Technology from the stars: what engineers can learn from meteorites.

On March 27, 2026, the Lodz University of Technology hosted the fourth edition of the National Materials Engineering Day (ODIM). The event aims to promote modern materials, innovative research techniques, and educational opportunities related to materials engineering.

The ceremony was opened by Dr. Anna Karczemska from the Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, who delivered an inaugural lecture titled “Out-of-this-world materials — what can meteorites teach an engineer?”. The talk took place at the PŁ Engineers’ Factory and was addressed primarily to high school students interested in technical fields. In her presentation, Dr. Karczemska discussed the remarkable properties of extraterrestrial materials and their impact on the development of modern technologies. The meeting attracted a large audience and provided an excellent opportunity to popularize materials engineering and showcase the research conducted at the Lodz University of Technology.

The event is part of a broader initiative to promote materials science among young people. The National Materials Engineering Day is a relatively new undertaking — the first edition was held in 2023. In the following years, the event continued to grow, making 2026 its fourth edition. The project is aimed at young enthusiasts of technical sciences, with the goal of presenting the latest achievements in materials science and encouraging them to pursue educational paths related to materials engineering.