Following the Materials Degradation conference in Nancy in 2023 and the Cathodic Protection – Marine Sector day in Brest in 2024, the "Biodétérioration des Matériaux" and "Protection Cathodique" commissions of CEFRACOR have decided to join forces to organize a joint conference on the theme "Durability and Prevention of Microbiological Degradation in Marine Structures." Indeed, it seems interesting to share/compare our knowledge on the impact that bacteria could have on cathodic protection and vice versa.

This conference is a place for exchanges open to all academic and industrial stakeholders concerned with issues between microorganisms, materials, and cathodic protection, including beneficial effects.

Three distinguished guests are expected at these events:

Biwen An Steppec - Senior Scientist at the Norwegian Research Center, Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Régine Basseguy – Research Director at LGC – CNRS Toulouse, Thursday, November 27, 2025

Brian Wyatt - Director, Control Corrosion LTD – UK, Thursday, November 27, 2025

Link to the presentation Flyer

This conference will take place over two days, from Wednesday, November 26, 2025, afternoon to Friday, November 28, 2025, morning.

The first half-day will be dedicated to issues more related to the "Biodétérioration des Matériaux" commission. Thursday, November 26, will focus on our common themes, and Friday, November 27, morning will feature presentations more specific to the cathodic protection of marine structures.

The participation of young researchers (PhD students, post-docs) is particularly encouraged for Wednesday, November 26, and Thursday, November 27. They can propose an oral presentation (in French or English) and/or a poster.

Prizes (oral and poster) will be awarded as part of the young researchers' competition:

Booths showcasing materials and services from various companies will also be present on-site (list to come).

If you are interested in a booth, please do not hesitate to contact Marc Jeannin (marc.jeannin@univ-lr.fr) for details.

Presentations can be given in either French or English. Given the presence of foreign guests, we kindly request that, at a minimum, the presentation slides be written in English.

A special issue of the journal Matériaux & Techniques will be published following these events. Young researchers who have won a prize are strongly encouraged to submit an article. Technical or popular science articles (2 to 3 pages) can also be considered for publication in this special issue.

The journal had an Impact Factor of 1.3 in 2023, which is expected to continue to rise.