Budapest to Host European Symposium on Analytical Spectrometry in August 2026

From August 30 to September 3, 2026, the Hungarian Chemical Society will host the European Symposium on Analytical Spectrometry (ESAS) in Budapest, Hungary.¹ This scientific conference will focus on recent advances in spectrometric instrumentation, applied analysis, and method development. Set to bring together researchers from Europe and beyond, this conference represents another opportunity where some of the leading researchers in mass spectrometry will have the opportunity to collaborate, network, and socialize with their colleagues. Registration for this conference is ongoing, and abstract submissions are being accepted through April 15.^1,2

What is the European Symposium of Analytical Spectrometry (ESAS)?

ESAS is a biennial conference that is heavily focused on atomic spectrometry. ESAS is billed as a direct continuation of two long-established scientific series: the International Solid Sampling Colloquium, established in 1984 in Wetzlar, Germany, and the European Furnace Symposium, which originated in Warsaw, Poland, in 1994.³ The 2026 edition marks Hungary's second time hosting the event, having previously done so in Eger in 2016.³

What is new for this edition of ESAS?

ESAS is set to incorporate several changes in this year’s edition of the conference in an effort to broaden its scope. The conference organizers are looking to create symposiums that not only discuss trends and developments in atomic spectrometry but also encompass molecular techniques as well.³ This change in the conference program reflects a current trend in analytical science that it is seeing the integration of multiple microscopic and spectrometric methods. As a result, the organizers believe it no longer makes sense to define the conference as a symposium of atomic spectrometry alone.³ The expanded mandate is intended to accommodate researchers working at the intersection of atomic and molecular methods, including those applying mass spectrometry (MS), fluorescence microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy in combination.³

What are the focus areas of ESAS?

ESAS will touch upon 16 different focus areas as part of the conference program.² These topics include the following:

• Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)
• Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
• Raman spectroscopy
• Infrared (IR) spectroscopy
• X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
• Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS)
• Single cell and particle analysis
• Chemical imaging
• Machine learning-assisted discrimination analysis
• Solid sampling
• Trace analytical sample preparation
• Microfluidics

The number of topics being covered highlights how the conference is becoming more interdisciplinary in its coverage.

What plenary lectures are confirmed for ESAS?

Four plenary lectures have been confirmed. Vincent Motto-Ros, Associate Professor at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, will present on LIBS, where his research focuses on quantitative analysis and elemental imaging in biological and complex materials.⁴ Detlef Günther, full professor for trace element and micro analysis at ETH Zürich and a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, will address ICP-MS-based instrument and method development.⁴ László Drahos, head of the MS Proteomics Research Group at the HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, will cover MS and proteomics.⁴ And finally, Volker Deckert, Professor for Physical Chemistry at Friedrich-Schiller University Jena and recipient of the 2020 Ellis R. Lippincott Award, will speak on Raman spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS).⁴

What short courses are confirmed for ESAS?

As of this writing, four short courses, each ninety minutes in length, have also been scheduled. These short courses will cover single particle ICP-MS, MS in proteomics, microfluidics in spectroscopy, and machine learning (ML) in spectroscopy.⁴ The inclusion of ML as a standalone short course topic reflects a growing expectation within the analytical community that data-driven methods are now integral to spectrometric workflows, not supplementary to them.

Why should you attend ESAS?

For instrument manufacturers, contract laboratories, and academic research groups active in elemental analysis, trace characterization, or spectroscopic imaging, the Budapest symposium offers a concentrated point of contact with the European research community. The conference's expanded thematic scope makes it a broader platform than its earlier iterations.

References

1. ESAS 2026, Important Dates. ESAS. Available at: https://esas2026.hu/important-dates/ (accessed 2026-03-26).
2. ESAS 2026, European Symposium on Analytical Spectrometry (ESAS). ESAS. Available at: https://esas2026.hu/ (accessed 2026-03-26).
3. LabRulz, 2022 European Symposium on Analytical Spectrometry. LabRulz. Available at: https://lcms.labrulez.com/companies/178 (accessed 2026-03-26).
4. ESAS 2026, Plenary Speakers/Short Courses. ESAS. Available at: https://esas2026.hu/programme/ (accessed 2026-03-26).