Stephan Egerland appointed Chairman of the Technical Management Board of the IIW

At the IIW General Assembly in Shanghai, which attracted 1,200 participants at the end of June 2017, Stephan Egerland was unanimously elected as chairman of the TMB by the Board of Directors (BoD). As chairperson, Egerland is also a member of the Board of Directors, the IIW’s highest committee. Over the next three years he will lead the IIW’s technical operations. “I look forward to working productively and collaboratively with all responsible parties, and to making my own contribution to strengthening and developing the three fundamental pillars of the IIW: research, industry and education,” he said.

The International Institute of Welding (IIW) is the world’s largest welding technology organisation and was founded in 1948 by 13 national welding organisations. Today it has members from 59 different nations. The IIW affords national organisations and companies the opportunity to make use of its international network to seek collaboration partners for welding research, obtain information on the latest developments in the sector, and build up their own technological and field leadership. In addition to its global networking functions, the IIW’s core tasks include leading an intensive technical discussion of current welding issues concerning joining processes, material behaviours, filler materials and consumables, occupational safety and standardisation, as well as worldwide welder training and certification.

The steering committee of the IIW is the Board of Directors. The IAB (International Authorization Board), which is responsible for training and certification, and the TMB (Technical Management Board), which is responsible for welding-technology matters, reports to the Board of Directors. In turn, 16 commissions, 4 committees and 2 study groups report to the TMB.

Fronius was early to recognise the potential and significance of the IIW, and is now one of its most active corporate members. In the past year, Fronius has supplied two members of the TMB, two commission chairpeople and one subcommission chairperson. In addition to this, three Fronius employees sit on the extended editorial board of the IIW’s renowned technical journal “Welding in the World”.