We would like to invite you to our annual BEST Conference, which will focus on our contributions to the transition to a secure and resilient sustainable energy system and circular economy.

The conference will include presentations from our scientific partners, company partners and BEST colleagues, a poster exhibition and plenty of opportunities for informal exchange and networking.

Date: September 30th, 2026
Venue: Steiermarkhof, Ekkehard-Hauer-Straße 33, 8052 Graz (How to reach the venue)

Programme Overview

Morning Session: Contributions to the Transformation of our Energy System

The transition towards a sustainable energy and resource system requires intelligent, cross-sectoral interaction of different sustainable technologies and targeted use of the available resources.

The morning session of the conference will explore current trends and developments within our energy and resource system, with a special focus on the future role of carbonaceous raw and waste materials and the provision of cross-sectoral flexibility. This will be complemented by presentations on the integration of selected refining and renewable energy technologies and the optimal design of decentral multi-energy and -resource systems.

Afternoon Session: Contributions to a Circular Economy

Pyrolysis, syngas production via gasification and fermentation are technologies that enable the conversion of waste streams into energy, fuels, and chemicals, and hence contribute to a circular economy.

The afternoon session will explore how these processes can be optimized with respect to feedstock variability and process efficiency. We will also address CO₂ utilization pathways and model-based monitoring systems to advance sustainable production by transforming residues and waste into valuable products and optimizing biorefining processes through data-driven control and automation.

Please note that the number of participants is limited.

Within the poster exhibition of the conference, we will be happy to include contributions from our partners highlighting their innovative projects (NO advertising). You are invited to submit a maximum one-page abstract (otherwise no formal restrictions) of your project by August 31 (claudia.peternell@best-research.eu). Submitted abstracts will be evaluated by a scientific committee. Positively evaluated abstracts will be invited to present the submitted papers / projects as posters. You will be informed of the result of the evaluation by September 15.