SE Conference 26 Lecce
Location: Grand Hotel Tiziano e dei Congressi, Lecce, Italy
Date: 30 September – 1 October 2026
SAMPE brings over 150 oral and poster presentations that focus on Challenging Applications in Advanced Composites; materials, their processes, research and developments for the SAMPE Europe 2026 Conference in Lecce, Italy from 30 September – 01 October 2026. This event will be organised in close co-operation between SAMPE Italy & SAMPE Europe.
Location: Grand Hotel Tiziano e dei Congressi, Lecce, Italy
Theme
”The Future of Advanced & Sustainable Composites.”
A challenging Plant Visit Program and the 41th SAMPE Students Seminar are held in conjunction with this SAMPE Europe International Conference. At SAMPE Europe Conferences over 100 authors are on stage. They present high-quality Technical Papers that focus on Challenging Applications in Advanced Composites Materials and their Processes. In the accompanying exhibition over 30 sponsoring companies will present their most recent innovations. Delegates from over 25 countries are expected.
The conference programme also will include:
- 41th International Students Seminar
- Special emphasis on Thermoplastics, Sustainability, Automation and Artificial Intelligence
- Plant Tours
The ticket sale for SE Conference in Lecce – Italy – starts on June 1st, 2026.
The actual program with plant tours, sessions, sponsors, posters and speakers will be announced on the website.
Organizing Committee
Chairs
- Alfonso Maffezzoli – Chairman, SAMPE Italy
- Conchúr Ó Brádaigh – President, SAMPE Europe
- Luigi Torre – Vice Chairman, SAMPE Italy
- Tamara Blanco Varela – Vice President, SAMPE Europe
Committee Members
- Antonio Greco, University of Salento
- Francesca Lionetto, University of Salento
- Rudolf de Ruijter – Conference Manager, SAMPE Europe
- Riana Jongema – Conference Assistant, SAMPE Europe
Scientific Committee
- Alfonso Maffezzoli, University of Salento,
- Luigi Torre, University of Perugia,
- Antonio Greco, University of Salento
- Francesca Lionetto, University of Salento
- Stefano Corvaglia, Leonardo Aeronautics
- Marco Longana, Polytechnic of Milano
- Alessandra Passaro, CETMA
- Flavio Caretto, ENEA
Local Committee
- Andrea Dei Sommi, University of Salento
- Simone Morciano, University of Salento
Scientific Support Team – SE Conference Lecce 26
Chairs of SAMPE Europe Conferences (2014 – 2025)
- Arnt Offringa – GKN Fokker, Netherlands (Paris 2014)
- Jyrki Vuorinen – Tampere University, Finland (Amiens 2015)
- Conchúr Ó Brádaigh – University of Sheffield, UK (Southampton 2018)
- Guy Larnac – Ariane Group, France (Nantes 2019)
- Véronique Michaud – EPFL, Switzerland (Baden/Zürich 2021)
- Henrik Schmutzler – Lufthansa Technik, Germany (Stuttgart 2017 / Hamburg 2022)
- Rafael Avila Dominguez – Airbus Commercial, Spain (Madrid 2023)
- John Summerscales – University of Plymouth, UK (Belfast 2024)
- Aart van Vuure – KU Leuven, Belgium (Liège 2016 / Amsterdam 2020 & 2025)
Jury – 41st SE Students Seminar 26
Chairman
- Christian Weimer, SAMPE Germany
Vice Chairman
- Charlotte Salaun, SAMPE France
Members
- Carwyn Ward, SAMPE UK & Ireland
- Matthias Geistbeck, SAMPE Germany
- Markus Zogg, SAMPE Switzerland
- Adrie Kwakernaak, SAMPE Benelux
- Jim Johnson, SAMPE USA
- Norm Wereley, SAMPE Global
Programme
Pre-Conference
Tuesday 29 September (13.00 – 18.00)
- Plant visits
- Tutorials
Main Conference
Wednesday 30 September
- 9.00 Plenary Opening Session & key-note speakers
- First Keynote speaker: “Leonardo Aerostructures’ strategy for a sustainable aviation” by Stefano Corvaglia and Fabrizio Leone, Leonardo Aerospace, Italy.
- Second Keynote speaker: TBC
- 9.45 Presentation Winners 41th Students Seminar
- 10.00 Coffee break – Poster Presentations & Exhibition
- 10.30 Parallel Sessions
- 12.30 Lunch – Poster Presentations & Exhibition
- 14.00 Parallel Sessions
- 15.30 Coffee break – Poster Presentations & Exhibition
- 16.00 Parallel Sessions
- 18.30 Cocktail & Network Dinner in the Olivetani convent
Thursday 1 October
- 9.00 Parallel Sessions
- 10.30 Coffee break – Poster Presentations & Exhibition
- 11.00 Parallel Sessions
- 12.30 Lunch – Poster Presentations & Exhibition
- 14.00 Parallel Sessions
- 15.30 Coffee break – Poster Presentations & Exhibition
- 16.00 Plenary Slot Session & key-note speakers
- 17.00 Closure
Post Conference
Friday 2 October (08.00 – 13.00)
- Plant Visits
Conference Plant Visits
Transport by Touringcar. Departure and return –Grand Hotel Tiziano e dei Congressi – Plant Location v.v. Estimated times depending traffic jams.
FOR ALL PLANT VISITS: Bus location at Departure > opposite Grand Hotel Tiziano e dei Congressi
Warning for all locations: don’t forget to take your passport when attending the excursion. Without a passport, no access!
1. VESTAS Blades Italia – 74123 Taranto (Friday 2 October | 7.00 – 13.00)
Vestas Blades is a division of Vestas Wind Systems A/S, a global leader in the manufacturing, sales, installation, and maintenance of wind turbines. Specializing in the
production of high-performance wind blades, Vestas Blades plays a key role in the global energy transition, focusing on innovation, sustainability, and reliability.
2. Leonardo Aircrafts – Grottaglie/Tarente (Tuesday 29 September 13.30 – 18.30 Hrs.)
Leonardo is an international industrial group that delivers multi-domain technological capabilities for global security. A key player in the leading strategic Aerospace, Defence and Security programmes, it employes over 62,000 people worldwide. The company has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the UK, Poland and the US, and it also operates in 150 countries through subsidiaries, joint ventures and investments. Leonardo is a technological and industrial partner of governments, defence administrations, institutions and companies.
The Monteiasi-Grottaglie (Taranto) site is one of Leonardo’s Aeronautic facilities. Established in 2006, it employs approximately1,500 people. The innovative production process – which is largely automated – utilises exclusive patented processes and equipment that is unique in the world. For the first time, the fuselage structure of a commercial aircraft is manufactured from carbon fibre using One Piece Barrel technology. Specifically, the plant manufactures the rear centre section (in the various versions for the 787-8 and 787-9/-10, ranging from 10 to over 13 metres in length) and the centre section (in the two configurations for the 787-8 and 787-9, measuring 8.5 metres). The two central sections of the Boeing 787 are manufactured to extremely high quality standards using around 25 automated systems, distributed across the two clean rooms for manufacturing and assembly. The automated lamination machines in Grottaglie are among the highest-performing in the world in this sector, and the two autoclaves are the largest in Europe.
3. Leonardo Helicopters – Brindisi (Tuesday 29 September 13.30 – 18.30 Hrs.)
The Leonardo plant in Brindisi is one of the Company’s Helicopters facilities. It has been in operation since 1934, employs approximately 570 people and manufactures helicopter airframes, including fuselages — comprising the cabin and tail boom — stabilizers, and the other structural components made of both composite and metal materials, such as the winch, used in helicopter rescue operations.
The site also develops and manufactures the airframes for all prototypes within the Leonardo Helicopters portfolio, covering the entire lifecycle from development to the introduction of new products and their configurations. Among the most recent programs, the industrialization of the fuselage for the new AW09 single-engine helicopter has been underway since 2024.
In 2025 the plant inaugurated Leonardo Helicopter’s first Maintenance Center in Southern Italy, aimed at supporting the maintenance needs of approximately 150 aircraft in the Italian government fleet.
4. Avio Aero – Brindisi – (Friday 2 October 8.00 – 13.00 Hrs.)
5. Magroup Salver – Brindisi – (Details to follow)
Tickets
Regular tickets
- Professional Members – € 875,00
- Professional Non-members – € 975,00 *Free Trial Membership Incl.
- Master / PhD Student Members – € 525,00
- Master / PhD Students Non-members – € 575,00 *Free Trial Membership Incl.
Authors
- Professional Authors and Co-Authors Member – € 775,00
- Professional Authors and Co-Authors Non-members – € 875,00 *Free Trial Membership Included
- Master / PhD Student – Authors and Co-Authors – Members € 475,00
- Master / PhD Students – Authors and Co-Authors – Non-members – € 525,00 *Free Trial Membership Incl.
Options marked with ‘*FREE Trial Membership’ include one year free SAMPE Membership starting 1st of October 2026.
The ticket sale for SE Conference in Lecce – Italy – starts on June 1st, 2026.
When booking there will be a choice to add:
- Tutorials, yes/no which one / additional amount
- Plant Visits yes/no which one
- Network dinner yes for free / no at discount 75 Euro (like Adam25 and Belfast 24)
>>> From 1/6/26 – 30/6/26 > Early Bird Discount for Regular Tickets ONLY
Professionals 100,- Euro / Students 50,- Euro
Main Event Partners
Event Network Partner
Silver Partners
Excursion Partner
Annual Partners
Table Tops
Network Partners
Location
How to get there
- By car: Motorway A14 direction Sud/Bari, then direction Lecce; Tiziano appears on the right at the city entrance (car’s GPS address “Piazza del Bastione”).
- By plane: Brindisi Papola Casale International Airport, then Shuttle Bus to Lecce with stop at the Air Terminal (50 meters from Tiziano)
- By train: Lecce FS Railway Station, then10 minutes by taxi to Tiziano
Hotels
Follow a manual added link
Mercure Hotel President Lecce
Via Antonio Salandra, 6
73100 Lecce LE, Italy
#SAMPELecce26
