Many entangled systems, including micelle solutions and living polymers, commonly show flow instabilities and flow-induced transitions that result in spatially heterogeneous, shear banded states. The study of such fluids has mushroomed in recent years, and this meeting will provide an opportunity for the European shear-banding community to push the field forward.

Current issues in the study of these fluids may benefit from a wide discussion spanning theory, experiments and simulation. Our goal is to clarify all the different features currently observed in shear-banding systems, improve understanding of the microstructural processes at work and identify the future work needed.

Topics for discussion will include:
• Diffusive processes close to shear-band interfaces
• Gradients in alignment vs. in concentration
• Fluctuations and instabilities within shear flows
• The influence of wall effects
• How can we improve experiments and constitutive models?