prof. Mohammed Berrada, Congress Chair and President of the Moroccan Society for Hydrogels
Scientific programme
The congress will bring together approximately 180 participants, including academics, researchers, early-career scientists and industry representatives. The programme comprises 11 keynote lectures, 70 oral presentations, 30 poster presentations, 6 scientific sessions, 2 workshops and 2 round tables. Invited speakers include Professors: Abdelkrim El Kadib (Morocco), Beata Kaczmarek-Szczepańska (Poland), Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy (United Kingdom), Ali Asgar Bhagat (Singapore), Pierre Weiss (France), Sophie Lerouge (Canada), Adil Akkouch (United States), Ayat Bouzieh (Jordan), Kattesh V. Katti (United States), Nadia Boutaleb (Morocco), Sidi A. Bencherif (France), and Khalid Draoui (Morocco).
Presentations will address smart hydrogels, advanced biomaterials, nanotechnology, drug delivery, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, wound healing, 3D bioprinting and sustainable materials.
Links between research, healthcare and industry
Hydrogels and functional biomaterials are increasingly used in healthcare, pharmaceutical technology, biotechnology and environmental protection. By gathering researchers, institutions and industrial partners, the congress aims to facilitate knowledge transfer and new collaborations, with particular attention to young researchers and doctoral students, who will have the opportunity to present their work to leading international experts.
About the Biohydrogels series
The series began in Viareggio in 2007 under the leadership of the late Prof. Rolando Barbucci (1942–2021) of the University of Siena. The Society for Biohydrogels, founded in Nantes on 6 March 2015, now coordinates this international network and promotes exchange between basic science, translational research and clinical applications. In late 2025, the Moroccan Society for Hydrogels was founded in Casablanca.
About the Moroccan Society for Hydrogels (MSH)
The Moroccan Society for Hydrogels is a non-profit scientific association, established in accordance with the Dahir of 15 November 1958 governing the right of association in the Kingdom of Morocco. Its headquarters are located at the Faculty of Sciences Ben M’Sick, Hassan II University of Casablanca.
Through its initiatives, the Society aims to position hydrogels as a strategic driver of scientific research, technological innovation and advanced training. In doing so, it seeks to increase the international visibility of Moroccan science and to support its integration into the global ecosystem of advanced materials research.
