FERNS Project Holds Its First Training School

From 28 September to 2 October 2026, the FERNS MSCA Doctoral Network is holding its first Training School. It brings doctoral candidates, principal investigators and partners together for five days of training in eco-designed, sustainable electronics.

The week opened with Systems Thinking for the 21st Century, led by Queen's University Belfast, followed by a session on printed electronics from TNO. On day two, principal investigators and doctoral candidates met for the project review meeting. BTU then led a workshop on the problem framings and target scenarios that will guide FERNS research.

Day three, hosted with Teagasc, turns to sustainable agri-materials. It features talks on edible electronics, on seaweed-based materials from ALGAIA, JRS Group, and on marine-derived chitin and chitosan from Dr Maria Hayes of Teagasc Ashtown. On day four, Ecoforma introduces modularity in electronics, followed by a tour of Tyndall National Institute. The school closes with a session on research communication delivered by Crowdhelix.

Coordinated by University College Cork, FERNS trains researchers to design electronics for fitness, health devices and agri-tech with sustainability built in from the start.

Follow FERNS on LinkedIn and Bluesky for highlights from the week.