The collaboration between The Electrochemical Society (ECS) and Society of Vacuum Coaters (SVC) has been set in motion! The goal? Rolling out joint programming during each organization’s 2026 meetings! While planning is already underway, what better way to get acquainted than to share a few moments with ECS’ Executive Director and CEO, Christopher J. Jannuzzi, and SVC’s Executive Director, Frank Zimone.
Talk about how the science is better together when two organizations, such as ECS and SVC, partner like this.
CJJ: We are living in an age of technological convergence, but at the same time, discrete scientific disciplines are becoming more and more specialized. Therefore, it’s critical that we convene technical experts from across the scientific and technical spectrum to share the latest advancements in their respective fields and learn how advancements in other areas can impact their work.
What does the intersection of the ECS and SVC communities look like?
CJJ: The ECS community is comprised of some of the world’s leading professors, process engineers, PhD students, physicists, research fellows, and materials scientists in the fields of energy generation and storage; corrosion science and electrocatalysis; sensors, photovoltaic devices, nanotubes and fullerenes; and sensors and displays.
FTZ: By coupling researchers focused on basic science with engineers driven towards implementing manufacturing solutions, synergies that could only be imagined will become reality.
What excites you most about the potential impact of this collaboration on SVC and ECS members and the wider scientific community?
FTZ: The potential to develop technology and scale solutions that can impact pressing global requirements is not only an opportunity for both organizations but actually an obligation!
Share more about the impact and relevance of these joint presentations at the 2026 SVC and ECS events.
FTZ: The ever-increasing performance requirements and the need to scale manufacturing solutions of a host of technologies (energy storage, hydrogen generation, sensor developments, to name but a few) are driven by the intersection of electrochemistry, materials science, and surface engineering. Forums where stakeholders from all aspects of the technology supply chain can meet and exchange ideas will be critical in establishing the collaborations that will drive advancement. A closer alliance between ECS and SVC will have a profound synergistic effect.
What does success for this partnership look like?
CJJ: The success of the collaboration between SVC and ECS can be defined in many ways, but for me, the most important outcome is that by partnering, we bring together thought-leaders from our disparate, albeit related, technical disciplines to advance the missions of both organizations and, ultimately, advance science for the benefit of humanity.
Can’t wait until 2026?
Check out the 245th ECS Meeting (San Francisco, CA, from May 26-May 30, 2024), convening a unique blend of electrochemical and solid state science and technology and providing an opportunity and forum to learn and exchange information on the latest scientific and technical developments in a variety of interdisciplinary areas. SVC’s TechCon (Chicago, IL, from May 6-9, 2024) consists of a series of tutorials, technical presentations, industrial workshops, networking events, and an international trade exhibition.
About SVC
The SVC is a non-profit, international, professional organization primarily devoted to coating and surface finishing using vacuum processes. Our organization consists of industry, academia, and members from national research laboratories; our industrial membership includes coating companies, materials suppliers, process designers, and equipment manufacturers. Our stakeholders apply coatings and treatments to a wide variety of consumer and industrial products in all business sectors and are global in perspective.
