From September 11 to 13, the first International Conference on Biotribology and Bionic-Tribology (ICoBB) was held in Chengdu. This event was sponsored by the Tribology Institution of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, and co-hosted by Southwest Jiaotong University and the journal Biosurface and Biotribology. The conference was co-chaired by Professor Zhou Zhongrong, Vice President of Southwest Jiaotong University, Professor Marc Masen from Imperial College London, Professor Wimmer from Rush University Medical Center, and Professor Jin Zhongmin from Southwest Jiaotong University and the University of Leeds. Professor Zhou delivered the opening address on behalf of the Society.

The interdisciplinary field of Biotribology and bionic-tribology covers multiple disciplines including mechanical engineering, materials science, life sciences, and biomedical engineering, offering unique design approaches for both human health and advanced equipment manufacturing. Between 2011 to 2022 six sessions of the International Conference on Biotribology (ICoBB) were held across the UK and Canada, and in 2017 and 2023 the International Symposium on Biosurfaces, Biotribology, and Biomimetics (ISBBB) was convened twice in Chengdu, China. Similarities between ICoBB and ISBBB and strong collaboration between their organizing committees later led to the combination of the two — the International Conference on Biotribology and Bionic-Tribology (ICoBB), and this year’s conference in Chengdu is the debut of its inaugural session.

This conference provided to its over 100 participants 8 keynote speeches and 14 invited speeches, along with 4 parallel sessions and poster exhibitions. Present at the meeting were international representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Netherlands and Austria, and Chinese experts and graduate students in this field. They discussed the latest advances in biotribology and bionic-tribology and exchanged valuable research insights and experiences.