Dear Colleagues, Partners, and Friends of the Science and the Art of Welding,

It is my great pleasure and honour to welcome you to participate at the 79th IIW Annual Assembly 2026, which will take place in the historic and vibrant city of Salzburg, Austria.

This Assembly will even more than ever mark another milestone in our shared commitment to advance the science and technology around the key topics in welding and joining worldwide.

Similarly, we will take care that also the education, training, qualification and certification in welding and allied processes will take significant future steps to join and strengthen our global community. As we gather in the heart of Europe, surrounded by Salzburg’s rich cultural heritage and embedded in the breathtaking Alpine landscapes, we will foster our power of collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange.

Throughout this Annual Assembly, we will engage in meaningful discussions, share groundbreaking research, and reinforce the bonds that unite our global welding community. For the first time, this IIW Annual Assembly will feature a renewed structure which will underpin and enhance the collaboration and connection between industry and research. This IIW Annual Assembly will thus also place larger emphasis on application-oriented topics, respective technical visits and industrial roundtables.

IIW is immensely grateful to our IIW Austrian Members Societies SZA and ÖGS, and to the entire Local Organising Committee, as they are working hard to get our global IIW community even more interacting in the triangle of Research, Education and Industry and for providing close access to the respective local organizations in Austria. Let´s join together to experience and feel the exceptional hospitality and dedication of our IIW Austrian Members Societies in organising this Annual Assembly.

The 79th IIW Annual Assembly 2026 will inspire us all with exciting new ideas, insightful discussions and lasting collaborations and partnerships. It will reaffirm our collective vision for a stronger, even more connected global future in international science and technology, education and training towards application and innovation of welding and allied processes.

Let me thus cordially welcome you again to the IIW Annual Assembly 2026! The entire IIW Board of Directors and the Secretariat are greatly looking forward to meeting you in Salzburg.

Prof. Thomas Böllinghaus
IIW President, 2023-2026