IMPRESS at 17MCM: the future of TEM microscopy
From September 7 to 12, 2025, Portorož hosted the 17th Multinational Congress on Microscopy (17MCM), a key meeting point for scientists and industry experts. Held biennially, the event serves as a showcase of excellence for the latest breakthroughs achieved through advanced microscopy techniques, while also highlighting the newest theoretical and instrumental innovations.
Within the special session “IMPRESS: Shaping the Future of Interoperable TEM”, which gathered 80 experts, Regina Ciancio, IMPRESS Project Coordinator at Area Science Park, outlined the main objective of the initiative: to develop an interoperable and standardized platform for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), with the potential to transform the field.
IMPRESS aims to create modular components designed with open and standardized interfaces, a promising pathway to revolutionize the way electron microscopy is conceived and used. These prototypes, developed in close collaboration with SMEs in the sector and the scientific community, are designed to be adaptable to different instruments, ensuring maximum flexibility for diverse research needs.
“This is how we can innovate in the field of TEM: by promoting interoperability by design, flexibility in practice, and co-development that turns ideas into concrete solutions, addressing the needs of different communities,” emphasized Regina Ciancio during her talk. “Everything we develop is born open and is enriched through user contributions.”
The discussion clearly underscored the need to strengthen the link between electron microscopy and the broader scientific ecosystem. The creation of shared standards, the dissemination of open knowledge, and the joint involvement of SMEs and researchers are key levers to ensure that projects like IMPRESS can change not only how instruments are designed and used, but also how collaboration between scientific and industrial communities takes shape.
In the exhibition area, Area Science Park also presented a poster on the RIANA project, which aims to provide academic and industrial researchers with transnational, integrated access to a strategic set of European research infrastructures, fostering the development of multidisciplinary projects in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology.