Joint Workshop for Early-Career Researchers successfully held in Valencia
July 2026
The Joint Workshop for Early-Career Researchers in sister projects, co-hosted and organised by the HYDROHEAL and DAEDALUS projects, took place yesterday 1st of July in Valencia in a hybrid format.
The event brought together around 70 participants onsite and online from the sister projects HYDROHEAL, DAEDALUS, GreenNanoBone, INJECTHEAL, Ten4Care and NanoBeat. A warm thank you goes to the hosting project teams of HYDROHEAL and DAEDALUS, as well as to all participating researchers and project representatives for their valuable commitment and contributions.
The workshop connected early-career researchers across sister projects and helped strengthen a growing scientific community in the field of biomaterials science. Each project session was introduced by the respective project coordinators and followed by short flash presentations from PhD students, candidates and postdoctoral researchers involved in the projects. In total, 22 participants presented their research topics, expertise, technical skills and contributions to their projects.
The event provided an excellent opportunity to foster scientific exchange, identify complementary expertise and create new links between young researchers working on related European research initiatives.
The workshop aimed to:
- Build networks by connecting PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers and research staff across sister projects;
- Discover expertise by sharing methodologies, technologies and complementary skills;
- Explore mobility opportunities such as secondments, research visits and staff exchanges;
- Advance careers by raising awareness of MSCA Fellowships and other funding opportunities;
- Create collaborations by developing ideas for joint publications and future Horizon Europe proposals;
- Build a community by establishing a lasting European network beyond the individual projects.
With its strong focus on early-career researchers, the workshop laid an important foundation for future collaboration, knowledge exchange and long-term networking across the sister projects.
Category: Conference
Two new HYDROHEAL videos are now available
The HYDROHEAL consortium is pleased to announce the release of two new project videos, developed to present the project to different audiences: the scientific community and the general public.
The videos explain how HYDROHEAL is developing multi-functional injectable hydrogels to support bone fracture healing. The project’s approach combines local, controlled release of pharmaceutical agents with the gradual replacement of the hydrogel matrix by regenerating bone.
The scientific video presents the technological concept behind HYDROHEAL, including multifunctional hydrogel formulations, smart carriers, drug delivery mechanisms, ultrasound-triggered release systems, and advanced modelling approaches.
The non-scientific video introduces the project in accessible language. In this video, the HYDROHEAL coordinator and his team at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) explain the project’s societal relevance and its potential future benefits for patients and healthcare systems.
Together, the two videos contribute to HYDROHEAL’s communication and dissemination activities by making the project’s objectives, innovative approach, and expected impact visible to both specialised and broader audiences.
Watch the videos here:
Category: Media
HYDROHEAL introduced to future laboratory professionals in Valencia
April 2026
The HYDROHEAL project was presented today during the “18th LBC Conference-Competition: Bioengineering and the Future of the Laboratory. Building the Scaffolds of the Future” at the Santa Ana Vocational Training Center in Valencia, Spain. The event brought together laboratory technician students for a session of talks and presentations focused on bioengineering, future laboratory technologies and scaffold-based approaches in biomedical research. As part of the programme, Piergiorgio Gentile introduced the HYDROHEAL project within his presentation and pointed to its innovative approach to supporting bone healing through advanced hydrogel-based technologies. By engaging with future laboratory professionals, HYDROHEAL continues to strengthen its educational outreach and raise awareness of how bioengineering, biomaterials and regenerative medicine can contribute to the future of healthcare.
Category: Conference
TERMIS-EU 2026- Impressions and outcomes
April 2026
The HYDROHEAL team looks back on an inspiring TERMIS-EU 2026 conference in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, with exciting days of scientific exchange, networking and visibility for the project. This year’s conference brought together more than 1,600 international professionals from the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine community, offering an excellent platform to share recent HYDROHEAL outcomes with a broad audience of academic, clinical and industry stakeholders. In addition, TERMIS-EU 2026 provided a valuable opportunity to further explore cross-fertilisation with the sister Horizon Europe project DAEDALUS. Project coordinators Piergiorgio Gentile and Giovanni Vozzi discussed the upcoming joint workshop, planned to take place in Valencia in July 2026, with a particular focus on supporting early-career researchers.
Category: Conference
HYDROHEAL to be showcased at TERMIS-EU 2026
April 2026
HYDROHEAL will be presented at TERMIS-EU 2026, the European chapter of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society conference, taking place from 21–24 April 2026 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Dedicated to accelerating multidisciplinary innovation and bridging the gap to clinical translation, the conference brings together a broad audience of professionals, young investigators, and industry stakeholders. It covers key areas such as tissue engineering, bioreactors, 3D and in vitro models, microfluidics, and tissue-specific biomechanics. In addition to its scientific programme, the event offers valuable networking opportunities through plenary lectures, workshops, and exchanges with leading experts in the field. At TERMIS-EU 2026, HYDROHEAL objectives and recent achievements will be featured in both a poster and an oral presentation by the partners Universita Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) and Politecnico di Torino (POLITO): Oral presentation Optimization of methacrylated alginate hydrogels synthesis for bone repair and regeneration Ignacio Reinal, Cecilia Traldi, Chiara Tonda-Turo, José A. Gómez-Tejedor, Gloria Gallego-Ferrer, Piergiorgio Gentile Poster #599 Multi-functional composite hydrogels for bone regeneration C. Traldi, I. Reinal Ferre, P. G. Gentile, C. Tonda-Turo
Category: Conference
Horizon Europe sister project meeting
March 2026
Today, members of HYDROHEAL participated in the sister project meeting organized and hosted by Giuseppina Sandri, Project Coordinator of TEN4CARE project. Representatives from the other projects funded under the same Horizon Europe call -Daedalus, GreenNannoBone, INJECTHEAL and NanoBeat - contributed to the fruitful and constructive discussions. Several opportunities to strengthen cross-fertilisation and increase the overall impact of the projects were identified and proposed to be implemented.
Category: Crossfertilisation
HYDROHEAL showcased at Foro Transfiere 2026
February 2026
The HYDROHEAL project was featured at Foro Transfiere 2026 (24–26 February 2026, Málaga, Spain) by our partner, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), to increase the knowledge about the project among key stakeholders in research and innovation.
Recognised as one of Europe’s leading events in the R&D&I sector, Foro Transfiere promotes knowledge transfer and encourages collaboration between academia and industry. In 2026, the event brought together 4,700 participants from over 36 countries, including Germany, Belgium, Canada, China, the Republic of Korea, Spain, the United States, France, Italy, Kenya, Morocco, Moldova, the Netherlands, and Portugal.
Read more at the UPC website!
Category: Conference
HYDROHEAL on Air
February 2026
HYDROHEAL was featured on AGROPARLANTE, a radio programme hosted by Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD), Colombia. The program focuses on academic, technical and practical issues in the agricultural sector, promoting rural development, sustainability and agricultural knowledge in the country. Its objective is to disseminate technical and academic knowledge to students, producers and the community at large, facilitating learning and innovation in the field. Piergiorgio Gentile presented the project HYDROHEAL, highlighting its innovative approach to advanced hydrogel-based solutions for biomedical applications. The interview also addressed the revalorization of biowaste as a sustainable resource for the development of biomedical materials. This was a great opportunity to bring awareness to the project across the borders.
Category: Media
Crossfertilization with sister EU projects
December 2025
We are pleased to announce that we have initiated cross-fertilisation activities between HYDROHEAL and its sister EU project GreenNanoBone. The first coordination meeting was held on 18th of December 25 with the participation of the project coordinators, project management and dissemination teams, and the partner leading regulatory affairs in both consortia. Synergies, shared priorities and potential formats for joint events were identified and discussed. Furthermore, cross-fertilisation activities with the EU projects DEDALUS, INJECTHEAL and TEN4CARE are being initiated.
Category: Crossfertilisation
HYDROHEAL@MEDICA
November 2025
HYDROHEAL was presented and flyer distributed at our partner Asphalion’s booth during MEDICA 2025 - the world’s leading trade fair for medical technology and healthcare, held in November in Düsseldorf, Germany. The this years event counted total of 78,000 trade visitors from 160 countries
Category: Fairs
Jobs@HYDROHEAL
October 2025
Two partners of the HYDROHEAL consortium are recruiting Postdoctoral Researchers (PDRAs) to join our EU-funded project on advanced hydrogels for bone regeneration.
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC): Job description
- Newcastle University (UK): Job description
We invite motivated researchers to contribute to the development of next-generation biomaterials for regenerative medicine.
UPDATE DECEMBER: thanks to the many applicants - we are now evaluating the application.
Category: Jobs
Hydroheal @ ESB2025
September 2025
HYDROHEAL consortium members attended the ESB25, the 34th Annual Conference of the Eureopean Society for Biomaterials in Turin, Italy (7-11 Sept. 2025) - focused on fast development of new sources for multifunctional materials, and groundbreaking technologies that enable new structures and devices that improve healthcare, prevent pathologies, and allow patient-oriented therapies; for more details see here.
Several Members of the project (POLITO, UNEW, UPV, UPC and VET) attended the conferenced, communicated about the project and their contribution to it and connected with the biomaterials community.
Contact us for further question using the contact sheet.
Category: Conference
PRESS RELEASE
June 2025
A European project to improve the treatment of bone fractures with advanced biomaterials
- HYDROHEAL will develop new biomaterials for the treatment of vertebral and alveolar (jaw) bone fractures
- These materials will help reduce the risks of infection and implant rejection, also reducing fracture recovery times
An international consortium led by the Technical University of Valencia (UPV) has launched HYDROHEAL, a European project whose objective is to transform the treatment of bone fractures, using new advanced and smart biomaterials. These materials will help reduce the risks of infection and implant rejection, also reducing fracture recovery times.1
The project, funded by the European Commission with nearly €6.5 million, began this June and will last four years.
Vertebral and jaw fractures
The project focuses on the development and application of new biomaterials in the treatment of vertebral and alveolar fractures (in the jaw, at the base of the teeth), especially in complex cases resulting from osteoporosis, cancer, or trauma.
"The main challenges we face are the formulation and manufacturing of materials, which include a complex variety of components and molecules that must maintain their properties and be released at the right time" notes Dr Piergiorgio Gentile, Distinguished Researcher at UPV and the project coordinator. Microparticles within a hydrogel to regenerate bone
The HYDROHEAL project team aims to develop microparticles that will allow the incorporation and transport of several active pharmaceutical ingredients, encapsulated within bioresorbable and self-solidifying hydrogels. Their use would contribute to improving treatment efficacy, preventing bacterial infections, and speeding up recovery times.
“These materials would not only act as a temporary support for bone regeneration but would also allow for the controlled and targeted release of active ingredients to improve treatment efficacy, significantly reducing the risk of infection and implant rejection. Thanks to HYDROHEAL, we will be able to offer personalized and less invasive solutions that facilitate faster and safer recovery,” emphasizes Dr Gentile.
Innovative Technology
The innovative microparticles will be developed in HYDROHEAL with a fine-tuned “layer-by-layer” coating technology. This method, according to the project consortium, allows for the addition of several layers that carry different active molecules each, facilitating their release and at the right time during treatment.
In addition, HYDROHEAL will integrate artificial intelligence and hybrid digital modelling tools to optimize the design and performance of these materials. “After an initial formulation phase, we will conduct in vitro and in vivo trials to validate efficacy and safety, before moving toward larger-scale sustainable production,” adds Gentile.
A multidisciplinary and European consortium
HYDROHEAL involves 13 partners from 8 European countries, including leading universities, hospitals, technology centres, and companies in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.
Coordinated by the Technical University of Valencia (Spain), HYDROHEAL also includes: Newcastle University (United Kingdom), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Ireland), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain), University of Warwick (United Kingdom), Centre for Process Innovation – CPI (United Kingdom), SITEC Pharmabio (Spain), Separeco (Italy), Vet Ex Machina LTD (Cyprus), Fluidinova S.A. (Portugal), Asphalion S.A. (Spain) and ConsulTech GmbH (Germany).
Contact us for further question using the contact sheet.
Category: Press release