The 3rd International Conference “Smart Materials, Structures and Systems” will be held in Acireale (Catania District), Sicily, Italy, on June 8 to 13, 2008. The conference – that follows the ones previously held in Florence, Italy – is organized as a "junior" edition of the recognized CIMTEC series of international meetings which have been established as from the end of sixties.

Intensive research carried out worldwide for creating higher forms of materials, structures and systems by providing them with “life” functions, resulted in a relatively high level of technology readiness with several applications now emerging, demonstrating that smart materials technologies have matured well beyond the conceptual stage.
Widespread use of nanotechnology concepts and tools and availability of multiscale computation models coupled with the exponential growth of computer capability are fuelling the rate of advancement of the field. This also is increasingly taking advantage from the merging of materials science and engineering with information deriving from a deeper understanding of biological processes and from the highly effective evolutionary solutions created by nature along million years.

The over seven hundred technical contributions featured by the several Symposia of the 3rd International Conference “Smart Materials, Structures and Systems” will cover outstanding areas of the subject from the molecular and nano scales to large complex integrated systems.

The Conference Committees are pleased to invite you to foster progress in the field by contributing to discussions within the frames of what promises to be an exciting meeting, and to enjoy the immense, unique, artistic heritage and wonderful landscape of Sicily.

Pietro Vincenzini
General Chair CIMTEC Conferences