Two Centres of Excellence – Sussex AI and Sussex Neuroscience – recently co-hosted the PhoBioS COST Action CA21159 meeting, titled "Divergent Look at Biological Surface Interactions: Can We Apply AI and Neuroscientific Research for Next-Gen Electronic Materials?"

The event brought together researchers from across the UK, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czechia, Slovenia, Germany, Serbia, Romania, and Turkey to explore the intersections of AI, neuroscience, biological surfaces, and next-generation materials.

The meeting was opened by Professor Luc Moreau, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine, who set the tone for two days of dynamic discussion, collaboration, and forward-thinking research.

We were also pleased to hear from two Directors of Centres of Excellence:

• Professor Thomas Nowotny, representing Sussex AI

• Professor Tom Baden, representing Sussex Neuroscience

A highlight of the programme was the plenary lecture by Professor Luis Magdalena (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), who spoke about the Challenges and Opportunities of Explainable Artificial Intelligence.

This was the first time a COST Action meeting had been hosted at the University of Sussex. PhoBioS – COST Action CA21159 is led by Professor Małgorzata Szczerska, who joined us on campus for the occasion.

COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is the longest-running European framework supporting transnational cooperation among researchers and innovators. It plays a vital role in bridging research efforts across the EU and beyond, complementing and anticipating EU Framework Programme activities, and fostering global scientific collaboration.