This July, Salzburg, Austria hosted the 79th IIW Annual Assembly, running from 12 to 17 July, bringing together the global welding community around a shared commitment to research, education and industrial progress.
The 2026 Assembly introduced a renewed structure to strengthen the link between industry and research, combining application-oriented technical content, industrial roundtables, technical visits, and closer collaboration between academia, industry and standards bodies.
The Technical Programme (13–16 July) offered delegates a structured path through the latest developments in welding science, aligned with IIW’s technical commissions, from microjoining and nanojoining to structural performance and fracture avoidance. Health, safety, environment and digitalisation featured prominently, reflecting the priorities shaping the sector’s future.
The Symposium (16 July) and International Conference (17 July) rounded out the week, giving professionals a platform to share findings, debate new standards and build international networks, a form of exchange the sector badly needs given its ageing workforce and ongoing skills shortages.
Across the week, the Assembly addressed key industry trends: digital manufacturing, new materials and growing demand for sustainable, application-oriented solutions across construction, energy, transport and manufacturing.
The 79th IIW Annual Assembly reaffirmed its role as a strategic driver of collaboration and innovation, investing not just in welding science and technology, but in the people and partnerships shaping the profession’s future worldwide.
