WELCOME

Beyond Nickel-Based Superalloys V (BNBS V) will be held in the city of Birmingham, United Kingdom, 29th June – 2nd July 2026. This event will be the fifth conference of the established BNBS series, following the successes of Bad Berneck (Germany) 2013, Cambridge (UK) 2016, Nara (Japan) 2019, and Potsdam (Germany) 2023.

State-of-the-art Nickel-Based Superalloys are widely used in elevated temperature structural applications that demand high strength, damage tolerance and environmental resistance. Typical applications of this type of materials can be found in gas-turbine engines that are used in the aviation and energy generation fields sectors. Due to worldwide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact of such engines and use of alternative fuels, there is a continued demand for novel materials with improved temperature capabilities ‘Beyond Nickel-Based Superalloys’.

As successfully established in the past, this conference will focus on those metallic materials and alloys (including high-entropy alloys and materials with complex compositions) that have the potential to deliver superior properties as compared to Nickel-Based Superalloys. This conference will bring together international scientists and representatives from industry to present and discuss the results around high-temperature materials research and latest developments.

In this instalment of the conference we also welcome wider contributions across Materials for Extreme Environments, for example toward nuclear fusion, where a new suite of advanced high temperature alloys are sought, from tungsten to vanadium to steels, as well as those that can withstand irradiation damage.

BNBS-V will also include the nascent material class of ‘bcc-superalloys’, following on from a 2024 Workshop and TMS 2025 dedicated symposia.

Following the tradition of the previous Beyond Nickel-Based Superalloys conferences, BNBS-V 2026 will be held as a single-session conference. We will greatly appreciate your valuable contribution to Beyond Nickel-Based Superalloys V and are looking forward to seeing you in Birmingham in 2026!

ORGANISATIONAL DETAILS

Venue & date

Venue

University of Birmingham

United Kingdom

B15 2TT

Date

29th June – 2nd July 2026

Chair of local organising committee

Chair:
Professor Sandy Knowles, University of Birmingham
Co-Chairs:
Prof Kathy Christofidou, University of Sheffield
Dr Ed Pickering, University of Manchester
Dr Tamsin Whitfield, University of Oxford

International organising committee

Professor Kyosuke Yoshimi, Tohoku University
Professor An-Chou Yeh, National Tsing Hua University
Dr Ayan Bhowmik, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Professor Lesley A. Cornish, University of the Witwatersrand
Professor Jean-Philippe Couzinié, Institute of Chemistry and Materials ICMPE – CNRS
Dr Sebastian Kube, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr Kan Ma, City University of Hong Kong
Professor Silvia Ulrich, University of Bayreuth
Professor Uwe Glatzel, University of Bayreuth
Dr Christopher Zenk, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Dr Oleg Senkov, AFRL USA
Dr Akane Suzuki, GE Aerospace Research

Abstract submission

Abstract submission open Oct 2025 for talks & posters.
Deadline 15th Jan 2025

Apple here: https://forms.gle/Cc9n3P1Mxz4q1t7G7

Registration

Registration will Nov/Dec 2025.
Registration Price ~£450
(discounted rate for student ~£350)

Deadline ~April 2026.
(Note, please book early to ensure hotel room availability, these will be first come first served)

For Visa Letters please contact – academic.conferences[at]contacts.bham.ac.uk

Accommodation

Accommodation is available at the University of Birmingham:
– Edgbaston Park Hotel (double rooms £100 pp pn)
– Peter Scott House (double or twin rooms – £75 pp pn single occupancy, £90 pn for dual-occupancy)
(Please book early as rooms with the discounted conference rates are like to sell out (bookable alongside registration).
These are minutes walk from the conference & evening events, and we get a discounted rate.

Other options Central Birmingham (taxi – uber / short train ride / bus / 45 min walk along canal):
– Hyatt Regency Birmingham ~£180
– The Grand Hotel Birmingham ~£150
– Hotel ibis Birmingham Centre New Street ~£100
– Travelodge Birmingham City Central / Central Moor Street ~£80
– easyHotel Birmingham City Centre ~£80

Preliminary Program

Monday:
– Morning Talks & Coffee
– Lunch
– Talks & Coffee
– Poster evening & dinner
Tuesday:
– Morning Talks & Coffee
– Lunch
– Social Program Options, self organised, see below for ideas
Wednesday:
– Morning Talks & Coffee
– Lunch
– Talks & Coffee
– Conference dinner
Thursday:
– MorningTalks & Coffee
– Lunch
– Conference closes

(Travel planning to arrive Sunday evening is advised)

Confirmed Invited Speakers

– Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Manja Krueger, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
– Prof. An-Chou Yeh, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
– Dr. Neil D’Souza, Rolls-Royce plc, UK
– Prof. Ryuta Kasada, Tohoku University, Japan
– Dr. Taichi Abe, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan
– Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kauffmann, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
– Prof. Adrien Couet, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
– Dr. Ida Berglund, Thermo-Calc Solutions AB, Sweden

Social Program Options (Tue afternoon) – self organised

• Black Country Living Museum (taxi – Uber / train)
• Cadbury World/Bournville area (taxi – Uber)
• Winterbourne Gardens (walking distance from Uni)
• Botanical Gardens (walking distance from Uni)
• Sea Life Centre (Central)
• Midlands Art Centre
• Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Industrial exhibition

The conference will be accompanied by an industrial exhibition. Interested companies can contact conference organisers for more information.

BIRMINGHAM

The motto of Birmingham city is ‘forward’. With an ethos of looking forward and advancing knowledge and technology, Birmingham is the perfect place for BNBS V and we look forward to welcoming you to our vibrant city.

Historically a market town in Warwickshire in the medieval period, Birmingham grew during the 18th century during the Midlands Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. By 1791 it was marked as the first manufacturing town in the world, advancing science, technology, and innovation that laid many of the foundations for the modern industrial world.

Birmingham is the second-largest city in Britain and boasts a rich history and diverse culture ready to be explored. From cruising down the city’s forgotten underground canals to checking out the home of the infamous Peaky Blinders, Birmingham has a wide range of activities for everyone!

Discover Birmingham’s small rivers, mainly the River Tame and its tributaries River Rea and River Cole, or explore the more numerous canals, collectively named the Birmingham Canal Navigations.

The University of Birmingham, nestled into the Edgbaston suburb, is home to the Lapworth Museum of Geology, Barber Institute of Fine Art. Winterbourne House of Gardens, and much more to satisfy your stay. Whatever you do in Birmingham, you will be pleasantly surprised by the city’s history, culture, and diversity.

For more about the city and what you can do in Birmingham, look through Visit Birmingham and the University of Birmingham’s Culture and Collections.